Scandinavians

[jaycali 415]

If I hadn't had my job this spring semester I would have gone nuts and time would have dragged a lot more. I've also had my floorball team. It's nice to have something to keep your mind off the waiting.

Yep. This wait would honestly have been impossible without it.

[Mr. Borkström 63]

Awesome news Bornie!

[Jilianne 1]

Speaking of interviews, Juha got his interview appointment today, it'll be on July 2nd! I'm glad we don't have to go to Stockholm like everybody else, Helsinki's far enough away as it is

[Ashlee and Bjørn 6]

Gratulerer Bornie! Can't wait to hear every little detail!

Thank you guys. Bjørn was really tired after everything and said he will write a review soon. From what he told me, it was very easy and relaxed.

[Bornie 0]

I now just wrote an review, and guys it was the most easiest thing ever. Since i didnt knew the bus transport i walked, i got up like 6 in the morning on the hotel (after a stressfull night of gettign lost in stockholm and manage to lock myself up in the reseption area, but thats another story) as i said i walked it took my like 20 minutes but when you are listening to music it seems it take much shorter time. AROUND 6:30 i found a 7-eleven and bought coffee and cigarettes and walked to the pier and watched the sunrise while i was listening to the swedish news haha pretty epic huh? I even had

i got there around 7 but the guard told me to go get some food at this one coffee place nearby, so i sat there and had a new cup of coffee and another cigarette, and killed some time.

When i got back at 8 there was a huge ###### line, and i was oh ####, but the guard told me to stay in the IMMIGRATION LINE, there was another girl there in front of me, so everything went superfast, the security guards even commented on my black metal music on my mp3 player (since i forgott to turn it off) so we had an interesting music discussion berfore he gave me a number (51) and let me through

Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities i n scandinavia by my opininon, i simply loved it. I stayed in Gamla stan, (Old town) the entire place is filled with medieval buyidlings and streets. and to get that extra "hell yeah swedish feeling" put this on your ipod or mp3 player if you like metal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzCTVQkmGqM

Good luck guys :)i guess i will leave to the states around mid july

[Bornie 0]

Wow! I didn't realize that there's an active Scandinavian thread! I haven't really been checking in on VJ since moving last fall but I'm glad I found this!

I moved to the US last fall, and now we live in DC and I LOVE it However, it's been a lot more difficult to find friends and to build a new life than I initially thought. I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that my husband and I are both new to the city so I can't just start mingling with his friends, and on top of it he travels for work ALL the time which leaves me by myself a lot. I've been trying to find Scandinavians in the DC metro area to have sth in common to start out with but I don't know where the heck they are all lurking since I've been very unsuccessful! But I guess most people come here for jobs (internationals and Americans both), so they are busy (unlike me, blah).

I have to say that to me the transition has been shockingly more difficult than I had imagined. I've spent a little bit of time in the US before, and have some friends here (unfortunately none of whom live anywhere near here), so I don't think I've had too much of an actual culture shock. I don't really miss Finland per se (although like you guys have said, the on and off ranting about how things are soooooo much better there with the social security and education system and and and and, you know, is inevitable ), but oh do I miss my friends and my JOB! Oh, my JOB.. And just being active and not having to worry about the couch looking more and more dented in the corner I like to set my booty on. My culture shock has been the fact that my life, which I was insanely happy with (apart from the not having my husband with me, of course), has been completely turned around. I thought I was prepared and ready for the move, but I also thought the building of our new life would happen a lot quicker and be easier. I know getting a job would take a while, but I imagined getting friends would happen faster. I just want to have someone to have a good laugh, bad jokes, and couple glasses of wine with.. *sigh*.

So anyway, do you guys happen to have any advice, or stories..?

I feel awkward going out by myself, even if it was for a cooking class etc, or to a meetup. In a kind of old fashioned way I guess I would like to meet people and make friends naturally, not in a makeshift environment if you know what I mean. My hubby is out of town traveling for work mostly every week and even though most weekends he's home, he doesn't have more than a couple friends in the area either.

Job would be the best and most natural way to meet people, and I've been looking since I got my GC about a month ago but the market it pretty harsh. Am I at a dead end until I find a job? Or until I gather up enough courage to step out of my comfort zone and go somewhere by myself.. (scary)?

Oh, about moving stuff overseas, I did as most others, sold and gave away my furniture and every trip overseas we started hauling over books, kitchenware, linen, or whatever I felt like would make me feel at home here, as soon as the big moving decision was made. BTW if you haven't flown Icelandair, they let you take two bags for free. But the flights are really expensive in the summer.

And yes, you gotta love IKEA - I actually got the same side table here as I had in my home in Helsinki but gave it away to someone, pretty cool. Worldmarket sells Panda liquorice, the soft sticky stuff, I absolutely love that :-)

oops, sorry for the overly lengthy post, I just got excited

Oh wow... Its really good to hear other ppl experience, i am actually freaking out, on not to be able to visit my friends and my family. I am really nervous for not having friends over there, my fiance says that i will manage to get some, sure i will in time. But how do you guys know that you are ready to leave everything behind and start a new life in America? We are gonna live in Arizona, and i would feel so much safer and relaxed if i coudl have other scandinavians there, to share the "coffee culture" with, get drunk sometimes, go to movies, a game etc

[Mr. Borkström 63]

AROUND 6:30 i found a 7-eleven and bought coffee and cigarettes and walked to the pier and watched the sunrise while i was listening to the swedish news haha pretty epic huh?

Depends on whether you mean being up that early, gawking at the sunrise and such, or the Swedish news.

[Mr. Borkström 63]

Oh wow... Its really good to hear other ppl experience, i am actually freaking out, on not to be able to visit my friends and my family. I am really nervous for not having friends over there, my fiance says that i will manage to get some, sure i will in time. But how do you guys know that you are ready to leave everything behind and start a new life in America? We are gonna live in Arizona, and i would feel so much safer and relaxed if i coudl have other scandinavians there, to share the "coffee culture" with, get drunk sometimes, go to movies, a game etc

My wife's brother lives in Phoenix, AZ. Apparently alL the locals say it doesn't matter if it's 50°C in the summer "cause it's a dry heat". Dry heat my ####.

[jaycali 415]

I now just wrote an review, and guys it was the most easiest thing ever. Since i didnt knew the bus transport i walked, i got up like 6 in the morning on the hotel (after a stressfull night of gettign lost in stockholm and manage to lock myself up in the reseption area, but thats another story) as i said i walked it took my like 20 minutes but when you are listening to music it seems it take much shorter time. AROUND 6:30 i found a 7-eleven and bought coffee and cigarettes and walked to the pier and watched the sunrise while i was listening to the swedish news haha pretty epic huh? I even had i got there around 7 but the guard told me to go get some food at this one coffee place nearby, so i sat there and had a new cup of coffee and another cigarette, and killed some time.When i got back at 8 there was a huge ###### line, and i was oh ####, but the guard told me to stay in the IMMIGRATION LINE, there was another girl there in front of me, so everything went superfast, the security guards even commented on my black metal music on my mp3 player (since i forgott to turn it off) so we had an interesting music discussion berfore he gave me a number (51) and let me through :)Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities i n scandinavia by my opininon, i simply loved it. I stayed in Gamla stan, (Old town) the entire place is filled with medieval buyidlings and streets. and to get that extra "hell yeah swedish feeling" put this on your ipod or mp3 player if you like metal.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzCTVQkmGqMGood luck guys :)i guess i will leave to the states around mid july

Gratulerer! One question!? That's amazing to hear!

[Bornie 0]

Gratulerer! One question!? That's amazing to hear!

What amazed me was that they hardly looked at the paper i gave them, they were like " Oh ok.." i had to put 25 stamps on the envelope, that was the only thing that took some time.

[Jilianne 1]

Congratulations! When are you heading to Arizona?

[Bornie 0]

Congratulations! When are you heading to Arizona?

Gonna try to get there in the middle of july. It would be so awesome to meet up with some scandinavians during the summer, had some beers and just hang out.

do you have any idea when your "husband" is coming over?

Edited June 19, 2012 by Bornie

[Jilianne 1]

Gonna try to get there in the middle of july. It would be so awesome to meet up with some scandinavians during the summer, had some beers and just hang out.

do you have any idea when your "husband" is coming over?

He'll probably be over in September or October. I'll still be in Finland until the middle of July, then I have to go home, find a job and get us a place to live before he can move because I just graduated from college. I honestly thought this process was going to take a lot longer than it did, I had no idea he'd have his visa before I even went back home

A meet up would be great, too bad everybody lives so far apart. We'll probably be in the St. Petersburg or Tampa, FL area if I can find a job there.

[Juha Pekka 0]

Hello! I'm Jilianne's fiance. Getting ready for my interview in Helsinki in july 2. Heard that it's supposed to be easy but still freaking out some. After getting NOA 2, the process has gone faster than I expected.

As Jilianne said above we are planning to live in FL, i'm curious to see how that heat boils my northern finnish blood

[Mr. Borkström 63]

I'm going to the dentist to have a tooth fixed on July 2nd, we can switch if that makes you feel better.

And despite the fact that virtually every single review I've read about the Stockholm embassy has been very positive, I'm also nervous about the interview. I feel like the interviewing officer will have my life in his(her hands. There shouldn't be any problems, but who knows? I am not taking anything for granted.