How cold is a Swedish Winter going to get?

I thought this was a good title for my latest blog because it is a subject on many on my expat friend’s minds including my very nesh, very worried husband...

I as a cosy, homely, scarf loving, hot chocolate drinking love of all things winter is ready to embrace my first Swedish winter but maybe I am deluded by the fact I have not experienced one yet.

As somebody who has always had horses from the age of 3 I am very much used to going down in all weathers to care for my four legged friends and sitting in an indoor arena till 1am waiting for my show jumping class in the middle of winter wrapped up in coats and horse rugs but that was in England and something tells me Sweden has a whole new meaning to the word cold….

But when you see how magical Malmö is becoming with all the paper stars, lanterns, fairy lights and candles it’s hard to care or worry about jack frost nipping at your nose.

This is the only reason you need to love winter - Pepparkakor :)

 The only thing I have to gripe about is I have been dying for 3 weeks with what I have dubbed as Expat Flu and my god it well and truly came and knocked me out. Don’t want to moan or go on about so I will just say I haven’t left the apartment for 3 weeks and it has killed me to be stuck in.

I am so excited for Christmas this year and I know it is only November but knowing it’s my first here and then I get to see my family for the first time in 6 months it’s just adding up to be an awesome time. I’m hoping to take my family presents from Sweden which are unique to Sweden and not just something I could have got them in the UK and can’t wait to get stuck into the Xmas markets and see what wonders, sights and smells they are going to offer.

Image from Google search

I also have a St Nicholas party to go to at the beginning of December where we all take a present for the amount of 50sek and swap them which I think will be so funny and enjoyable to take part in.

All in all I really think I am finding my feet in Sweden finally and think 2012 will be a good year as I will be starting my Swedish Classes and also I should be able to start Uni if accepted J

I went to the Invandrarservice today in Malmö as part of my signing up for SFI classes and I would recommend anybody new to Sweden to go here as one of your first spots, as they have put me on a Swedish orientation course for a week to learn all the basics of Sweden and Malmö including politics, family life, Swedish traditions, working, laws etc. and I think it will be invaluable. As they also gave me a booklet on things you should do when first arriving in Sweden and it is full of addresses, who you have to register with, what you are entitled to etc…

All in all I don’t care how cold a Swedish winter can get because I’m having too much fun here to care xx