Moving from the USA to Sweden wasn’t initially in Misty’s plans about three and a half years ago. Now, however, she and her husband are living in the university town of Umeå, where she works as a freelance writer and scientific proofreader. Here she shares some aspects of her expat life in Sweden and gives a few tips on what to expect when it comes to moving and living there.	Misty

-Where were you born?
USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Umeå, Sweden

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I'm living with my husband and two cats.

-How long have you been living in Sweden?
Three and a half years

-What is your age?
31

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Sweden?
We didn't come up with it. It sort of just happened. My husband is a scientist and we were living in Iowa at that time. Being from big cities, it was a huge culture shock to end up in a small Midwestern town. We hated every minute of it, and wanted to move. Also, the political climate in the US was not to our liking. So, husband applied for positions abroad, and was offered two. Sadly, we wouldn't be able to take our cat to Australia, as I won't put my child in animal quarantine. So Sweden it was. At that time, Sweden also had animal quarantine requirement for pets from the US; however, it was abolished on July 3rd 2004. On July 4th, I brought my cat over, and we've been here ever since.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
My husband has a work permit sponsored by the university where he works. As a spouse, I was also able to get not only a residence permit, but also a work visa.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Sweden has universal coverage, so we didn't bother with additional medical insurance.

-How do you make your living in Sweden? Do you have any type of income generated?
My husband had a job offer before we came here. His field is highly specialized, and he found a position advertised on one of the scientific websites that he visits. I work from home as a freelance writer and a scientific proof reader.

-Do you speak Swedish and do you think it's important to speak the local language? 
I do speak Swedish. Our first winter here I had absolutely nothing to do, so I signed up for Swedish classes at the Swedish For Immigrants school. It was free and turned out to be a very interesting experience. Later, I took additional Swedish classes at the university here. My husband speaks maybe two words of Swedish. Since Umeå is a university town, almost everyone speaks English to some degree. Knowing Swedish is very beneficial however, even if just to understand what the natives say about you behind your back.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I don't really miss my family and home. I'm not even sure where home is at this point. I've lived in six different countries as an adult, and in a few more when I was a kid. Homesickness is not an issue.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
All our plans depend on husband's job, so wherever he needs to go next, I go too. It's fun. It's unpredictable. I can't imagine being settled in one place for the rest of my life. I think I'd chew my leg off out of sheer boredom and frustration.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We rent our apartment. Due to our nomad lifestyle, we have no intention of buying. Our rent is 3800 SEK, which is very cheap for the place we're in.

-What is the cost of living in Sweden?
High. Comparable to New York, I'd say. We try to buy everything other than food outside of Sweden. It's cheaper and the quality tends to be better.

-What do you think about the Swedes?
People think I'm negative and that I dislike Sweden and Swedes. Oddly enough, my friends here are mostly Swedes. You have to understand that Umeå is not Stockholm, or Gothenburg, or Malmö. Life that far up north is different, and people are also different. Some are nice, some are racist pricks, and some are my best friends. However, when compared with the rest of Sweden, or at least with Stockholm, people here tend to be more prejudiced towards foreigners of other ethnicities.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Sweden?
It's a very fun country to live in. You can learn something new every day. Negatives? Cold and dark winters. And I mean really dark. Much darker than in Stockholm. On the plus side, we have daylight all the time in the summer.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Sweden?
Do your research. Sweden's PR department spews all kinds of wonderful propaganda about how wonderful Sweden is. The reality is starkly different. When the honeymoon period wears off, you will be disappointed.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Sweden?
I have my own blog about our surreal life in the Far North: http://montchan.blogspot.com/