My experience in Sweden came to an abrupt and unexpected end on March 30th, when I received news that my grandparents had been in a car accident the day prior and my grandfather had died.
I want everyone to know that I wouldn’t have been able to come if it hadn’t been for him, and for a lot of reasons. He piqued my interest in travel kind of passively when I was young. I remember being at my grandparents’ house in Indianapolis and sifting through this jar he kept of coins. All the coins were different currencies, and served as a sort of souvenir from his many trips abroad for business. I was so interested in the coins and their countries of origin — I remember one in particular had a hole in the middle and when I asked about it, Grandpa told me a about Denmark.
He would have loved hearing about my trip when I got back, but for now I’m trying to be grateful that I was able to keep the blog, post my photos and communicate with him (and a lot of other people) through email and Skype. It was really important to me that he knew how much I enjoyed being in Sweden, in part because it was a very significant interest we shared. He knew and understood my interest in seeing and experiencing new things and supported me when, back in August, I decided on a whim to study abroad.
All I can say now is thank you.
Livin' the Swede Life 
He was a great man. He was so proud of you and your brothers. I got to talk to him and Sara about a week before the accident. They talked a out how impressed they were that you were studying abroad and willing to try new things. He is missed.
Thank you Emily for sharing with us! We are truly sorry you had to leave and wish you all the best for the future.
Beautiful. You are so strong. Love you.