Reasons Why the Rest of the World Should Aspire to be More like Sweden

I spent one week in Sweden and I am truly impressed.

Sweden is a beautiful country with beautiful people and I am so completely enamored by their attitudes, their culture, their food, their way of life.  To experience it firsthand was both refreshing and inspirational.

I think we could all learn a little something from Sweden.  I know I have.

1. People are courteous, helpful and polite. Worst case: they can come off a bit cold and difficult to approach. Best case: They are respectful, down-to-earth, and if anything, I think it’s better to be cautious than too forward.

2. People are conscious and respectful of each other and the environment. They embrace their surroundings and they do not take it for granted. They make a conscious effort to not litter, waste, or pollute.

3. They find a balance between luxury/wealth and simplicity/peace.

4. They choose to spend their summer holidays doing manual labor, chopping wood, building boats, exploring islands picking berries and gardening.

5. They spend as much time as possible outdoors, under the sun.  Their brains are not rotted and consumed by television and computers.

6. They are knowledable about their natural resources.  Many Swedes can name most trees, flowers, and plants that grow in Sweden.

7. They all drink tap water. (In our defence, their tap water is exceptionally pure and refreshing)

8. Highly sought after property (the real estate in most demand) is passed from generation to generation and priority is given to family or family friends over the highest bidder.

9. They choose to preserve their historical, renaissance architecture rather than building skyscrapers and conforming to modern design.

10. The best coffee shops and restaurants are cozy, rustic and with so much character.

11. They eat healthy. And their food is delicious.

12. They are innovative and resourceful.  Just think IKEA.  I rest my case.

13. They have Kaviar in a tube, among other cheese flavors in a tube ready to spread. I love that cheese is a large part of their daily diet.

14.  Everyone eats ice cream all the time and it is accessible and visible everywhere.

15. BIK BOK & Gina Tricot

….Ok, now I’m just getting side-tracked.  Here is my final point:

As a society, Sweden advocates team work and a collaborative effort in terms of upholding the law, preserving the environment, and sustaining their standards of sophistication and consideration towards one another.