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Is anyone in Sweden?/intro

jcsumm0jcsumm0 member
in International Bumpies

My husband is going to be interviewing for a position within his company that would move us to Sweden for 3 years.  We haven't made a final decision yet whether we would accept the job if offered, but I would love to hear about anyone's experiences living in Sweden.  We'd be about 30 min from Stockholm.  We could even live in Stockholm and DH could commune if we wanted to.

About me:  We have a 2.5 year old daughter and we live in Indiana.  DH and I are both from KY.  We also lived in Australia for 6 months in 2010.  I look forward to getting to know the ladies on this board if we decide to pursue moving to Sweden!

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Re: Is anyone in Sweden?/intro

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    lacblacklacblack member
    Hi! I do live in Sweden with my Swedish husband. I'm actually from Indiana! Sweden has its pros & cons. Pros: 1. almost everyone speaks English, especially in Stockholm 2. Family leave programs are great (up to 15 months off shared by the couple) 3. Plenty of family friendly activities since so many parents are off work for parental leave 3. Daycare is supplemented by gov't so it's quite cheap 4. Free healthcare Cons: 1. Everything is more expensive, at least 2 to 3 times more than equivalent in US 2. Housing especially in Stockholm are impossible to find & expensive 3. Taxes are outrageous. Of course, some of my complaints are pros for others...I miss shopping options, no Target or "real" malls so shopping is not so fun for me; Swedes can be difficult to know as they are cautious with new people but the expat community is usually good & I do have Swedish friends so it is possible. You can take free Swedish classes if you are interested. Hmm, what else...Stockholm is a great city but I don't live there so can't recommend areas. However, I hear that the suburbs aren't very nice & in the city is better (little opposite of Indianapolis, where I grew up). Nature is great here and people spend quite a bit of time outdoors; picking berries, cross country skiing, etc. Ask me any questions!
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    jcsumm0jcsumm0 member

    The nature aspect is huge for us--we love camping and hiking so I think that will be awesome!

    How are you dealing with the winter darkness/summer light?

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    lacblacklacblack member
    Sorry, it took so long to respond. We've been traveling. The summer sun is not too bad. If it is bothersome, black out curtains are widely available & work. The dark is worse but it's not too bad. It is dark by 2:30 or 3 but that's only for a few weeks. When I worked in Indiana, I went to work in the dark & got home in the dark, so it didn't seem that different!
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    mammasuzelovmammasuzelov member
    I live in Uppsala, 50min outside Stockholm.  It's a good sized city and it's got lots of great places to walk, run, bike. 

    Summers are wonderful, but dark curtains are a must, winters can be hard but as long as you get out in the light of day you should be fine. Swedes can be hard to get to know but once they get to know you, you have a friend for life.  

    I've been here for 12 years(originally from Canada) and I have some really wonderful Swedish friends. And as lacblack said the expat community is large and friendly. Shopping can be frustrating when you're used to so many of the stores we have in North America, but I find that shopping online works just as great.. I have little complaints about living here. It is what you make it. 
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    jcsumm0jcsumm0 member
    Unfortunately it doesn't look the position is going to work out :(  Thanks so much for you feedback though!
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