For most of my life, I never really questioned what “normal” looked like in the United States. Like many people, I grew up assuming that the pace of life, the systems, and the daily stress I experienced were just how things were everywhere. But after spending time living in Sweden, that assumption quietly started to…

Moving to a new country always comes with surprises—but living in Sweden as an American has been an experience that’s exceeded my expectations in ways I didn’t anticipate. After spending the past four months here in Northern Sweden, I’ve had enough time to move beyond the “newness” and start experiencing what everyday life is really…