5 Reasons I Love Living In Sweden

The other day, I stumbled upon a post by another ex-pat blogger about "5 Things I Hate About Living in XXX" (country name, don't want to throw anyone under the bus!) And I loved the idea for the post. Right now, the things I like about living in Sweden greatly outnumber the things I don't like (and a general idea for those things can be found in my post right here, on Things I Miss From Home). With no further ado, here we are with what I love about living in Sweden!

1. Meeting new people. I have always loved to meet new people, and this is what I do nearly every day in Sweden. Previously, I have always worked in restaurants back in the US, meeting multiple people every single day and forging relationships with them. For me, it is exciting to meet someone new, find out what makes them tick, and possibly make a new friend. Being in a new country, you get to experience meeting a whole new group of people and learn from their experiences!

2. Travel Opportunities. Since moving to Sweden, I have had a whole host of travel opportunities that would not otherwise have presented themselves to me! I have been throughout Southern Sweden, as well as visiting Copenhagen, Prague, Munich for Oktoberfest, Paris for Christmas, and Stockholm several times. A lot of these trips were just quick weekends away, visiting places in Europe that have rich amounts of culture and history. To read about any of my travels, please check out my "best of" page and see my thoughts on all the places I have visited!

3. Trying new restaurants & things. Again, moving here has forced me to open my mind to trying new things and opportunities. A big thing for me has been experiencing the restaurants in town and finding a new cozy spot. Back in the US, Nick and I have our favorite restaurants we tend to frequent. Moving to a new city and country, we have tried new spots and searched for a perfect date night restaurant. While we believe we have a favorite, we still try others out. 

4. Broadening my horizons. While this is a very general statement, there are many things about being in a new country that have helped to broaden my horizons. Firstly, there is a new language, so many every day tasks are different. Take grocery shopping, for example- if you want to pick up a quick meal, you have to make sure you know the translations for everything! In addition to this, there is a different culture in Sweden. The experience helps to open your eyes to what it is like to live in another country. I believe it has made me have a greater appreciation and respect for anyone moving to another country, and I know I will do a better job of sympathizing and reaching out to people in the US! Living in a new country is a great way to gain life experience and perspective. 

5. A new appreciation for home. To me, I don't think I ever really appreciated home until I moved here. Of course, it was always there, and I really appreciated it when I was having a tough time- but now I realize there really is no place like home. I had lived within 30 minutes of where I grew up my entire life, and never realized how nice it was to be that close to family, friends, and everything that you knew. Being an ex-pat has made me appreciate not only living abroad, but also the great things waiting for me back home!