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Tag archives for outdoors

Living the Swedish Lifestyle

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The typical Swedish lifestyle encompasses many things; there is a great desire to be in nature, to be active and moving, to be healthy and happy, to have an open mind, to strive for equality and to experience old traditions to the fullest. To truly get the Swedish experience while you’re here you have to jump into the Swedish lifestyle.

Be Active

There is no doubt that Swedes love to be active. Whether it is outdoors or indoors, you can find Swedes working out hard all year long. Staying active through playing on sports teams, hiking outdoors, or going to the gym is an important part of Swedish society. Being active is supported through education and work; there are sport holidays at school and even financial contributions to the cost of working out from employers.

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Kristin Follis — Student

October 7, 2011

The Last Days of Summer

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I have heard so much about the outstanding beauty of Swedish summer. As soon as the snow starts to melt it’s all the Swedes can talk about.  At the beginning of the summer I wondered whether or not it would actually live up to these standards or if it was just the Swedes romanticizing summer after a horrific winter.

After my first summer in Sweden it is without a doubt that I will be joining the majority at the end of the winter talking endlessly about the summer to come. Long days of sunshine, hiking through the forest, hanging out by the beach, and grilling with friends are just some of the benefits besides higher temperatures.

A beautiful Swedish summer day. Photo by: Kristin Follis

From what I have learned in the last few months, summer needs to be spent outdoors as much as possible; soaking in the sun while it is still in the sky.

However, what is most often left out when stories are told of sweet summer memories is the crazy weather that comes with it. It can be sunny and beautiful one minute, it could start pouring rain the next and then, all of a sudden, clear skies. But, when the sun does peak through the clouds, it is without a doubt, beautiful.

What I have learned over the course of the summer is that it is impossible to get anything done. The big cities seem to empty and most businesses and offices shut down for some period during late June to mid-August. Most Swedes spend the summer months at cottages or summer houses near lakes or the coast.

So, if everyone else is on vacation there is not much you can do but sit back, relax, and enjoy the summer. While in Sweden might as well do as the Swedes do.

A nice and relaxing Swedish summer must include:

  1. Many barbecues with friends
  2. Camping in the Swedish wild

    Grilling on an open fire! Photo by: Kristin Follis

  3. Hanging out at the beach
  4. Picking berries in the forest
  5. Playing Kubb(A popular Swedish game mixed between bowling and horseshoes)
  6. Late night bonfires
  7. Hopping on a train to explore a new city
  8. Catching yourself some fish
  9. Canoeing or Kayaking through the picturesque lakes
  10. Fikas in the sun
  11. Dancing around a maypole
  12. Drinking lots of snaps
  13. Jumping into the coast
  14. And of course, eating crayfish

If you can complete at least a few of the things on this list, then it is without a doubt that you will have a Swedish summer to remember. For me, I only have one more week before school starts, so I’ll be fitting a few more of these in!

As summer comes to an end, the skies start to get darker, and the temperature begins to drop, everyone starts dreading the coming winter and darkness. But, at least we all have lots of summer memories to keep going until the next one.

Sunset by the lake. Photo by: Kristin Follis

Kristin Follis — Student

August 22, 2011

Spring is the Season

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Upon the sun’s return to Sweden, many people have begun to flock outside. Any open green area is covered with people trying to soak up all of the sun they can while it lasts.

Everyone enjoying the sun at Slottsparken in Uppsala. Photo: aten/Flickr

But not only do people just sit outside and enjoy the sun, they also go biking, hiking and climbing to take advantage of the good weather.

In the spring and summer months I believe that a lot of Swedes spend their free-time more outdoors than anywhere else. This could be because they are simply afraid of how long the good weather will last or they just enjoy being in nature.

Coming to Sweden, one thing I really noticed was the relationships most Swedes have with nature. Growing up as a kid we always played outside in the trees or the parks, but the difference is Swedes know so much more about their environmental surroundings.

Our first class outing of the year was to the forest. We were supposed to just enjoy the environment and try to understand more about the ecosystem. It became clear after 10 minutes in the forest that the few Swedes in the class were nothing short of experts. Most of them could differentiate between the numerous varieties of mushrooms, distinguish between the edible and non-edible plants, and show which berries were which. They also further explained which plants were most prominent because of the season, which ones had just finished flowering and which ones were about to.

I was nothing short of astonished with their wealth of environmental knowledge. Swedes often ask me if we have a certain species of trees in Canada and beyond the obvious maple and birch I usually cannot answer.

The focus on early environmental education for children both at school and at home really has a positive effect on the relationship between Swedes and nature.

So as the sun begins to appear more often and the snow is finally gone, most of the Swedes flock to any green spaces, forests and lakes to take advantage and learn about the environment surrounding them. And this spring I will be close to follow, hoping to learn more as I go!

Hiking through the forest. Photo: VisitSweden/Flickr

Kristin Follis — Student

April 19, 2011