My mom and her boyfriend flew in from the US yesterday to visit the newest addition to the hoard of grandchildren (barnbarn). As always when you get people visiting from abroad, you become more aware of all the ultra Swedish things that used to catch your attention when you first got here. Clean minimalist design, wooden floors (parkettgolv), men with baby carriages and strong coffee.

When I look back at my first day in Sweden, which actually started across the water at Kastrup Airport in Copenhagen, I remember complete darkness, rain and everything seemed to be flat. I reacted to how people at with both fork and knife, and feeling insecure, created my own special way of eating that confused the hell out of my future inlaws (svärföräldrar).  It was December and dark all day long. The pastries were good and the snaps dangerous. I discovered that elevators stopped when you weren’t on them and that you had a choice when flushing a toilet bowl — number one or number two. I noticed that people didn’t say excuse me when they bumped into you in line and rarely small talked. And ultimately that Swedish sounded scary and seemed like a daunting task to learn.

After almost five years, some of my first impressions (intryck) have held up well, others not.

Please share (Dela gärna)  yours with us.