Author: McAstronaut

Here’s a quick summary of the things I’ve had to get used to in my short time here. The first being that doors actually swing inward; if you know me, then you may know that this is one of my biggest anxieties ever since I heard about the fire at the ill-fated Cocoanut Grove due to a panic-stricken crowd gathering at the entrance door that did not swing outward. Silly, I know, but it’s something I’ve always been observant about since I heard about it years ago. I used to joke with my coworkers (when we actually went into office) about how if there’s a fire we’re all going to be trapped inside because the doors swung inwards (not to mention that there was no working fire alarm in our office. EEP!). Oh, and locks unlock with a counter-clockwise turn, not the other way around. This still continues to pose a problem for me, especially when I’m in a hurry.

While the doors in Stockholm play into my anxiety, there are other things I’ve also had to get used to that aren’t nearly as intense. The first being the order of the road, which goes as so: Bikes > Pedestrians > Cars and Buses. Living in the city, it’s been interesting to see the paradigm change that I was so accustomed to; in Austin most bikes can take the road but often times cars and their drivers angrily swerve around them, sometimes in a hostile way, other times a reasonable fashion, but most frequently, in a passive-aggressive way. Not here! If you’re a bike, you get to breeze through crosswalks and sometimes stoplights. Cars have to wait until all pedestrians walk through the intersection before even attempting a right-hand turn. The rules of the city road are much more pleasant as a pedestrian, and even better if you’re on a bike.

Living in the Bay Area for a short time also prepped me for a mild late summer/early autumn. The weather has been pleasant enough that I am able to open the windows, but the most surprising thing I’ve found is how frequently it rains here. Everyday since I’ve been here there’s been rain, but it always relents within a matter of hours, allowing the sun to make an appearance.

Another aspect that surprised me is that children have a lot more freedom in the city compared to those in North America. I’ve witnessed young children (around 7+) entering the metro and buses solo, walking in groups, and making stops at the stores. This is completely unheard of in North America. I also see men taking children out on walks and even pushing prams (strollers). It’s really cool to see an equal distribution of child-rearing responsibilities in typical Swedish households.

Oh, and Amazon isn’t really much of an option unless I’m willing to pony up for international shipping. It’s honestly the biggest pain point I’ve had to grow accustomed to; in the past if I had a need for something I knew I could easily order it and it would arrive within a day or two, but Amazon does not have an official Swedish site, yet. I’ve had to meet deliveries at street level and haul my items to my door solo. Silly, but it’s something that I definitely took for granted in the states. Let me tell you, trying to track down a PC compatible gamepad has been an ordeal in and of itself.

And of course, there are other mundane changes to life that I’ve had to acclimate to. If you lived in Austin, TX the last few years you’ll remember the city’s push to enforce a reusable bag policy which was deemed unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court. Here, it’s a common way of life; bags cost money and if you don’t bring your own there’s a chance you may have to pay a sum to purchase some. I’ve also mentioned how refuse needs to be taken to a recycling center in order to properly dispose of plastic, glass, and paper items. It’s now become a routine aspect of my day to make sure I take a walk a few blocks away to dispose of those things properly; Sweden recycles everything!

And the grocery stores are an adventure in and of itself. You can use a typical hand basket to carry your goods, a typical shopping cart, or a mid-grade draggable plastic basket on wheels that’s size is in-between both of the former items mentioned. Self-checkout lanes are dominant, but one of the surprising aspects you may find yourself facing is the exit scanner. In order to leave the store you need to scan your receipt in order to leave. It’s an interesting but pragmatic change of pace.

I’m sure there are more items that I will remember to note in a later update, but so far those are the biggest things that I’ve had to grow accustomed to in the last week and a half during my time here. Outside of the “hot” salsa, everything else has been business as usual and it’s been interesting to live in an urban area that has access to almost everything, including a Systembolaget within walking distance. Today, I took a chance and went to one to purchase some wine. I was wrong in my initial claim that a personnummer was needed to purchase alcohol, as a foreign passport was enough ID to purchase some alcoholic goods. The hours are very similar to Texas liquor store hours, so I’m already used to having to plan ahead to access such items.

Anyway, if I think of any other incongruous items during my adventures I’ll make sure to post them. If you have any questions or requests, I’m always willing to address them; bring them on!

Friday set the tone for a really great weekend. I met with a coworker and she delivered some beautiful flowers courtsey of the company. We went to one of the oldest cafe establishments in Stockholm, Cafe Fix, and sat outside (in a safe and socially distanced manner). I had an Americano that tasted like caffinated heaven while enjoying really good conversation. Then after, I took a bus to meet another coworker in a park popup that sells beer, ice cream, and all kinds of food, called Omnipollo Flora. It was a picturesque scene, with a backdrop of luscious greenery, children and families out and about, birds fluttering by, and beer. Oh my lord, it was such good beer.

After the meet up, there was still enough daylight left that I decided to legitimately get lost in the city. I stumbled upon a bistro that served some of the best salmon tartare that I indulged in with a delightful glass of Riesling. I set out after my meal and continued to get lost, knowing that with the expansive metro system and Google maps, I couldn’t get too lost. I ended up pretty far from the city, but of course at that moment my bladder decided it was the most optimal time to start screaming at me. I was able to find a lavatory within a train station and set back out to continue my walk. I stumbled upon some beautiful buildings, crossed several bridges, and observed other people in Stockholm go about their day.

Saturday I decided to set out again and try to go to a few museums. I ended up way off course, but it was a happy accident, as I ended up in Östermalm, or Old Town. The old buildings and cobblestone streets were how I always imagined Diagon Alley to actually be like. Navigating those cobblestone pathways was certainly a challenge for me; I’m a person who drags their feet and I quickly learned that the bumps between the stones would continue to trip me if I didn’t at least try to walk without dragging.

After a quick bus ride outside of Old Town, I made it to the island that’s filled with several museums, including the Nordic, Vasa, and ABA Museum. Since I had already been to the Vasa, I opted for the Nordika Museet and it did not disappoint. It was filled with all different kinds of interesting things, including an exhibit on global warming, more information about the Sámi people, and an exhibit dedicated to European modern fashion. It also displayed a lot of creepy antique child mannequins that are probably going to haunt my sleep for a while. I spent a long time here and didn’t get a chance to experience any of the other museums on the island, but that’s okay. That’s what next weekend will be for.

After, I came home, I took a bath, finished a really frightening book called “Dear Laura”, made some really stinky curry that I probably won’t be buying again, and prepared for a long night of staying up to watch AEW’s All Out Pay-Per-View with Jason via Google Hangouts. I couldn’t make it past 3:45am, but what I saw was so entertaining. Not to mention that it was really cool being able to watch something with a giant ocean between us.

I woke around 10am Sunday morning and cleaned the apartment. I found a local store that carries homegoods and I was finally able to get a coffee maker and a wok, among several other useful things I was lacking. I cleaned the new items, put them away, took all my trash to the proper recycling spot, and finished watching All Out. Now, I’m just about to start prepping dinner and get settled in for the next week of work.

I’m still waiting for the wanderlust to wear off; talk to me when I’m here in the midst of winter and see if I’m still loving it as much as I do now. I definitely miss some things, like my monsters and my husband, but it’s still all shiny and new for me. The weather has been extremely pleasant and the people, while I was nervous about not knowing the language fully, have been nothing but accomodating.

It’s still hard for me to believe I spent my birthday here, and despite being alone, I didn’t feel lonely. It was really cool being able to get lost in a new city, see some things, and find my way back. Anyway, here’s a photodump from the weekend! Enjoy!

Day 0-1: Friday and Saturday

I left the house in Austin on Friday morning around 11am to board three different flights to get to Stockholm. In Detroit, the flight was delayed by two hours because of something like a firmware update for the plane’s system. No one knew this, not even the crew or pilots, which caused me to miss my connection from Paris to Stockholm. Our plane landed just as my next scheduled flight was doing the final boarding call. I spent a good five hours waiting to board my next flight from CDG to ARN. If I had a bit more time I would have taken a taxi into the city, but with the typical nature of air travel and wanting to limit exposure to people en mass, I chose to wait at the gate. The oddest thing happened during my time waiting. Several EU citizens would approach me and start talking to me in their native tongue. I had to sit there with this stupid expression on my face and say “I don’t know”, in typical American fashion. It surprised me how many people mistook me for a resident, but it also felt very satisfying knowing that I somehow fit in.

My flight from Paris was possibly one of the scariest flights I had ever been on; the take off was bumpy, the air ride was turbulent, and the landing was god-awful. Did you know that a plane could hydroplane? Because I didn’t until that moment. And as the plane was docking into the terminal, it was like the captain overshot his intended stop and had to do a hard brake, reminding everyone why wearing seat belts until the light is off is a very important safety measure. To add insult to injury, one of my bags with all my prepared items was lost in transit. I received notice today that it had been found and will be delivered to me soon, but what a crazy experience all around.

My hired driver found me and helped me load all my luggage into his vehicle, and off we went from Arlanda to the island of Kungsholmen, where my apartment is located. Side note that was mentioned to me by a coworker that I didn’t even realize: I am actually living on King’s Isle. Crazy!

I met with the woman who has been helping me with her relocation services and she gave me a run down of the building, showed me where the attic space is, and how to schedule myself for using the laundry facilities in the basement.

At this point, I’ve been awake for more than 25 hours. I am tired and an absolute wreck. I couldn’t think straight and had a difficult time trying to figure out the next steps in reporting my lost luggage and inserting a prepaid sim card into my phone. All I really wanted was to take a shower and climb into a bed of fresh linens, but the bag that was lost had all my important toiletries and new sheets. All the shops within the area were closed by the time I arrived and had to stay in the mucky feeling of travel-worn uncomfortableness. I tried to stay up as late as I could to start working on acclimating the time difference, but I fell asleep around 22:00 hours.

Within hours I was snapped out of my sleep by the sounds of ABBA sing alongs from the pub down the street, and heard some random drunk people throwing bottles around in a jovial way, while screaming about something I couldn’t understand. I had a troubled sleep until around 5am, when I snapped wide awake and couldn’t go back to sleep for another few hours. I finally fell into a deep sleep around 7am and didn’t wake up until a short time after noon the next day.

Day 2: Sunday

By this point, you’ve probably heard about how Sweden did not take part in a country-wide lockdown. Instead, those who have office jobs have been asked to work from home until at least the beginning of the new year, continue practicing good hygiene, and use a practical 2 meters for social distancing. Knowing this, I was still apprehensive about what life would be like in Stockholm with the Coronavirus situation. Living in the US, I became conditioned to be paranoid: paranoid about touching things, going out in public, being around people, and generally leaving the house. I hadn’t really left my house much other than few times to meet with my family and run to grab some curbside orders.

Life in Stockholm is very different, as you will see in my below pictures. It’s like returning to the old world before Coronavirus crippled our livelihoods and sent us all into an unprecedented tailspin. People here, including the elderly, continue their daily routines. Children are riding the metro to and from school, adults are still going to pubs, and the shops are still running and selling items. It’s wild and completely foreign to me right now.

Anyway, that leads me to my second day and finding groceries, and replacement toiletries so I could take a proper shower. Armed with my mask and a freshly installed UK-based International prepaid sim card, I set out the first adventure in my new neighborhood. There are literally 3 grocers within a 3 block radius of my building, and even better, a MAX Burger. Noticing the social distancing behavior many Swedes used, I didn’t feel nearly as apprehensive about having to go into local shops as I was before leaving my apartment.

With a fully stocked fridge, a shower, and full belly thanks to MAX Burger, I felt a lot better about my surroundings. I came back to the apartment and starting prepping for my first day at work on a normal schedule.

Day 3: Monday

I was able to log into work and join the team for a few meetings. Around 13:00 I had to set out to go to the tax office to file for a personnummer, which is basically the Swedish equivalent of a Social Security Number. Without a personnummer, you basically don’t exist. You can’t even buy alcohol without one; did you know that Sweden’s retail alcohol experience is very similar to that of Utah and a handful of other US states? You can only buy alcohol with an ABV content higher than 3.25% from a state-run liquor store, in which you will need to give them your personnummer in order to complete your purchase. Oddly enough, this has been one of the aspects of living in Sweden that I was absolutely dreading. Ever since March, I’ve had my fair share of imbibing and I’ve gotten used to having a few beers each night. Well, I haven’t had a drink since I left the Austin airport, and I think I’m doing okay!

Anyway, I decided to walk the distance from my apartment to the tax office to get a bit more familiar with the new city that I am going to be living in. It was a very pleasant walk that was peppered with an array of interesting architecture, people, and waterways. I returned to my apartment by way of the metro, and finished out the rest of my work day. The sun still hadn’t set so I decided on taking the opportunity to go on another excursion to the park near my place. I saw men pushing prams, children skateboarding, adults jogging and doing group exercises (while maintaining the 2 meter distance), and had the chance to really enjoy my scenery. I am still very much in the honeymoon phase of my journey within Stockholm.

Oh, and by the way, yesterday’s temperature was in the mid 60s (Fahrenheit) and today it was in the mid 50s. Winter will be here soon, and even though I packed a plethora of warm clothing, I don’t think I’ll be fully prepared for it until it hits.

There are an assortment of other quality of life changes that I’m still adjusting to; back in the states if I needed something within a few days I could either order it from Target or Amazon, but that is not an option here. I’m in dire need of a new desk and office chair, and still need some way to make a proper cup of coffee. I think in time I’ll acclimate to these changes, but for now these are the biggest pain points I’m feeling.

Now for some pictures! Please enjoy some of the images I snapped during my walk in the park!

This is a completely foreign concept to me. As I sat there staring at the overpacked suitcases sitting in my house, I began to wonder what exactly do I need, what is excess, and what can be purchased again when I arrive. Culling through all of my items with a judicious prejudice, I decided to take on a new tactic. Items I haven’t worn or used in the last month are not allowed. Items that I wish had a purpose but served me no actual use will not be tolerated.

Humbled and almost at the verge of burning everything and anything just to get it out of my sight, I began the daunting task of re-evaluating the essentials for my journey. Dug through the first suitcase I packed, culling items that I haven’t used or seen in years, while also trying to maintain a semblance of rationality. It was definitely an ordeal looking through the massive clothing items I have amassed in over two decades. Items that I felt defined my personal style I had to chuck to the “does not go with you” bin, while also trying to reason why I should even bring an extra jacket.

Like most of the challenges I face in life, I began to examine my situation in a very calculated and goal oriented way. I had to cull items I knew I didn’t need, but I felt were very much apart of who I am. It was at that point that I realized that the clothing, the shoes, the accessories, were just additives to my life. They did not define me or make me who I am; my personality, my voice, and my dreams are what make me who I am and are not tangible items I need to carry with me on this journey. I spent a good few minutes reminding myself the clothes and the jewelry aren’t what define me, they aren’t why people are drawn to me. They’re just an extension of who I am, but they do not define me.

In the end, I culled so much and have so much to cull when I return. While exhausting and overwhelming, it was also an opportunity for me to feel whole, for me to really come to a personal understanding that things really are just that. Things.

I am now down to three suitcases, a carry on, and a giant purse. I may not have everything I need, but I definitely do not have a lot of excess anymore. The purging felt good and suited as a good reminder that what we leave behind isn’t always a tangible item, but a feeling, a moment, and a memory.

I’m starting a new journey and figured this would be the best possible way to document it each step of the way. From trying to figure out how to convert measurements, USD to Krona conversions, finding my way through the food isle at the local grocer, to local travels, I’ll be sharing those moments here for the curious.

Feel free to ask as many questions, make requests for content, and suggestions for things to do while I’m in Stockholm. I’m still in awe that this whole situation is taking place, but I’m also extremely excited about it. As a teaser, here are some of my favorite images from my trip in January. It was a pivotal moment for me and I couldn’t help but fall in love with the city, the culture, history, people, and architecture.