Sweden
- meems
- Jul 15, 2016
- 7 min read
Two years ago, my sister and brother-in-law told me that they were gifting me a plane ticket to join them on a trip to Sweden for my 21st birthday. I can honestly say that being able to meet and spend time with my family in Sweden and being able to go on this trip changed my life. It opened up my horizons and showed me that there is so much more to life than just the day to day activities. With that being said, I'm so excited to be able to share my experience with you!
We booked our trip around June (a bit late) and flew out on July 29th. We flew from Sacramento International Airport to Chicago. From Chicago, we flew MANY MANY hours to Germany. Finally, we flew from Germany to Gothenburg, Sweden.
Passport: For those traveling out of the country for the very first time, it is SO important that you do some research early. Apply for a Passport and all other necessary documents for you to travel as soon as possible. Although we didn't book our flight until June, I knew the trip was coming around April and went to apply for a Passport right away. I also checked the travel websites for Sweden to make sure that there weren't any other documents such as travel visas or any international licenses that were required.
Fun Fact: We flew with my 14 month old niece and 4 year old nephew. They did really well considering the fact that we had one 6 hour flight and one 12 hour flight and another 1 hour flight. Me, however, didn't do so well! I felt like I was on the plane for 4 days! I was impatient, tired, and grumpy! I was much better after we landed :) Pictured above are the two littles at the airport in Germany watching the planes.
At the time, California was dead smack in the middle of our drought. As I looked out of the plane window as we got close to Sweden, I kept thinking "OMG green grass!" because I haven't seen any in so long! Sweden was fortunately not in drought and it was nice and green!
Playing with the kiddos in my cousin's backyard in Gothenburg :)
Swedish money!
Note about currency: Make sure to call your bank to ensure that you can use your Credit Cards overseas. Even though I didn't use my card and converted cash there, I did let my bank know just in case of emergencies. Had I prepared ahead of time, I would have probably converted some money before I left home.
Note about cell phones: I don't recommend for anyone traveling abroad to get an international phone plan unless you absolutely feel that you need one. I brought an unlocked iPhone and my cousins purchased a SIM for us when we got to Sweden so that we can call home and use a small amount of data. Most people purchase SIM cards at the airport of the country that they land in. You can also order them online before your trip. Before I left home, I download Whatsapp and WeChat which are messaging apps that are great for using overseas. Do this before you leave home because you need to verify your phone number which may cause roaming charges if you do this overseas. We mainly used Wifi and I had enough minutes for our two week trip and data for emergencies. Make sure to put your phone on airplane mode or turn off all cellular data when you leave the country. Those roaming charges are no joke.
Note: You don't necessarily need to have your current phone unlocked. It could be any old phone or your new one if you meet the unlocking criteria. You can also find some on Craigslist.
Walking around in Sweden.
Liseberg is one of the most popular amusement parks in the world and our cousins took us there :)
In the U.S., when you go to an amusement park, you win teddy bears. In Sweden, you win BIG boxes of candy! YES, I did pack 4 Kgs (almost 9 lbs) of chocolate in my suitcase to bring home.
Us and our Swedish family enjoying Liseberg!
The Garden Society of Gothenburg, Trädgårdsföreningen. One of the most beautiful parks!
The dads having fun with the kids.
Side Note: Dads in Sweden get parental days off and are extremely hands on in their children's lives. It was very interesting to see how different the family dynamic is there compared to the United States.
The picture above speaks for itself :)
The greatest and most breathtaking view of Gothenburg. Me, my sister, and our Swedish cousins!
By my cousin's house is a beautiful harbor and we walked and enjoyed the sights. Nothing can quite describe the feeling as we walked around. Pictures and my explanations just cannot do that moment in time justice.
My family!
They surprised me with a birthday cake and it was delicious!
BBQ and fun day at the park!
I must say that this was one of my favorite days in Sweden. Most lives in America are consumed by technology and very rarely do we see people outside anymore. As someone who loves being outside, it is very rare that I get to enjoy a day like this for fun. On this day, we spent all day roaming the huge park (it even had a zoo!). We played volleyball and a bunch of Swedish games. We BBQ'd and spent a lot of time together. This was very special to me and one of the things that I did not take for granted was the fact that all my cousins that were local made themselves available and took the time off to spend the day with us. I can honestly say that is so rare in the United States. My Swedish cousins have visited the states before and when they are here, my siblings and I have to rotate on who will request time off to spend time with our cousins because it is so difficult for all of us to have the same days off together.
If there's anything that I've learned it's that
there is nothing more precious than time.
Swedish Pizza! It was definitely different than American pizza :)
Food in Sweden: Food in Sweden is way different than in America. Food comes in smaller portions when you go out to eat. Their large in drink cups are equivalent to a Starbucks tall cup. American foods definitely have a lot of flavoring and food is often processed. Hardly the case for the Swedish food that I experienced! Still yummy though! The Swedish Meatballs in Sweden taste just like your American Ikea! Swedes drink lots of coffee, coke, and sparkling water. It was more common to have sparkling water than regular water.
Fun fact: I pronounced Ikea like (eye-key-ah) before going to Sweden. I learned that they pronounce it (ee-key-ah). The J also sounds like a Y. I have a cousin named Jennifer. Well, we learned it was pronounced "Yenifer"
My family and an amazing day in a park in Sweden.
One last picture in Gothenburg, Sweden!
Taking the train to Malmo from Gothenburg. First timer!
Saying bye :( Tears were definitely coming down here. I miss my cousins!
Malmo, Sweden
Swedish BBQ with the cousins in Malmo!
More birthday celebrations for July :)
Swedes spend a lot of time outside and I loved it!
Pictured here is us playing a Swedish game called Kubb.
These kids bring me joy!
One of the coolest things I did in Sweden was taking the ferry to Ven Island and bicycling around! It was breathtaking and another one of those moments in time that I just cannot describe.
My sister and I on the ferry to Ven Island.
Biking on Ven Island!
Us and our bikes.
Break time!
My sister and I on the tandem bikes. It's harder to ride these than it looks!
Tandem Bikes, family, and the beautiful island.
Joy.
Ferry-ing back!
Playing shuffle board with the "young cousins". So much fun!
Grabbing a late night meal in Sweden. I'm not sure how I feel about Falafels.
Showing Sweden how USA does poker :)
My cousin bought tickets for my brother-in-law and I to go with them to watch a soccer game! It was the most insane, amazing, and funnest thing ever!
My famous quote of the night:
"I'm not sure what's even going on and i'm not sure why but i'm so excited right now!"
Flares from fans!
Malmo team wins!
Us and the insanity!
On this day, we went to Denmark for some shopping. Here eating a red dog :D It was interesting!
Home cooked in Sweden. SO. FREAKING. GOOD.
Introducing Sweden to Beer Pong.
My cousin trolling :)
And then they got the hang of things...
In Sweden, a thing called "Fika" meaning "to have coffee" exists. We fika'ed often with tea, coffee, and pastries. I loved it!
Last meal in Sweden before we come home :(
The end of an amazing trip.
Funny Story:
An opportunity came up for me to drive by myself in Sweden and I was terrified but I did it. I had to drive a little ways back from my cousin's apartment to his brother's house. They showed me the way and I even had a GPS. As I left that morning, I felt good and knew what I was doing. UNTIL I HIT A CHECK POINT. Note that I said morning. Who has checkpoints at 8 AM in the morning?! Sweden..I had to blow in a breathalyzer for the first time and communicate with a Swedish police officer. I have never stopped at a checkpoint nor have I ever blew in a breathalyzer in the U.S. before. It was definitely a moment to remember. I really wished I asked the police officer to take a selfie. Too bad I was so nervous at that moment! I can officially say that I have been pulled over internationally!
Sweden was everything that I hoped it would be and more. I saw SO many amazing sights and experienced traveling by bus, trolley, train, car, ferry, and by foot! The environment had such a chill vibe and it was just such a spectacular place. I learned so much about Sweden, about traveling, and definitely about myself. They say traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. Definitely no truer statement than that! If there was anything that I could change, it would be to stay longer and go to more cities! 2 weeks just wasn't enough! Not to worry though, Sweden, I will be back!
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