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Internationals in Lund and southern Sweden

At the International Citizen Hub Lund, we are delighted to connect with people from all over the world. Many internationals have been living in Sweden for a while and have made the journey you're about to embark on. Get inspired and guided by reading their stories!

Stories by internationals

I have always dreamed of living abroad, somewhere close to nature, where I could trail run, camp, and enjoy the quiet. I didn鈥檛 know where that place would be until I started my master鈥檚 degree.

What happens when you mix a love of tennis, summer in Sweden, and a desire to give back? For me, it meant finding a community, building real friendships, and discovering new ways to make a difference.

My first day in Sweden was truly a kick start! I rushed to the International Citizen Hub Lund for the first meeting of the Kick-Start program straight from the airport, making it just in time for the first fika.

I鈥檝e always known that I wanted to live in Europe. But where 鈥 that was the question. Sweden never actually crossed my mind, yet somehow life brought me here.

It鈥檚 easy to underestimate just how much it takes to move to a new place, not just to relocate, but to truly become part of your new home.

Sweden is a land that has long called me, even influencing my career choices: first as an architect, and then as a pastry chef, after encountering Sweden鈥檚 baking culture.

If my life was a sitcom, moving to Sweden would definitely be a worth to watch season. In November 2024, I swapped Sevilla鈥檚 mild winter for Scandinavian days so short you could miss them if you blinked.

I arrived in Sweden in August 2017. It was a leap of faith, I left a comfortable life back home in Lithuania: a nice apartment, an established corporate career, my parents, sister and extended family.

My name is Aruni, and I am originally from Sri Lanka; a beautiful island, nation rich in culture, history, and natural diversity. Growing up surrounded by lush landscapes, I developed a deep apappreciation for both science and cultural heritage.

Pursuing my passion for baking, I enrolled in a pastry school and became a certified baker. After graduating, I had many plans to start my own pastry business, but then my husband surprised me with a relocation plan.

Moving to Sweden as a spouse came with both joy and uncertainty. I initially kept my remote job in another country, but when that came to an end, I found myself at a crossroads: it was time to look for work in Sweden.

When I moved to Malm枚 in early 2024, it was more than a change of scenery - it was reinventing what 鈥渉ome鈥 means. Having previously moved from Brazil to the U.S., I thought I knew what to expect from starting over.

Inspiring Journeys: More stories from Internationals in Lund

  1. I have always dreamed of living abroad, somewhere close to nature, where I could trail run, camp,

  2. My first day in Sweden was truly a kick start! I rushed to the International Citizen Hub Lund for

  3. What happens when you mix a love of tennis, summer in Sweden, and a desire to give back? For me, it

  4. It鈥檚 easy to underestimate just how much it takes to move to a new place, not just to relocate, but

  5. I鈥檝e always known that I wanted to live in Europe. But where 鈥 that was the question. Sweden never

  6. Sweden is a land that has long called me, even influencing my career choices: first as an architect,

  7. If my life was a sitcom, moving to Sweden would definitely be a worth to watch season. In November

  8. I arrived in Sweden in August 2017. It was a leap of faith, I left a comfortable life back home in

  9. My name is Aruni, and I am originally from Sri Lanka; a beautiful island, nation rich in culture,

  10. Moving to Sweden as a spouse came with both joy and uncertainty. I initially kept my remote job in

  11. The year 2024 began quite differently, as I enrolled in a pastry school to become a certified baker

  12. When I moved to Malm枚 in early 2024, it was more than a change of scenery - it was reinventing what

  13. In July 2024, I made one of the boldest decisions of my life by leaving my familiar world behind to

  14. When I first moved to Sweden nearly three years ago, I wasn鈥檛 quite sure what I was getting into.

  15. In August 2022, I arrived in Sweden, ready to start my Master鈥檚 program in Environmental Studies and

  16. 鈥淲hy come to Sweden?鈥 is a question I get often. The answer usually starts with how I have long

  17. 鈥淎n academic career requires gaining research experiences at a foreign university. Where should I

  18. 鈥淔or the past two years, we鈥檝e called Sweden home. I鈥檓 writing this from Puerto Yeru谩, Argentina, as

  19. "I鈥檝e always dreamed of exploring new horizons, but I never imagined that my path would take me from

  20. 鈥淚n 2020, I took a leap, moving from recently graduating design school to life in Sweden, where life

  21. 鈥淓very 27 years, planet Saturn regresses to the exact same position it was when one was born,

  22. 鈥淚'd always dreamed of traveling the world, but never imagined that my journey would take me from

  23. What can you learn from my story? I hope it inspires you to never stop pushing forward. Keep

  24. " Sweden is the easiest place for me to adapt to among the places I've been. Everything is quite

  25. " as I look back, I see that every hectic moment, every new connection, every challenge was a brick

  26. A New Chapter in Sweden: A Journey of Resilience and Joy 鈥淚 had always dreamed of exploring new

  27. 鈥淪tarting a company in a foreign country brings its own unique set of challenges and opportunities.

  28. 鈥淪ince moving to Sweden four years ago, it has been a continuous journey of learning and growth. I

  29. 鈥淛umping out of your comfort zone is crucial for integrating into a new culture. After the honeymoon

  30. 鈥淎s I stand amidst the vibrant greenery of this bustling city, I can't help but marvel at the

  31. 鈥淟et me explain a little bit about "She told me a story" first. It's a welcoming meetup designed for

  32. 鈥淲ith my husband's constant support and my strong desire to seize every opportunity, I embarked on a

  33. 鈥淣etworking played a crucial role in my journey, facilitating both personal and professional growth.

  34. 鈥淩eflecting on this experience, I'd like to share some lessons learned and tips for fellow expats

  35. 鈥淚 came to the Job Search Safari event, and I immediately felt at home, welcomed and supported. The

  36. 鈥淔rom that moment on, I realized that I had been doing it wrong on many levels so I decided to make

  37. 鈥淭hat phase in one鈥檚 journey can only be understood by those with similar experiences. I describe it

  38. "What helped me was imagining celebrating my 80th birthday in detail. What will I wear, who will sit

  39. For the third video from our series "My life in Sweden" we invited Carrie, to share a little bit of

  40. 鈥淟iving in Sweden has afforded me the opportunity to explore, experiment, and expand my horizons in

  41. 鈥淚 count myself fortunate to be enveloped in this artistic embrace, where creation isn't a lofty

  42. 鈥淭hings were stable and we were planning a big wedding for 150 people. You鈥檇 think I鈥檇 put up a

  43. Until December 2023 International Citizen Hub will be sharing a monthly video, from our series ''My

  44. 鈥溾t came as a shock to me that my highly educated friends working as Engineers, Doctors and in

  45. Until December 2023 International Citizen Hub will be sharing a monthly video, from our series ''My

  46. 鈥淒uring my first drop-in I remember being surrounded by the Hub鈥檚 staff and other internationals

  47. 鈥淏ut in the face of adversity, I reminded myself why I had come here in the first place. It was to

  48. 鈥淲hen I started working in a Swedish company, I noticed some differences compared to Brazil, the

  49. 鈥淚 got a job offer nine months after arriving in Sweden, still I could not have achieved it on my

  50. "Another highlight was a day trip to the island Ven. It鈥檚 a short ferry ride away from Landskrona,

  51. "So, I'm pretending that I'm an editor passing a note to a CEO somewhere, bored out of their minds

  52. "I started getting frustrated a lot. What am I doing wrong? Is it me? - I asked myself. At some

  53. "For me, it had also a bigger meaning: to support my fellow countrymen suffering from the war in

  54. "And I saw a large number of men and women from different parts of the world, excellent

  55. "Much like my own relocation to Sweden, the Entrepreneurship Journey is never straight forward and

  56. "The Swedish concept of "lagom" is a standard that embodies comfort and balance. From work-life