An Alien in Sweden

A blog about my move from England and my new life in Sweden.
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Archive for September 30th, 2010

Sweden – Are you ready?

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Well were almost there. Just 72 hours from now and I will be in the air winging my way to a brand new country. People keep asking me, “Why Sweden?”, it’s a good question.

Most of my Swedish friends say to me that they cannot understand why I would want to move from the UK and most say I am crazy but it is not a decision I have taken lightly, it’s been a carefully structured four year plan.

When I began researching living overseas the two places that were high on my list were Australia and Sweden. Countries that I have been too many times and places that I felt offered the lifestyle that I was after. The UK was strangling me slowly and the way that the last government seemed to dig the hole even deeper made up my mind.

I want to live in a country where the priority is on the standard of life and Sweden certainly for me has the best I have seen. The culture and social structure is just ideal for what I am looking for. A country that places a good emphasis on education, health and family morale’s. Now I know that there are many negative sides to living in Sweden, higher taxes etc. but that is a small price to pay for a place where I feel I want to start and raise a family.

I’m not going to call myself Sven, grow a beard and live in the forest eating pickled herring as that is about as far
removed from a stereotypical Swede as a bowler hat and braces wearing Englishman. No I am British and always will be but the time is now to move to a new country. A time to start the next chapter in my life, a chance to be happy.

Sweden is going to be a journey of many ups and downs, many good days and many bad days and of course being a realist I will never rule out a trip back to the UK if it all goes wrong. Believe me in life I have been surrounded by lots of friends and I have also been totally isolated in lands where I could not communicate. Nothing scares me in life, I thrive on a challenge.

So Sweden…my question is…”Are you ready?”

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