Sweden- The First Year

It is hard to fathom, but it has been one year since our family flew across the ocean to begin "Our Swedish Adventure" (the hubby had a six month head start, but we began our time here as a family last April).  As I thought about what to write to commemorate such a momentous event...I pondered a few options- "10 Best Things About Living in Sweden", "10 Worst Things About Living in Sweden", "How to Survive without Target and Trader Joe's", etc.  Instead, in an attempt to not overgeneralize, I will simply provide a few observations from the past twelve months.

Observation 1- Kids really DO learn languages quickly

Yes, yes...we have all heard that before (I had probably even uttered those words myself without knowing a THING about the process). However, I never witnessed this transformation in the U.S., especially not through the language of my own children!   For those of you who don't know, our two girls attend a local Swedish school rather than an International School (which was the original plan).  Their language came slowly at first... learning simple, useful words like "No!" "Look!" and "Stop!" They also enjoyed singing in Swedish.

Pippi Longstocking aka Pippi Långstrump is a favorite

Fast forward one year and both girls are speaking Swedish fluently.   In fact, they have begun speaking Swedish to each other at home (even when no other Swedes are here).  Unfortunately, my process of learning the language has progressed much more slowly...when I recently asked my youngest how my Swedish was coming along, she answered (in Swedish) "Not Good!" Nothing like a little family support!  We had heard that their Swedish might accelerate when they realized that mom and dad could no longer understand them...that appears to be a pretty accurate statement.   It would be great if they could learn one more language while it's this easy!

Observation 2- There is such a thing as bad weather, EVEN with good clothing.

Ok...I said it.  Over the last year, I have heard MANY times that "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing".  Blah Blah Blah.  Sorry for delivering this shocking news, but sometimes the weather really IS bad.  Like when you don't see the sun for weeks at a time or when it snows in April.  

Bad weather, good clothing

Good weather, good clothing

I will agree the weather is much more "manageable" in proper outer wear.  Additionally, I love that the kids go outside during the school day, every day, regardless of the weather.  However, I still maintain that cold, overcast and spitting rain should be called out...it's straight up bad weather.  As for me, I have commuted to work (yes, on the bike) when it has been raining (and occasionally even when it was snowing).   We survived the dark, damp winter...but that doesn't mean I liked it.  I now have a clearer understanding of why the Swedes really celebrate the arrival of spring!

Observation 3- We can adapt to new food choices

Before moving to Sweden, I had a few stereotypes of what the food would be like...imagine Swedish fish, meatballs and fermented fish in a jar.   Much to my relief, I have found that there is more to it than that.  I won't go into great detail on this one as the food topic may someday have its own special moment on the blog.

When it comes to cooking at home (which we do nearly all of the time), I have been able to make (or slightly modify) almost all of my go-to recipes.  This includes Mexican food which is a family favorite...I also know several Swedes that enjoy "taco Friday" at their homes. When it comes to restaurants, our selection in Lund is TINY when compared to the suburbs of Chicago, but we have found pretty good pizza, a few tasty burgers and sushi good enough to satisfy my occasional cravings!   Also, because it's so cheap, we have to have a meal at Ikea every time we visit.

Don't forget the ice cream cone!

When I sit and think about all the restaurants, and food in general, that I miss from the U.S., I tend to get a bit nostalgic, but it really hasn't been that difficult to adjust.  However, I think it's safe to say that fish in a jar...or in a tube....will never be on my list of favorites.

This is for real...sorry...just can't do it!

Observation 4- No country gets everything right

Yes, I know this one seems pretty obvious, but I think it's natural for people to have pride in their country and to think, perhaps, that they have things all figured out.  Don't worry, I'm not going to weigh in on the differences in child care, taxes, health care, etc. in Sweden versus the U.S.  (that would surely be a quick way to lose friends, in two countries).  However, I WILL say that it has been eye opening to observe and discuss some of our differences.  Having the opportunity to experience life here in Sweden has allowed me to start seeing things from a different perspective.

I like you both

 Observation 5-  Roundabouts can be a GOOD thing!

I have to say that I was nervous about the thought of driving in Sweden because there are LOTS of roundabout (at least in our neck of the woods).   I think I had only experienced these alleged traffic fighting circles a handful of times in the U.S. and I was a bit confused about how, exactly, to navigate them.   Now I feel pretty comfortable with the "rules" (although my husband may not completely agree) and most of the time they really keep the traffic moving.  Even when there seems to be a "huge" backup (a very relative term coming from a Chicago driver), things move along pretty quickly.  

Simple, right?

Observation 6- I am a little bit brave

Who would have thought I would use the word "brave" to describe myself?  Generally speaking, I have never been a big risk taker.   In fact, if you had asked any of my friends for a Top 10 list of THEIR friends who they thought would be most likely to move overseas, I can almost guarantee that my name would NOT be included.  Although I moved two hours south for my college years (pretty crazy, I know), I have lived the rest of my life within a thirty minute drive of where I was born.  So, yes, I think one has to be a bit brave to move away from a great job, wonderful friends and supportive family and into the unknowns of a new country.  That being said, I certainly miss my family and friends, but they will all be there upon our return to the States.

If only I could have that HAIR!

This has been, at times, a scary, exciting, enlightening, frustrating, and happy year...at least for me (hopefully we have made things a little less scary and frustrating for our girls). I don't know exactly how long our Swedish adventure will last, but my goal is to make the most of this experience.  I'm also grateful that a wonderful friend encouraged me to start writing this blog and helped me get started...it is a lot of fun...please feel free to comment or suggest future topics.  Thanks for reading!

Our Easter in Sweden

Glad Påsk! (That means "Happy Easter"...try not to get distracted by the little "a" with the circle on top).  I'll admit I have been a bit of a slacker when it comes to sharing my experiences about new and interesting traditions here in southern Sweden (I managed to completely skip Christmas), but I'm hoping to improve upon that...starting now.  This year Easter consisted of some new friends and new activities as well as some of our American traditions.

Our girls were off from school the entire week before Easter as well as the day after (maybe to nurse the sugar hangover?).  In other parts of Sweden, the children are free the week after Easter.  I worked part of the week, so the girls went to Fritids (which is play time at the school).

Trick-or-Treating ?
No, no....of course the Swedes don't call it that, but when kids show up at my door looking for candy, I call it trick-or-treating.   Folklore suggests that, on Maundy Thursday, witches flew off on broomsticks to dance with the devil at Blåkulla ("Blue Mountain").  In honor of this, kids dress up like witches and go in search of treats (truth be told, they look more like little old ladies, wearing aprons and scarves and painting their cheeks red).  I really don't understand the concept....but you learn to just play along!

 A couple of Swedish "witches"

Although the tradition says that the witches show up on Thursday, I was told kids could show up anytime over the long weekend in search of candy (this is similar to Halloween here...not quite as structured as it is in the U.S.).  Often the children will present you with a small card or drawing in exchange for the candy (which is preferable to Halloween "tricks").

I reckon that's worth a piece of candy!

I purchased bags and bags of candy only to be disappointed that we had only a few children knock on the door.

Easter Brunch
A friend invited us, along with two other families, to a traditional Swedish Easter brunch on Saturday.  The kids were all dressed up in their Easter garb....there were a few witches (mentioned above), two rabbits, an Easter chick and a girl decorated with colored eggs.  From what I understood, we enjoyed a pretty traditional Easter smorgasbord consisting of herring (to be honest, not my all time favorite), meatballs, potatoes, and eggs... among other things.  It was quite tasty!

After eating, the children decorated hard boiled eggs.   We then brought the colored eggs to a nearby park where they were used in games such as egg rolling and egg knocking (where you tap your egg against your opponent's....and the person with the cracked egg is "out")

This egg knocking is serious business!

We then returned to the house for an Easter egg hunt.  Each child found a large paper egg filled with candy...this is a traditional Swedish thing.  While the adults went for a short walk around the neighborhood, the kids stayed behind and devoured most of their candy.

A close up of the paper-ish egg

A quick photo before they dig in!

Now, in case devouring a giant egg full of candy didn't provide enough of a sugar high, the kids and adults also enjoyed cupcakes, decorated with flowers, bunnies and "nests" of Easter eggs.  In case you couldn't guess, the cupcakes were our "American" contribution to the Easter festivities.

Yes, all of the flowers are edible...yum!

Eggs and other Easter "stuff"
Yes, eggs are a big sign of Easter in Sweden.  Hard boiled eggs (to eat, roll, knock, etc.) as well as chocolate and other candy eggs are readily available.  The large paper eggs filled with candy are also quite popular.  These are also available at U.S. Ikea stores (for your future Easter planning purposes).

The traditional decorations are a bit different from all of the fuzzy chicks, lambs and bunnies that were displayed around our house.  In Sweden, there is a lot of yellow....candles, chicks, etc.  It is also common for brightly colored feathers to be attached to twigs or branches.  I'm not sure if there is a significance to this....my Swedish friends are welcome to comment!

The Swedish Easter feather tree

Easter Sunday
For many Swedes, it seemed that most of the Easter "celebrating" was completed by Sunday (the "eves" tend to get more attention here....Christmas is the same way).  As you Americans can imagine, our family was not quite finished.   The girls were geared up for a visit from the Easter Bunny....and he did not disappoint!  He made his way all the way to Sweden to deliver baskets of candy and small gifts.   He also hid Easter eggs for the girls....it was quite cold so he decided to hide them indoors.

Interestingly, for all of the beautiful churches here, there is not a whole lot happening on Easter Sunday.  Most churches have some sort of Easter service, but few people attend (this is only an observation...not a judgement).  Anyway, I did miss seeing all of the young girls proudly displaying their Easter dresses (often with matching hats) at church.  My mom always handed out jelly beans to us during the Easter service....which I missed this year!  

We finished our weekend activities with a wonderful dinner with friends on Sunday evening.   Monday was spent relaxing with the family and marked the beginning of the "chocolate bunny detox"!