20 things to know before moving to Sweden
thelocal.se
thelocal.se
1. "Start building your coffee tolerance": Neither I nor my wife drink coffee. It hasn't been a problem. But if you organize anything for your Swedish friends, make sure to have coffee.
2. "Pick a number, please": When I first moved here I would forget. Now the first thing I do in entering a service area is to get the number.
3. You can probably get by with English for decades, but...: There's only been a handful of Swedes (mostly 55+ or those who immigrated to Sweden) who I've met weren't able to speak English. English is everywhere in this country. I've even heard Swedes talking Swedish who drop English words because it came easier to mind than the Swedish. When I learned Swedish I had to be stubborn, and force people to talk with me in Swedish. "But I love to practice my English" was pretty common.
4. "Get your shopping done before 5 p.m. (if you can)" In the big cities, the supermarkets close at 10pm or even 11pm, so this isn't as bad as it used to be. But if you want to go to a specialty shop, then yet, do it before rush hour.
5. "At some point, you will squeeze food out of toothpaste tubes"
6. "Daddies pushing strollers"
7. "Camping and hiking and picking berries": I love allemansrätten! When I go on a cycling trip I don't have to worry about where I'm going to pitch my tent. In the US there's so much "private property, no trespassing", while here, if you want to go somewhere (and you take good care), it's not a problem.
8. "Melodifestivalen"
9. "Many businesses shut down in July": Being outside in July is the reason to live in Sweden. You survive winter by knowing that July is coming.
10. "Try keeping it 'lagom'": Yeah, I think this is overblown.
11. "Locate your nearest IKEA": True also for part of the US, I'm lead to believe.
12. "Nice shoes. Please take them off": Remember to wear your good socks when you go to a party.
13. "Winters are really cold, dark, and can be depressing": some winters everything just feels grey; the outside, inside, life. I wouldn't say depressing, only grey.
14. "Be on time": It's okay to be late by a bit, but make sure to text if you're going to be late. It's also okay to be a bit late to parties.
15. "Get your tasty adult beverages at state-run Systembolaget"
16. "Keep that plastic bag"
17. "Special days celebrating food"
18. "It is safe to drink the water": A few years ago this city prohibited its offices from purchasing bottled water. The city water is fresh and tasty. It's hard to find bottled water, which makes cycling trips a problem when the general stores only sell fizzy water.
19. "Business casual means jeans": When I first visited here I made sure to dress up, with button down shirts and slacks/jeans. Years later, after moved here, I told this to Swedes. They said "button up? Sweden is usually considered a casual dress place." I replied that in my previous employment in New Mexico, "dressed up" mean something other than shorts and shirts with holes in them.
20. "Not all education and healthcare is free"