Catching Up

It's been a little while since I've checked in, so here's what's been going on for the last week or so.

1. Searching for a new car- Mission Accomplished!  After months of searching for the perfect automatic car for our family, we have finally settled on a Renault.  So last night, was my first time actually driving somewhere by myself in Sweden!  I drove up to the city of Kärna's Post Office/Goodies store only a few minutes from our home.  It felt great, although a bit strange with this French made car because it has a keycard and a Start/Stop button. Can't wait to get to know the city better.

2. Trying to get a phone- Hmm, this is a little harder than it may seem.  Let's put it this way, we had enough money to pay cash for our new car, yet when it came to getting credit for a new phone for a whopping $15.00 a month, we were denied.  I was able to get my Iphone unlocked, but when we took it to Telia this morning (equivalent of an AT&T) in the states, it was like I was standing in an AT&T store.  Meaning...of course there were problems.  The manager said there could be problems "Surfing" the net on my phone even though the phone had been unlocked (something to do with different programming of the phones in the States).  My father in law and I ran a couple of tests and we think we have things figured out, so I should be able to go ahead and get the service now. I guess the worst thing that will happen is that it won't work, and I'll "have" to buy the new Iphone 4 instead...(I have to admit I'm secretly hoping my old Iphone won't work so I'll "have to" get the new version.  Of course I'll be stuck on a 24 month agreement (just like home).

3. Apartment search- Well, I can't say that we've really done any looking for own apartment yet, however, we were lucky enough through family connections to land an amazing apartment in Gothenburg (Göteborg).  This is an apartment in the center of everything in the 2nd largest city in Sweden.  The view is absolutely amazing and I can tell you that I wanted the apartment at the first sight of the view, before I even looked anywhere else in the apartment. We have been waiting all week to get the news, and this afternoon, we found out that we are approved to sign the second hand lease. Our plan is to move in early January. Getting an apartment is not easy here in Sweden, especially an amazing apartment like we've landed in the heart of the city.

4. Job Hunting- Although it's been relaxing all summer just spending time with my family, working on my jewelry designs (http://www.brandiu.etsy.com/) and getting to know Sweden, now that some months have passed, I'm very eager to get back to working again in my field of digital marketing and sales.  Through networking, I have been introduced to a couple of very good opportunities and I can't wait to get to work, and experience a "work life" in Sweden.  A steady income of my own would allow me get even more out of my Swedish life.

What do you think is the hardest thing about moving some place new?  Share your thoughts below.

Thanks for checking me out!
Brandi

The Swede Life

I pick up my virtual pen now that I have been living in Sweden for nearly 4 months. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, I'm far from home. I mean this both physically (I'm seriously far away from St. Louis), around 5000 miles, and culturally- ( Ummm, I wave to the cows and laugh as I walk to the city of Kärna). I use the term "city" loosely, very loosely, as there is only a small grocery store, a hairdresser, a florist and goodies/movie rental/post office and an elementary school in this "city" of Kärna.

I stepped off the plane, and arrived in Göteborg on June 2nd, 2010. The first month just felt like a long vacation. Sleeping in, enjoying fresh potatoes and salmon cooked by the world's most domestic woman (my mother in law), and relaxing were just common practice in the beginning.

By far I have found that the most enjoyable thing to do in Sweden is to take advantage of the incredible weather and visit islands by boat. Marstand, Dyrön are just a couple of my favorite places to visit. Breathing in the fresh ocean air, letting the wind blow thru my hair, I took in the amazing views of the archipelago and crystal blue sky.

However, life isn't all butterflies and salt licorice. Leaving family and friends behind wasn't easy, although I have to admit that Facebook and Skype have probably made this trip possible. I don't know that I could have moved without the ability to check up on my adorable little niece in St. Louis, or seeing what my friends were up to.

Quick list of things I love in Sweden
-Summer weather
-The fact that I've already seen 3 FULL rainbows since I've been here
-Archipelago
-Clean Air
-Proximity to other amazing places in Europe
-Sense of Community
-Walking everywhere and riding my bike
-Free education (my swedish language course is free)
-Free child daycare
-Contributions from the government for having children *thank you very much Sweden!
-Free healthcare
-An overall healthy lifestyle (organic foods cheaper and more readily available than back at home), people walk, bike everywhere
-Public transportation that doesn't suck! In fact, the busses are clean and the people watching is fantastic.

Things I dislike in Sweden:
-The fact that I don't speak the language (my own fault for not learning sooner, but I'm on it now)
-Skinny Jeans (WTF?) Why won't this trend go away?
-Everything more expensive(high quality, less quantity)
-Systembolaget! The Swedish government controls the liquor distribution. So basically, you pay about 40 percent more for liquor compared to in the states and you can't really get it when you want it.
-Hours of operation: retailers only open short while on Saturdays and not really on Sundays.

Things I miss from home (STL/United States)
-friends and family (a given!!)
-A close second...is.....TARGET! Nothing even comes close here.
-Having a car (and driving everywhere).
-Tostito's (don't you laugh!) .
-Pei Wei.
-Oishi, Kobe Steakhouse, Hibachi.
-Ability to go out to eat whenever I want.
-Good customer service (waiters don't get tips, so don't expect your water to be refilled).
-My TV shows.
-Being busy (it's a love/hate thing).

It's been an interesting 4 months. I have realized, however, life is pretty much the same no matter where you live. The day to day doesn't change SOOO much, it's really the people that make a place a home.
There's my rant..I promise future blogs to be much shorter!
Peace!
Brandi