Navigating Dreams: My Journey to Sweden and Its Realities

Over the last 30 years, I’ve moved approximately every two years, living in Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. And now, since the end of 2022, I’ve been in Sweden. So perhaps it’s slowly time to look for something else. 😉

Many people would speak of emigration. I’ve never seen it that way. I feel European and at home anywhere in Europe. Emigration also implies finality. That’s perhaps what it is for many people — not just when they move to another country. They buy a house, and then they live there until the end. I can’t imagine that; I need regular new stimuli and new inspirations, and a new environment helps me.

Swedish Charms: Why Sweden?

I like many countries, but I appreciate the Nordic reserve — the population density is low and quiet. Life flows calmly. Nature is beautiful: lakes, forests, mountains, archipelagos, the Baltic Sea. And the infrastructure is good. My small town has fast internet, two supermarkets, various small shops, a gas station, a medical center, a kindergarten, and schools. However, the main reason was the low real estate prices in the countryside. I wanted a small house with a garden — in Germany, you would have had to pay three times as much for that and accept worse infrastructure.

My Guiding Star: The Path That Led Me to Sweden

Everything begins with a vision. A vision guides the direction we strive for and how we want to live. The vision reflects our life goal. It also helps us to find the right goals for ourselves more easily. With the vision, we clarify the “why” for ourselves. At the end of 2021, I defined my vision: to lead a fulfilled and self-determined life characterized by self-realization, growth, and freedom.

Based on the vision, you can define your goals. Goals should be measurable because you only know you have achieved them. Three of my goals were:

• Living in a house with a garden.
• Trying out new professional endeavors and working from home.
• Being able to take a walk with my dog in nature directly from the front door every day.

Based on my goals, I thought of a strategy to achieve them. A strategy defines the target state that enables the achievement of the goals. I informed myself, defined various strategies, weighed them against each other, and decided on one: to move into a small house in Sweden. The combination of low real estate prices, plenty of nature, and a good internet connection seemed ideal.

From the decision in December 2021, it took almost a year until I implemented the strategy. Concrete tactics were necessary for the implementation. These included property search, purchase and sale in Germany, finding an internet provider, registration in Sweden, opening a bank account in Sweden, registering my self-employment in Sweden, and moving.

And, of course, concrete to-dos, planning, and implementation are part of the tactics. For example, for property search, I was in Sweden twice for a while, booked an Airbnb, looked at the ads on the property portal Hemnet, contacted agents, conducted viewings, obtained quotes from moving companies, etc.

Goals in Flux: A Retrospective

I have achieved mainly my goals. I tried something new professionally, which I will describe in a separate story. I live with my dog in a small house in southern Sweden, and I’m in the forest or by the lake in 5 minutes. There are many hiking trails.

Why am I still not 100% satisfied?

Since I have also lived in Denmark, I knew that the winters are long. That’s also why I didn’t move further north. However, the snow and the cold over the months surprised me somewhat. I prefer the sun and warmth. While in Germany, spring feelings arise at 15 degrees; here, the snow is 20 cm high, and there are below-zero temperatures (Celsius). I have always lived somewhat withdrawn and am not very gregarious. But here, the exchange with others is too little for me — primarily when I work from home and don’t meet many people in person. In Germany, I regularly attended meetups and bar camps on topics related to my self-employment. The distances are long here. There are undoubtedly such meetups in Gothenburg or Stockholm, but Gothenburg is 250 km away, and Stockholm is 350 km away.

Also, I haven’t yet quite reached my professional goals yet. So, it’s time to rethink and adjust my vision, goals, and strategy. Let’s see where the path leads me — maybe to another place in Sweden or another country.

Are you dreaming of Sweden? Together, we will turn your vision into reality — living freedom, seizing opportunities, from dreamer to doer. I support you as a coach and mentor. 👉 Klick here and learn more now (Website is in German).