People immigrate to countries like Sweden for various reasons. Sweden has a reputation for its efficient public transportation, high quality of life, and stunning natural scenery. These aspects alone make Sweden an attractive option.
But what is the immigrant experience like in Sweden? Kirby Le Matayer, an American expatriate, has found it to be a positive experience so far. She recently posted a TikTok video highlighting some of her favorite aspects of living in her neighborhood in Skåne County.
The area includes parks without cars and paths for biking, a lot of greenery, and schools and grocery stores within walking distance of her home.
Read on for our conversation with Kirby, who openly discussed her choice to relocate to Sweden from the US.
Immigrants will consistently have a special viewpoint of their adopted country
"As an American residing in Sweden, I have developed a strong attachment to my neighborhood and its numerous appealing features. My neighborhood boasts an abundance of playgrounds, with practically one on every street corner. In addition, the neighborhood is remarkably safe, with minimal crime, and it has strict regulations that prohibit cars. The children are well-protected when they play.
Kids in the area leave their toys at the playgrounds and sandboxes for other kids to enjoy when they're not around. I find it heartwarming that they are thoughtful enough to leave their toys for others to play with, knowing that they will be there for them to play with again next time. There is a playground right by our house."
I really appreciate the abundance of plant life here. All the residents have their own gardens, and you can find wild flowers blooming everywhere, such as lilac trees, cherry trees, walnut trees, and plum trees, all bearing flowers or fruits that are free for anyone to enjoy.
I understand the importance of respecting personal property, and I'm glad to hear that the back of your yard connects to a walking and biking path. It's wonderful to have such easy access to a car-free area for family walks.
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.