In Sweden

Welcome

This blog is about my life in Sweden. I write about the good and the bad, the rude and the friendly, the conflicts and the similarities. My story is only a small piece of a far greater puzzle, but I’m extremely thankful for the experience. I have a nice collection of stories to entertain my future grandchildren with.

I moved to Sweden in the Fall of 2007. I spent the Summer months traveling through Poland and England, and had only just returned to the San Francisco Bay Area, when my boyfriend rather casually inquired if I wanted to move to Sweden with him.

It seemed too good to be true. His new company was paying for our airline tickets and moving expenses. How could I refuse? I only had 1 week until our scheduled departure date, so I said a quick goodbye to my parents, and hastily packed a few suitcases. I left most of my life behind at my Dad’s house, and in a POD storage unit in North Carolina.

Upon our arrival in Stockholm, my boyfriend’s company took good care of us. They found us an apartment in a nice neighborhood where little old women walk their little old dogs. Eventually they also managed to get my work and residency permit processed and approved. It wasn’t the easiest transition period, but we survived!

7 months later I had a bank account and Swedish identity card. 9 months later I had my first job as a QA tester for a game developer. 10 months later I finally made friends to have dinner and see movies with. 11 months later, and I feel like I have a real life again.

Over the last year I’ve learned the importance of having a supportive group of family and friends. If it weren’t for their reassurance and love, then I couldn’t have forced myself out of my apartment to explore my new world. I don’t think the expat life is for everyone, but for those who are willing to pursue their dreams overseas, it is an incredibly rewarding experience.

It’s true that I miss a lot of stuff that I had back in the States. I miss Starbucks, Target. The Outback Steakhouse, and being able to transfer money into my Bank of America checking account without extra charges. Whenever I start missing my old home too much, I force myself to take a step backwards and re-examine the life that I live today.

I live in a historical neighborhood in a classic Scandinavian city. I pay the equivalent of $20 USD in order to see my doctor. I pay the equivalent of $143 USD to have a cavity filled. If I get ill my employer gives me 80% of my pay. I’m less than 2 hours by plane to hundreds of other amazing European cities. When I think of things in this way, Starbucks, Target, and Outback don’t seem like major losses anymore…

TACK för behandlingen!

-Kimberly