Travel quote
Tag Archives: living in / moving to Sweden
#worldcolors Green
If you’ve followed my blog you know I like photography. That’s why I immediately joined #worldcolors when I stumbled upon Naomi’s blog post. According to it March is all about Green! But is it really? Well, in my part of the world it is fairly grey right now; cold, winter and no snow at all. If you read my blog post the other day you know I’m more than ready to welcome spring and green colors into my world again.
For the photo project #worldcolors I first planned to go through old photos to find the lush green ones, filled with memories from all over the world. Then on Friday I spent a few hours outside in the biting cold and decided to make #worldcolors Green a real challenge. I would look for green objects to shoot during the day – outside. And yes it was quite a challenge, but a fun one! Below are my green finds! Please feel free to join the #worldcolors! You still have a couple of weeks to find your take on green!
Hello mailbox – where have all the postcards gone?
Don’t you just love getting proper mail? I’m not talking about the data filling up your e-mail inbox. I’m talking about crisp letters you can actually feel in your hands; slowly tear open to reveal its content. Proper letters and postcards are special. Magazines are fine too. Bills and flyers are what mostly greet me when I peak into my mail box though. Sad. But I have to admit I don’t send many cards myself by postal service (unless it’s Christmas). And letters – almost never. Most of my postal mail exchange is with expat friends, or friends I got to know during my expatriate adventures. Sometimes I also send letters to my Swedish conversation students, containing articles from magazines and newspapers to read and work with.
The other day I stumbled upon a cool project on swapping postcards. You send 10 DIY postcards and get 10 back. Problem solved :). Follow the link here to read more on iHanna’s blog! Hurry to sign up and get crafting! Be sure to visit the blog to see Hanna’s wonderfully colorful creations!
10 Quick tips on how to plan your stay when living abroad or traveling
Living abroad or traveling – tips for exploring and sightseeing
When I arrive in a new place I’m always eager to explore the surroundings. Sometimes I already know what I would like to see, sometimes I don’t have a clue. One thing I know though is that I don’t want to leave feeling I have missed out on places and things to discover simply because it “just didn’t happen”. This is an advice I always share with expats getting ready to leave for a new destination; do not go back without stories to tell, and memories to savor! We all know that time flies so start planning your stay abroad! Below I’m sharing some of my tips to help exploring a new location. They are not only valid for living abroad but work for traveling and vacation too!
10 Quick tips on how not to miss out on places to go when living abroad or traveling
Here are a few tips for your inspiration
on planning what you want to experience in your adopted country and to get you going!
- Start right away
- Try apps such as Stuck on Earth or let Google World Wonders Project inspire you.
- Stock up on guide books – still my favorite source for inspiration, and excellent to save as memories. Notes in them makes it more personal!
- Ask people for tips – in person or on internet forums.
- Local papers – ads and what-to-dos sections can provide ideas even if you don’t master the language.
- Don’t limit yourself to searching the Internet – there are lots of accounts on
Twitter providing tips on cities and regions. Facebook and Google+ works too! Instagram needless to say offers travel eye candy! - Take into account how long your expatriate / travel adventure is planned to last.
- Make a list of want-to-sees, top priorities first.
- Schedule trips and visits for your stay. Actual dates are great but “in May”, “by end of summer” and “3 things off the list in a month” works well!
- Be realistic! Don’t overdo it but make sure you do do it! Happy discovering when living abroad!
Why I love my coffee cold.
This time of the year us Swedes grab our mugs,
sit outside on a bench,
wrapped in blankets,
faces turned to the sun like sunflowers,
enjoying the first warm rays of light.
We are all probably side by side in a row,
pressed against a house wall sheltering us from the wind.
The coffee is long cold.
It doesn’t matter,
as long as we can take our fika outside we are happy!
Soon the grill will be out too.
Fika the Swedish way
Fika is the Swedish soul.
Fika is coffee/tea/juice/whatever-except-alcohol.
Fika is our daily excuse to savor cinnamon rolls/pastry/cake/cookies.
Fika is a daily routine at our work places. Twice a day actually.
Fika is when Swedes are not taciturn.
Fika is #fika on twitter.
Fika is at home. At the office, at a café.
Fika is at the playground, in a park and in our gardens.
Fika is for business and pleasure.
Fika can be just a cuppa.
Fika is always right.
Winter cold & photo
Cold winter temperatures are back. The almost ever present (at least it feels that way) West coast wind makes it even more freezing. I spent a few years in Mid Sweden and it never felt as cold there in the winter as it does in Gothenburg. It’s all about humidity and wind. Cold days usually mean clear skies though and the sun is doing its best to brighten up and warm our days! There’s not much color outdoors for photography, so light and frost can make all the difference!
What are your biggest struggles learning Swedish?
What are your major struggles learning Swedish?
Replies to this question via twitter and IRL include trying to actually speak it. Most people in Sweden are fairly happy to speak English which makes it easy to avoid using Swedish in every situation that holds the opportunity.
Another common answer is the prononciation of “sje-ljudet”.
Fitting Swedish classes in in a busy schedule, or having babies and young children at home all day also make it difficult to study. Here Skype works well – no time wasted on travelling to class and you can do it with babies and toddlers at home. Want to learn more?
Learn a few words before you travel
Knowing at least a bit of the local language is important to adapt to a new culture. Learn how to greet before your move, and how to say thank you, and teach your kids too. This is a good start when arriving. I remember my mother taught me how to say “play” in German, on the ferry, when I at the age of seven went to Germany for the first time. It was a very good word to know to start playing with other kids on the boat.
Also for vacationing purposes it is fun to know a bit of the local language. When I was working as an Italian teacher the basic courses usually involved a lot of tourist conversations – food, restaurants, travelling, shopping, accommodation. And the text books contained quite a few pretty pictures 😉 .
Some try to learn the language before they go, some start once they get there. I have done both. What about you? What worked well?
International women #IWD
Accompanying spouses need to take on many new roles. Let me introduce to you
- the Moving Queen
- the Relo Expert
- the Resilience Champion
- the No. 1 Assignment Glue
Many employers and relocation organizations count on them. What about acknowledgement? I once heard of a spouse that received a “thank you” from her husbands employer. She said it was easily done but meant a lot to her.
What are your experiences?