I had a quiet celebration on April 16, the anniversary of my
10th year in Sweden.
Some have told me it’s quite the accomplishment,
although I didn’t feel the need to go beyond a private toast with a good wine.
It’s been a wonderful ride, full of mostly highs, along
with several disappointing lows, the birth of my dear children, exploring the
country/culture of my lovely wife, becoming a Swedish citizen, working for a
big international company, meeting new Swedish friends, studying a new
language, getting to know my diverse Swedish family, bonding with expats,
travelling in Europe/Africa/Middle East, beginning a basketball program,
starting my blog and a host of other adventures.
During these last few months, my mind has mainly been
focused on youth and what lessons I would share with them from an expat perspective.
Having such a rich life experience (Boston, Manhattan, Serbia and Sweden), I occasionally
feel compelled to share it with others, as some may need a push or a boost of
inspiration to reach beyond the comfort and stability of a life lived in their
hometown, state or country.
To anyone under the age of 25, I would say:
See the world if only for a few years, but
preferably 5-10 years. Challenge yourself, find a mentor, learn as much as
possible in your chosen career, network, help/influence those less fortunate in
some way and embrace struggle, as it will be your greatest teacher.
I would let them know that there's nothing wrong with an
entire life lived in Sweden,
or the USA or any other
country, although to miss the beauty/excitement/struggle and life changing view of a life outside of Sweden, would be limiting.
We live in such comfort and bliss in Scandinavia, compared
to the rest of the world, so it’s imperative (in my opinion) for our Swedish
youth to see, feel, hear and smell the complex challenges and reality of those
in other countries at some point in their lives. One cannot do that without
making the bold venture to live outside of Sweden.
I realize that many around the world can’t, won't or
don’t want to lead a life away from the comforts of the familiar. Family is
typically the biggest factor in why people tend to live near the place where
they grew up and that can be a wonderful thing. I saw the beauty of this last
Christmas in my Pennsylvania
hometown, when one of my best friends invited me to his sister’s house, where
his family of 20+ people were celebrating. It was a warm and loving night.
Even if one doesn’t embrace the expat life, travel outside
of one’s home base is still a brilliant option; an adventure that can provide
tremendous excitement and an enriching education.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” (Mark Twain)
And if travel is not an option, soak up the words of my
friend JD - an expat in Sweden:
“Travel outside of
the world in which you live and if it’s not possible, read and research the
countries all over the world and learn. A book can temporarily take your
mind and spirit on tour. Learn the laws, benefits, and drawbacks of living in various
countries. The youth can learn from what we have to teach. They just need to
listen.”
-----
“So many of us don't
travel but the lack of money is not an excuse. Last time I checked, books at
the library are free, along with a good selection of e-books.”
One thing I've been happy about in Sweden is that everyday has been interesting, which has been a blessing,
as I am most inspired around interesting things, people or events. I
suspect that for most expats, being in a place like Sweden is nothing if not
interesting (good or bad). It’s hard to dull my spirits as I am a lover of
life, which bodes well in a foreign country.
Some of you have read my 5 year article, (
5 Years in Sweden - No Place I'd Rather Be....BUT). A troubling issue (jobs for foreigners) in that story
still rings true today and by many accounts is worse than 10 years ago. I think
it is the responsibility of foreigners like me, along with Swedes, to do our
best to improve society as best we can in this regard.
With immigrants increasing
mightily in our country,
Sweden
will fall even further behind if we don’t improve the dialogue/interaction/job
opportunities/community between native Swedes and immigrants. The paragraph
below is cause for great concern, yet I prefer to look at it as an opportunity to get better.
We all must make it our priority to help the situation if it is going to
improve, which I know is no small task. I pledge to do my part to improve the
situation, like the basketball program (
http://gswede.blogspot.se/) I founded
in 2005, which is also in its 10
th year.
“Nevertheless, high
unemployment rates have disproportionately affected immigrant communities in Sweden. In
2009-10, Sweden
had the highest gap between native and immigrant employment rates among OECD
countries. Approximately 63 percent of immigrants were employed compared to 76
percent of the native-born population. This 13 percentage-point gap is
significantly greater than the OECD average of about 3 percentage points. (See
Figure 2.)
-----
Among recent
immigrants, defined as those who have been in the country for less than five
years, the employment rate differed from that of the native born by more than
27 percentage points. In 2011, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported
that 35 percent of the unemployed registered at the Swedish Public Employment
Service were foreign born, up from 22 percent in 2005.”
If I had to provide 3 key points for young people, it would
be these:
2) Travel - If the expat life isn’t
appealing, and one prefers the quite and calm of familiarity, make sure to
travel as much as you possibly can. Travelling will never compare to the actual
expat education, although it’s important to do in order to see and get a
glimpse of our global world.
3) Read Books - If the expat life
and travelling isn’t your cup of tea or travelling isn’t affordable, one can
lose themselves in the plethora of free books available at most libraries.
Books can take one a long way in the areas of imagination, creativity,
storytelling, dreams and a host of other positive outcomes.
I was fortunate to have dedicated, loving and strong
parents, who always gave me the feeling that I could be whatever I wanted to
be. They never tried to limit my thinking or desires for which I am grateful. I
wonder if my parents ever realized how powerful their love was in making me feel
that the world was my oyster.
If I had remained in the USA
my entire life, my view of the world would have been vastly different and I
would have had no idea that a distant place like Sweden
could be a positive force for a man who grew up in small town America. Would
I have still had an interesting life? I think so, although it would have lacked
the depth, sizzle and breadth from a stimulating 10 year journey in Sweden and a blissful two months in Belgrade, Serbia.
As a parent, my hope is that my son and daughter will feel
the same encouragement I received from my parents. One filled with love and the
belief that I could create my own destiny, not one shaped in the design of
another. My hope is to guide them
positively in order to embrace the sign of “No Limits” on their life journey.
If so, it is more likely that they will feel inclined to see the world beyond
their comforts.
The manner in which my 20’s were progressing, I knew that
the expat experience would come my way one day; it was only a matter of me
being bold enough to grab it. I’m so thankful I did and that it was with my
lovely wife and in Sweden.
When deciding to take a unique life path, something outside
the norm or one that may be uncomfortable, boldness will usually take center
stage. As I look back on my life, being bold played a significant part in most
of my interesting moments, fun times and fulfilling success. I’ve had 10 happy
years in Sweden
and it all began with the bold step to change cultures.
Happy Gswede Sunday!
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| The Beginning in Southern Sweden - 2004 |
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