We are pleased – via this platform – to share with you information on how the preparations for our planned move to Sweden, scheduled for the summer of 2024, are going. There is much to tell and, indeed, many hours have already been devoted to musing on the matter!
Many of our closest contacts now know about our plans. Undoubtedly though, such a major and seemingly decisive decision will come as a surprise to some. However, those who know us well will realise that this can, in no way, be an impulsive decision. At the same time, we are aware that in some respects, such a step is packed with new and uncertain factors.
The lead up to this project has thus been thorough and long. It began with the dream to purchase a holiday home in Sweden. Since Susanna started Swedish night classes in September 2022, it is not only her but also Mathijs’s appreciation of the language and culture that has deepened.
It was not long before conversation centred on cautiously entertaining the notion of exploring the possibility of emigrating. There were periods when the whole idea required further contemplation. Thoughts like “how will it affect our boys?” and “how will our close family react?” loomed large.
Around March 2023 we agreed to consciously determine, during our summer holiday, how it felt for all of us to be there again. At that time, Dutch neighbours of ours happened to be embarking on a similar adventure with their family in Norway and that inspired us as well.
Our conclusion after the summer holiday was that you cannot really discover what Sweden is like as a country to live in if you spend 3 weeks on different campsites surrounded by other tourists. We were and, of course, still are curious to know what it will be like to live there, attend school there and to try to integrate into Swedish society.
At the end of August – during a long walk together – we expressed the mutual desire to give it a try for 1 year. In that way we shall experience all the seasons and give each member of our family the chance to start to come to terms with the language and make new friends. That was a significant moment. It was rather like renewing our marriage vows: we were making a commitment without knowing precisely where the adventure would take us.
We sincerely hope that it will be possible to continue working from Sweden for our present employers for 1 year. Ideally, we would both like to reduce our hours so that we have the opportunity to focus on the needs of our sons and, crucially, to connect with the country and the community. The region we settle in will all depend on the location of the school we select. At first, we shall look for a house to rent. That, then, is how it will all begin and we shall see where it leads.
