In 2017, I traveled from my hometown of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, to New Orleans, Louisiana, to celebrate a friend's bachelorette party. On the last night of the trip, I met a Swede named Sebastian who was solo traveling in the US. We clicked immediately, and although I left New Orleans the next day, we kept in touch.
A few weeks later, he visited me in Canada for two weeks. We spent the next year and a half dating long-distance, flying back and forth, and knew that one of us would eventually have to move.
I'd always wanted to spend time living abroad, so I happily volunteered. I obtained a temporary work visa in Sweden with the intention of only staying for a few years. And in February 2019, I bought myself and my cat a one-way ticket to Copenhagen, Denmark, which is about a 40-minute drive across the Øresund strait from the city of Malmö, Sweden.
My partner Sebastian is from the Malmö area, so it was a natural choice to base ourselves in the city. But I quickly fell in love with the culture, way of life, and openness of the people in Malmö — so much so that I bought an apartment and now more than four years later, I have no plans to leave. I can't picture myself living anywhere else in Sweden.
Over the years, I have gained such an appreciation for everyday life here. Here are a few specific things that surprised me about the Swedish culture and lifestyle, and why I love living here.