People have their reasons to emigrate to a country like Sweden. It is known for efficient public transportation, excellent living standards, and scenic landscapes. These factors alone make this Scandinavian nation an easy sell.
But what is life like as an immigrant in Sweden? For American expat Kirby Le Matayer, it’s been a pleasant experience so far. In a recent TikTok video, she shared a few of her favorite things about living in her neighborhood in Skåne County.
Among them are carless playgrounds and bike paths, the abundance of plant life, and the walkability of schools and grocery stores from her home.
Keep scrolling to find our interview with Kirby, who generously shared her decision to move to Sweden from the United States.
Expats will always have a unique perspective of their new home country
American TikToker Kirby Le Matayer is so far satisfied with her life in Sweden, and she gave some examples
For those of you who don’t know, I’m an American living in Sweden, and I absolutely love my neighborhood. So I want to share with you guys some of my favorite things about it.
First of all, there are playgrounds on pretty much every corner in my neighborhood. There are literally dozens, and there’s virtually no crime and no cars permitted.
So the children are really safe playing. And the kids in the neighborhood leave their toys at the playgrounds and the sand boxes and stuff so that the other kids in the neighborhood can play with them when they’re not around.
And it’s just really sweet, I think, and they know that it’s going to be there when they go back for them to be able to play with them again next time. Here’s one right by our house.
Another thing that I love is that there is just so much plant life here.
Everyone has gardens, and there are wild flowers growing everywhere: lilac trees, cherry trees, walnut trees, and plum trees, all with flowers or fruits for anyone to take.
As long as you’re not taking from someone’s personal garden, the back of our yard in particular leads out to a walking in a biking path, which again, there are no cars permitted on; you can kind of see it peeking through the hedges here, but it’s super convenient for daily walks as a family.
The bus stop is right across the street from our neighborhood entrance. So that’s like a two-minute walk away. And then we have a grocery store a 10-minute walk in either direction. So we have an eco one way and then a co-op the other way. And then also right by the co-op is the train station. So that’s also a 10-minute walk away.
There’s also an elementary school directly across the street from the neighborhood. So whenever our daughter does start school, we can just walk to school with her instead of having to drive her anywhere or put her on the bus.
And my personal favorite thing about the neighborhood is that it’s just really quiet. There are really just families here, retired older couples, and lots of kids playing outside all the time. So I know that Dolly will have friends when she gets older.
And I think this is probably all of Sweden, but everyone’s really really friendly here. But also, our neighbors do keep to themselves, which is nice. We’re not feeling like we’re bothered at all.
We’re also not like right in the middle of the city. So it’s pretty quiet and secluded here. But we also, like I said, have access to a lot of amenities really close to us. I’m just extremely grateful to be able to call this place my home. And I hope that we can live here for a really, really long time.
You can check out Kirby’s full video below
@mama.in.sweden Where do you live, and how does it compare to what I described in this video??? #americaninsweden #livingabroad #immigrant #expat ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music
@mama.in.sweden Clips from our daily walk. Next I want to put togwther a video of ALL the little playgrounds in our neighborhood, and then one of all my favorite houses! #americaninsweden #lifeabroad #familytime #firsttimeparents #healing ♬ Groovin’ – The Young Rascals
@mama.in.sweden Spring is in full bloom here in Skåne #sverige #sweden #americaninsweden #livingabroad ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music
“We wanted to ensure that our future children were set up for success”
As Kirby told Bored Panda, she moved to Sweden with her husband in the summer of 2023. They were planning to raise a family and be far away from the hardships parents go through when raising a child in the US.
Some of the examples she gave are daycare costs, violence in schools, crime rates, and “abysmal” parental leave.
“We wanted to ensure that our future children were set up for success rather than failure, and in doing so, it also guaranteed that raising them would be much easier for us,” she said.
Kirby and her husband have a four-month-old daughter, and she appreciates having given birth there free of charge. The government would also pay them as an incentive for population regulation, since it has been in decline in recent years.
Among the benefits for parents in Sweden is a monthly stipend of SEK 1,250 (around $115), which is recurring until the child turns 16.
As Kirby described in the video, they live in a small village with virtually no crime. She describes Sweden as an “extremely child-friendly” country where most things “are designed with parents and children in mind.”
“I don’t think there is anywhere better in the world to be a parent,” she said.
Being an expat shouldn’t be daunting as long as you’re prepared and well-equipped
It’s understandable to be intimidated by the idea of moving your entire life to another country. But the transition can be smoother if you’ve made the necessary preparations.
A few experts and expats shared their insights with the learning platform Preply. Software developer Dennis Brown, who lived in Japan and currently resides in Thailand, pointed out the importance of learning the local language.
As he stated in the interview, language breaks barriers and makes building connections easier. It can also strengthen your bond with locals.
If you don’t take the proper steps, your banking situation could be an issue. Travel writer Katie Caf advises negotiating a travel debit card with your bank to address this.
Caf currently resides in Bali, Indonesia, and she has avoided paying fees by using one of the country’s partner banks.
“Pulling out cash in a foreign currency was charged to my account just as if it was an ATM back home!” she said, recommending financial services like Wise that offer multi-currency debit.
But if you want first-hand insights, you can always seek advice from those who’ve been there and done that. This is something multi-traveled entrepreneur Ryan Walker advises.
As he explained, these people may have first-hand information about local etiquette, finding an emergency plumber, and understanding colloquial language.
We would also like to hear from you, readers. Have you experienced living in a country away from home? If so, what tips can you give? Share them in the comments!
Commenters were also impressed by Kirby’s surroundings, as she shared more insights
Some locals also shared their well-wishes
