Tuesday, March 10 | 2026
Tuesday, March 10 | 2026
Katrina arrived in Stockholm in June 2009 and the summer had just begun. She was searching for a place that could fill her wish to explore the world.
I remember that it was a warm sunny day, just around 22°C. The streets were empty of people as it was close to the holidays and Midsummer.
I was just a girl with ambition who was bored and under stimulated – seeking a country that could satiate my desire to explore the world. I also loved European art (too much reading about art histories) and I was looking for the pot of gold (I found a pot but there was no gold, just kidding). Among the countries in Europe, Sweden was the only one that opened the door of opportunities. “Det kan man säga.”
Everything was hard, especially understanding the language.
In addition, adjusting my wardrobe to Swedish weather conditions is by far the hardest and I am still struggling how to do this properly. Wearing the wrong shoes/clothes will make you run the risk of being uncomfortably cold or committing a crime of fashion (I apologize for my shallowness in advance).
There are so many things to choose from and I will write the top 5 best things in Sweden.
Lugn – it means quiet, calm, peaceful
I don´t understand them and I need to read what they said between the lines. Most of the time, they don´t exactly mean what they say.
I think that the Swedes are the most polite people I´ve met and I really like their courteousness and good manners. However, sometimes they just need to be a little bit more straightforward and honest because it can save them a lot of conflict and misunderstanding.
I will only speak for the kind of Swedes that I´ve met: their love for travel and adventure is charming.
I miss the comfort of being in my home country. I miss my family. I miss the consistent warm weather throughout the year. I miss the spontaneous beach trips on weekends because everywhere I go in my hometown feels like a holiday spot. I miss speaking my own language. I miss the tropical fruits and the fresh seafood. I miss being treated like a princess :-). I miss being understood beyond words (though this is probably not the case now because I have turned into a hybrid citizen of the world).
During my first few months in Sweden, I was still adjusting to the working culture and actually I was a workaholic (bad habit formed in the Philippines), I was staying late at work almost every day. Until one late night, my manager told me,
“Katrina, in Sweden you can go home before your boss leaves. It´s not like in Asia where the minions stay until their boss leaves.”
It was a wonderful epiphany, hahaha!
Canada to Sweden – Bonnie’s story
Moving overseas is an exciting time, where dreams and expectations collide, and where the planning and preparation is filled with...
Moving from Syria to Sweden – Mahmoud’s story
Mahmoud is 24 year old who fled from Syria to avoid being forced into being a soldier for any of...
Afghanistan to Sweden – Si Na’s story
Si Na came to Sweden at the age of 15 after a long journey just in the company of another...
Moving from Switzerland to Sweden – Mauds story
Maud is from Switzerland and had planned to go to Finland. But life took an unexpected turn and she’s been...
Did you come here for something in particular or just general Riker-bashing? And blowing into
Visit Us
Moving from Spain to Sweden – Aleo’s story
December 18, 2015
Moving from Syria to Sweden – Rawa’s story
February 20, 2016
Afghanistan to Sweden – Si Na’s story
January 17, 2024
Get blog articles and offers via email
ABOUT
