Posts filed under Sweden

Beauty on Water?

 

Flashback Friday

    Well, I think it's time to do a flashback Friday from my hometown, and home country or what do you think?

 
 

Stockholm Archipelago

    Last time I was back in Sweden was in April 2013, so that is quite some time ago. I grew up in Stockholm and of course there are many things I miss about Sweden and Stockholm, but there are also a lot of things I don't miss about Sweden and Stockholm. In April 2013 I finally took W with me to Sweden, he's been studying in Finland before so it wasn't completely new to him to go to a Scandinavian country. I figured that one of the best ways to showcase Stockholm would be to go on one of the many boats. We picked one that was combined with a lunch buffet, so you could eat and watch the beauty of Stockholm and it's surroundings at the same time. What a concept :)

 
 

Beauty on Water?

    Of course I am probably biased when I say that I believe Stockholm really is beauty on water, but that's okey. Just looking at these pictures of the many different islands in the archipelago makes me miss Stockholm right now. If you ever bring someone from abroad over to Sweden and Stockholm you have to go on one of these boat trips. Seeing the many different but also beautiful houses along the way, and watch the different communities on the islands and along the way develop is such nice experience if you never seen anything like it before. 

 
 

    Isn't it beautiful? Stockholm has a special place in my heart of course. One of the things I really missed while living in Fairbanks, AK was of course all the water. Here in Madison and Wisconsin we do have the many lakes to make up for part of that, but it's still not the same at all. 

 
 

    Happy Friday to you guys!

 

Success? -I am my worst enemy, and Jantelagen

W always say that I am my own worst enemy, I have such high standards on myself. Is this the effect of Jantelagen? I know a lot of other Swedes in the US have mentioned Jantelagen and its effect on their personalities before. I don't know how we got into this culture in Scandinavia, it doesn't make sense at all, but at the same time it totally does (since this is what we are used to). I can never give myself a break, every time something good happens or I am successful at something I always add...but...and then list all the negatives surrounding the success. 

A couple of years ago I got a big Swedish fellowship that was handed out by the Swedish Crown Princess. I went back to Sweden to receive it and for some reason I didn't tell any of my friends that this was the reason, so crazy, I just didn't think about it, and certainly did not want to brag about it. 

 

 

I am slowly learning to broadcast my success and to feel good about it though. I think all Scandinavians could learn from some of the American culture to a certain extent :)