Ishwariya Rajamohan FRSA
Sweden is a land that has long called me, even influencing my career choices: first as an architect, when clean lines on Swedish-designed everyday objects inspired me to start designing furniture, and then as a pastry chef, after encountering Sweden鈥檚 baking culture during a trip to G枚teborg which revived my childhood passion for baking.
Why Sweden felt like coming home
I now work as a coach and speaker supporting women working in majority male industries with building their confidence, but taking those leaps of faith in my formative years served me well in risking yet another move, this time from London to Lund. Why Sweden, I always get asked. I grew up as an Indian expatriate in Dubai, feeling somewhat rootless and not belonging anywhere.
In 2017 when I experienced emotional burnout at work and needed a month off, Sk氓ne held me very well during that period of healing, and on a subsequent trip to Lund two years later, I had that same instinct that maybe you have had as well: to make a home here.
From dreaming to doing
However, dreaming is one thing, doing is another. Even though my goal to move to Lund was clear, the scale of the undertaking overwhelmed me at the time, and I found myself in a classic freeze situation, unable to take concrete action steps. But when I started taking my move seriously, everything changed, and for all of you who share a similar dream, here are my learnings through this process:
- Take your dreams seriously: There is a reason you feel called towards a particular goal; the real treasure is in the journey. I experienced immense growth in order to become the person who would eventually fulfil my goal.
- Get help from an expert: If your dream to relocate or to find a job in Sweden is still a vague longing, nothing gets you going or gives you momentum like working with a professional. I hired a migration lawyer, started studying Swedish, and worked with my own coach specialising in transitions. I stopped living vicariously through 鈥榤oving to Sweden鈥� Youtube videos, and started attending ICH Lund鈥檚 online sessions addressing various practicalities of life in Sweden.
- Prepare for endings: At some point you will start to feel disenchanted with your current reality and become impatient to achieve your goal. London life began to lose its appeal, I became disinterested in social activities and began to have little in common with friends and communities I was once close to. My own energy that had started to detach from what was familiar and comfortable. Knowing this truth helped me manage my mindset throughout my move.
As I write this just two days after my move to Lund, I recognise that I have only completed two-thirds of my journey. Next comes settling in Sweden, and although I cannot predict what that will entail, I know that my best bet is to approach this final phase with pragmatism, always remembering why I chose to relocate in the first place.
/Ishwariya
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