In November, I wrote about what I would be doing in Sweden. The basics haven't changed, although how I view my life has shifted a bit.
Unsurprisingly, I am still unemployed. I have gotten more into the swing of applying for jobs and try to apply for a few each week. I registered at the Arbetsförmedlingen, aka the Unemployment Office, and got a job coach there. He is quite sweet, and thoroughly and kindly reviewed my CV and personal letter (Swedish version of the cover letter which is way more personal than an American letter would be). Additionally, the job coach suggested I apply for personal care attendant jobs here, because the person who wants help chooses the assistant, and so I might have more luck. This is what I am focusing my efforts on now.
As I mentioned before, Swedish is really the key to working here, as well as the key to fully integrating into society. Accordingly, I try to keep it a top priority. I finished the Folk Universitet class, and now I have signed up for the free Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) classes. I have to wait for a spot to open, and they don't tell you how long that will be. It could be tomorrow or six months from now.
It is definitely hard at times for me to have my time be so unstructured. I don't think I have ever had so much time that was just open - I can do anything and everything with it. Of course, there's a blessing in there somewhere, but it's hard to harness. I have to be very motivated to stay busy, but when I keep myself occupied, I'm happier and more fulfilled at the end of the day. The temptation is always there to watch TV all day, but most days I write letters, cook, see friends, apply for jobs, read, etc.
I can gladly report that socially, I am doing really well. I am in a bookclub with the American Women's Club, and there are potlucks, sushi nights, and all sorts of other fun gatherings through that group. I try to be outgoing and invite people to get together any chance I get. I've already met people I consider solid friends. Additionally, I found a great group of people called "Lund University Foreign Friends." We get together every two weeks at a different member's house to talk and share experiences. This is a fun community that I really look forward to spending time with. There are people from the UK, Japan, the US, France, China, Denmark, and plenty more.
The longer I am here, the more I think I will go back to school in the fall, as long as I am accepted. My application is complete and submitted now and I should hear sometime in March - I am very optimistic the University will accept me. Whatever masters program I choose, it will help me in Sweden and anywhere I go. It's probably a social goldmine as well.
It's hard not to think a lot when I have all this time for it. It's led me into the inevitable train of thought that goes something like, "What is the meaning of life?!" or more specifically, "What makes my life meaningful and what makes me happy?" After some brainstorming I have tentatively settled on these components: First, I want to have something to look forward to each day. It could be the adventure of learning to make my own bread, which I've always wanted to do, or it could be waking up for Swedish class, or the goal of running a 10k by summer.
Secondly, I also want to somehow be contributing or to have a purpose to my activities. This one is harder, because the typical American notion of contributing has a lot to do with working or volunteering in public life, both of which are giving me trouble here (no response from any women's shelters as of today). But for now I satisfy this requirement by applying for jobs, searching out new opportunities, and trying to keep myself busy and happy.
For now, the challenge is to live the life day-to-day that I want to, by not settling into a boring routine, but by doing the things I imagined myself doing when I was in the US, working, stressed, and contemplating moving here. I imagined days where I would have a slow pace, take great care of myself and the love of my life, learning to cook and do paper art, and finally reading any book I can get my hands on. On to another day of working towards that goal - cheers.
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