PLEASE MOVE HERE!!! But be aware that London will put a spell on you and it will be very hard to leave it, no matter how tired of it you get. It was so nice meeting you IRL xxxxxxxxx
I haven’t been to Stockholm yet but I definitely agree that the sheer space per person in Scandinavia has had a huge impact on the way people navigate one another.. in Oslo and Norway at least! I deeply miss the small conversations brought on by simply sharing space and not treating that as an inconvenience or oddity. I’ve challenged myself to compliment 3 strangers a month here.. something that used to come so natural for me in California. Here, it’s intimidating and people have very mixed reactions! Interesting to hear your comparisons. Good luck in your next chapter :)
Oooh how interesting to hear your take from Norway! Yeah it’s definitely a different culture, if not a different life. And I love that about California, and I felt similarly in London. But yeah, California in my heaaaaaart
I’m sure I will, and I’m not even sure there is one place for each and everyone of us. Maybe I’m just supposed to move around and get what I need from each place at that time. I’m so happy you enjoy reading about my journey though
Honestly, do it! I would suffocate in Sweden. I do find the swedes a little competitive and for what?! The same homes, lifestyle and clothing? It’s so homogenous. And dull. I’m all for switching up places, you’ve got a long road ahead of you and Sweden is always there. Love how you compared LA to London. I feel like London has such a good vibe at the moment, energy is shifting and people are waking up post covid xx
Hahaha I love your frankness, and you’re not wrong. There is to much copy + paste in Sweden for me right now, and maybe that has been the case for a long time (seeing as we basically had functional socialism in the 60’s/70’s and are still highly influenced by this mentality). Mmmm London was JUICY
I love this! We're making a big (not that big!) move ourselves this summer and one of the reasons is to break out, to get more friction, to be more *in* things instead of existing in a small area where everyone knows us (or thinks they do). It's worth it!
I love that! I think there’s been a shift of people moving out into the countryside post Covid to get less friction, but some places just feel different because there was always that space available.
I like this idea of friction, and I’m really struck by your impressions of London and how different they are to my own as an American - I find people here keep to themselves more than back home. When I go back to the US now, I really notice the physical space of bigger houses, the true wilderness of the national parks - literal spaciousness - but also how talkative and friendly people are. Sometimes that friendliness can feel invasive but often it feels like the good kind of friction you are talking about, and it’s one of the things I find myself enjoying most when I am back home these days
I mean, I think the US is definitely even more "friction" than London - at least the places I've visited. I guess if there's a scale, Sweden is far to one side and the US far to the other, whereas London falls towards the US. I don't know about the rest of the UK though. I just really love when natural interactions happen!
Emily!!!!! I don’t know if you’ll remember me at all but I was at uni with you when you and Kate B were visiting students! It’s so funny, Julia’s words on wanting to be bumped into really stuck and here we are, virtually bumping into one another! I didn’t know you were still in the UK! I’ll have to DM you :’)
PLEASE MOVE HERE!!! But be aware that London will put a spell on you and it will be very hard to leave it, no matter how tired of it you get. It was so nice meeting you IRL xxxxxxxxx
I WILL LET IT PUT ANY SPELL ON ME
Julia, my fingers are crossed you move to London!
I’m seriously tempted after my trip - it has so much of what I’m looking for
Idk if you can feel it, but sending moving to London vibes your way right now.
I haven’t been to Stockholm yet but I definitely agree that the sheer space per person in Scandinavia has had a huge impact on the way people navigate one another.. in Oslo and Norway at least! I deeply miss the small conversations brought on by simply sharing space and not treating that as an inconvenience or oddity. I’ve challenged myself to compliment 3 strangers a month here.. something that used to come so natural for me in California. Here, it’s intimidating and people have very mixed reactions! Interesting to hear your comparisons. Good luck in your next chapter :)
Oooh how interesting to hear your take from Norway! Yeah it’s definitely a different culture, if not a different life. And I love that about California, and I felt similarly in London. But yeah, California in my heaaaaaart
This was so interesting. I really hope you find your place and in the meantime I’m enjoying your musings on different locales.
I’m sure I will, and I’m not even sure there is one place for each and everyone of us. Maybe I’m just supposed to move around and get what I need from each place at that time. I’m so happy you enjoy reading about my journey though
Honestly, do it! I would suffocate in Sweden. I do find the swedes a little competitive and for what?! The same homes, lifestyle and clothing? It’s so homogenous. And dull. I’m all for switching up places, you’ve got a long road ahead of you and Sweden is always there. Love how you compared LA to London. I feel like London has such a good vibe at the moment, energy is shifting and people are waking up post covid xx
Hahaha I love your frankness, and you’re not wrong. There is to much copy + paste in Sweden for me right now, and maybe that has been the case for a long time (seeing as we basically had functional socialism in the 60’s/70’s and are still highly influenced by this mentality). Mmmm London was JUICY
It’s the inner Dane 😂🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰 too authentic to tolerate bullshit.
Oh I lived in London recently and we regret every 5s leaving. If you can find the opportunity to stay, do it!
I’m so so so tempted!
I love this! We're making a big (not that big!) move ourselves this summer and one of the reasons is to break out, to get more friction, to be more *in* things instead of existing in a small area where everyone knows us (or thinks they do). It's worth it!
I love that! I think there’s been a shift of people moving out into the countryside post Covid to get less friction, but some places just feel different because there was always that space available.
Fascinating. I had no idea Stockholm was as you describe it.
I mean other people probably experience it differently, but this has been and still is my experience!
I like this idea of friction, and I’m really struck by your impressions of London and how different they are to my own as an American - I find people here keep to themselves more than back home. When I go back to the US now, I really notice the physical space of bigger houses, the true wilderness of the national parks - literal spaciousness - but also how talkative and friendly people are. Sometimes that friendliness can feel invasive but often it feels like the good kind of friction you are talking about, and it’s one of the things I find myself enjoying most when I am back home these days
I mean, I think the US is definitely even more "friction" than London - at least the places I've visited. I guess if there's a scale, Sweden is far to one side and the US far to the other, whereas London falls towards the US. I don't know about the rest of the UK though. I just really love when natural interactions happen!
Totally, these things are all relative to one another - and it's interesting how we become habituated to different levels of friction / space
Seun!! Of course I remember you! Please do DM me - would love to catch up :)
Emily!!!!! I don’t know if you’ll remember me at all but I was at uni with you when you and Kate B were visiting students! It’s so funny, Julia’s words on wanting to be bumped into really stuck and here we are, virtually bumping into one another! I didn’t know you were still in the UK! I’ll have to DM you :’)
How incredible is this???