Sweden and Me has been generating some buzz!
In the last few months, Sweden and Me has been featured a few times in various news outlets and it has been really amazing to see the response the general public has had to my story. I feel so grateful that people enjoy the content I produce and it is really validating to see my writing and story resonate with so many others.
Today, I want to highlight three places where Sweden and Me has been featured!
Business Insider
Back in April, Hannah Towey, a journalist from Business Insider, reached out to me about a piece she was writing. It was all about countries that offer one month or more of paid time off annually, and Hannah wondered if I could comment on Sweden’s vacation policies.
Throughout our interview, Hannah realized I offered a unique perspective as an American living in Sweden and was able to comment on the cultural differences between the two countries I’ve called home. She suggested my interview become a pop-out article.
It was written by Hannah in the first person and based on the conversation we had via video call. When it was published on May 30th, 2023, I was able to see it for the first time!
The Insider article generated a lot of buzz. Many people reached out to me to share their experiences with living abroad, their desire to move abroad, or their struggles with work-life balance in the US. It was so cool to connect with people all around the world.
The article was even picked-up by a French newspaper and The Daily Mail in the UK!
Read the Insider article here!
Gƶteborgs-Posten
After the Business Insider article was published, Filip Lyrheden, a journalist at Gƶteborgs-Posten reached out about an interview. This interview was focused less on work-life balance and more on my experiences of moving to Sweden. How long did it take to secure a visa? How did I find my job in Sweden? What are the differences I see in Sweden compared to the US in terms of job hunting?
When the article was published in June, I was shocked to see a full page spread and a huge photo of me! It was also a very interesting experience to see myself quoted in Swedish! I did, however, do the interview in English.
Read the GP article here.
The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce
I’ve worked with The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce New England (SACC-NE) once before when they invited me to be the guest speaker for one of their Americans Abroad sessions in 2021.
I had a great experience then and was thrilled when they asked me to join their newly launched podcast SACC-NE Sessions. The interview was really fun and Can Doganci, the interviewer and Vice President of SACC-NE, prepared some really thoughtful questions. We discussed unique experiences I’ve had since living in Sweden, how I stay connected to my American roots, what is next for Sweden and Me, and more.
Listen on Spotify here.
Fun Facts:
- I started Sweden and Me in 2020.
- In Sweden, we receive 25 days of paid time off minimum. You can read more about vacation in Sweden here.
- Spotify is a Swedish company, so it feels right that my first podcast airs there!
Tess’ Tips:
- Say yes to new opportunities!
Hope you learned some new Swedishness today and I’ll see you in the next post!
- All words and thoughts are my own š
Sweden and Me 
Yay! I saw the Business Insider article awhile back and the first thing I said (to myself) was “Hey, I know her!” Lolš But seriously that is so cool that you got featured in so many different places!
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Thank you! Yes, it has been very exciting!
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Well done, Tess!! This is awesome!!!!
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Thank you!!
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Rockstar š¤š¼ Very impressed! Whoās next to reach out? š
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We will see!
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Interestingly enough, most Swedes go on sick leave due to, what they called āhitting the wallā (burnout), sometimes for long as years.
Itās crazy to see how someone here can go on a sick leave for years and the company has the obligation to withhold the job until that person is back, regardless if it might be someone else with better qualifications to fill in the position.
Swedes have a peculiar low resistance to stress, working under pressure and are terrible to take constructive criticism.
Common trend is to see Swedes living abroad coming back to Sweden after realizing the bubble of very generous salaries (most of the times not equivalent to their skills or experience) and subsidized benefits, doesnāt match the reality of the rest of the world.
To portrait that thereās no burnout in Sweden is extremely misleading and very āgrass-is-greenerā type of idea.
We expats that come from very demanding environments are less prone to burnout because we can take the heat but thatās not the case for the majority of Swedes.
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