- Daniel Francis moved from the UK to Stockholm in 2022 with his wife for her job.
- He has embraced Swedish living and loves the rhythm of life and the benefits for new parents.
- Francis enjoys the changing seasons but struggles with the limited daylight hours in winter.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daniel Francis, a charity consultant who moved from the United Kingdom to Sweden. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I've been drawn to Scandinavia since a road trip in my early 20s and made visits to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, before getting married in Copenhagen in 2018.
When my wife was offered a job at a big Swedish company in 2022, we jumped at the chance to move from London to Stockholm.
Having lived here for over three years, I finally understand what makes this country unique.
It's the perfect country for new parents
Sweden is known for its extensive welfare system — and I'd say it certainly lives up to the hype, especially as a parent.
The year after we arrived, we had our daughter. Becoming a first-time parent in Sweden is wonderful because the system feels designed for parents to succeed.
Our child goes to a largely publicly funded nursery (a förskola) five days a week. Access to subsidized childcare in Sweden like this can help parents return to work with ease. Plus, we don't have to spend most of our paychecks on childcare.
Sweden's flexible parental leave policies also provide 480 days of paid leave (about 240 days per parent) when a child is born or adopted.
A paid leave this long that also includes fathers is rare to find around the world. It meant I was able to spend a good chunk of time bonding with my daughter when she was little, which was amazing.
The country offers unhindered access to dramatic natural beauty
One of the biggest draws is Sweden's raw natural beauty — pristine forests, dramatic mountains, and wild skies. I can sometimes see the northern lights from my living room!
There's an abundance of nature just 15 minutes outside Stockholm, but one of my highlights came during a week in The High Coast, around five hours north of the capital.
At 286 meters above sea level, it's widely considered the highest coastline in the world, and the cliffs continue to rise each year.
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about Swedish nature is that you have the right to roam, known as Allemansrätten. This means you can hike and camp wherever you like, providing you respect nature and don't disturb the landowner.
People here seem to embrace the rhythm of life
My favorite thing about Sweden is its flow of life. I appreciate that many Swedes have rhythmic routines that aren't overly regimented and prioritize comfort and coziness.
This may be part of a daily routine — such as lighting a candle in the morning to alleviate the darkness — or as big as an annual festival.
For example, Sweden has Valborgsmässoafton in April, where everyone burns wood in their gardens to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather.
There's also Fredagsmys, or "Friday coziness," where we all wind down on a Friday evening with comfy clothes, snacks, and friends.
The seasons are clearly defined …
Coming from the UK, where the weather is very unpredictable, I instantly loved the seasonality in Sweden.
Summers tend to be consistently warm and dry, which is perfect weather for exploring nature. Then it's very cold and snowy in the winter, which really enhances the Christmas season.
Of course, summer can take a while to arrive. Swedes have a joke that after winter, you have the second winter, the third winter … and then the fourth. Then it's instantly summer.
You don't really get a spring or fall quite in the same way as the UK. But there's a clear separation between the seasons, and that allows us to fully embrace them.
… but the winter darkness can feel endless
That brings me to the one part of Swedish living that shows I'm not yet a true Scandinavian: I struggle with the oppressive darkness during the winter.
In Sweden, winter means fewer hours of daylight, especially in December in January. Some winter days, we're lucky to get just five hours of daylight.
I don't mind the cold weather, but the darkness definitely affects me in a way I didn't anticipate. My mood feels lower, and my world a bit smaller.
Above all, I think Sweden has the best capital city
Having lived in London for 10 years, I realized that I love living in a big city. However, Stockholm is my favorite.
It's a truly beautiful city with brightly colored buildings in Gamla Stan and other historic areas that really give it warmth.
It has all the benefits of a major capital city but still has something of a small-town vibe. It is walkable and has the best baked goods, too — nothing beats a Scandinavian bakery.
Like the rest of the archipelago, Stockholm is a collection of islands, so you're always near the water and can travel almost anywhere by boat.
This makes visiting each part of the city feel like an adventure.
