20 Signs You've Lived in Sweden Too Long

When I moved to Sweden, I had no idea how much the country and its people would change the way I think and behave. If you have lived here for a while, you will probably recognise a few of the below mentioned changes other expats, exchange students and long-term visitors typically experience when being surrounded by Swedes in Sweden.

Ways Sweden changes you

Here are common signs you’ve been living in Sweden for too long:

You are not surprised anymore when a café or bakery serves shrimp sandwiches.
You develop an appreciation and interest in outdoor experiences. Suddenly your shoe rack is equipped with a pair of waterproof outdoor shoes or even hiking boots.
In September, you find yourself complaining about the approaching dark, cold and long winter. “Vad tidigt det blir mörkt på kvällarna igen!” How quickly it has become dark in the evenings again.
At first it bothered you that Swedes do it. But now you find yourself regularly avoiding eye contact.
It no longer bothers you that most Swedish toilet lids are made of thin plastic. (Yes, it feels cheap, but it is easier to lift and won’t hurt as much when it drops onto the head of a very thirsty dog or curious toddler.)
When you travel abroad, alcohol suddenly seems significantly cheaper.
You start getting slightly annoyed when tourists and other non-Swedes only seem to associate ABBA, IKEA and meatballs with Sweden. Thinking to yourself: Sweden is so much more than that!
As soon as the sun shines, you feel an urge to go outside and expose as many square centimetres of your skin as appropriate.
Your new winter jacket feels at least twice as heavy as the one you wore in your old home country.
The colour selection of your wardrobe has become extensively monochrome.
You try to treat your low winter-energy-level by taking a daily vitamin D pill.
You find yourself daydreaming about a summer holiday somewhere at a beach more frequently.
When you enter a pharmacy or bakery, you immediately look for the ticket dispenser.
You find yourself keeping more physical distance to the person in front of you in queues, while thinking that tourist standing behind you could have left a little more space for comfort.
You start to understand that just because the sounds they make when speaking to each other seem rather pleasant, it doesn’t automatically mean they aren’t having an argument.
You don’t consider ice hockey a niche sport anymore.
You make plans to try playing innebandy (floorball) one day – but probably never will. (At least I haven’t, after 20 years in Sweden).
You hold back a funny comment when you talk to a cashier, because you aren’t sure whether your words will be received in the intended way. So you decide to just say “hej” and “tack”.
You start having an ambivalent attitude towards the lagom approache at work. On one hand, slower decisions annoys you. On the other hand, the more relaxed atmosphere at work feels rather nice.
(Working culture in Sweden)
When you visit your family and old friends back home, you want to tell them about all your new experiences and insights from Sweden, but notice they quickly lose interest after you’ve answered their questions about the coldness, darkness and typical food. And, if they are German, whether you have seen a moose.