Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow Podcast

The Podcast

Heather and her expat friends discuss their experiences and humiliations among their adopted country of Sweden. We discuss tips, observations, and the type of important questions expats want to know, such as “Why are there witches on Easter?”, “Why do Swedes never take the last piece of candy?” and “Where can I find decent Tex-Mex food?”.
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The Blog

As an American living in Stockholm I’ve had lots of observations and questions about my adopted country of Sweden that I’ve been blogging about since 2009. I talk about the difficulties of finding a job, parenting, and horrible, horrible language mistakes.
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Latest episodes

#137 Making it Through the Winter

Loren, from the Philippines, went from living an ex-pat life in Dubai to a more stable, family life in Sweden. We talk about how many of us suffer from anxiety and depression in the winter and how it’s difficult to learn Swedish when you work in an international company. And if you’re interested in trying … Read more

image shows a bowl of chili

#136 Love Story, Chili & Taxes

John, from Texas, ended up in Sweden by marrying the Swedish foreign exchange student he met long ago.

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#135 Building Northern Dreams with Project Sweden

We talk to the hosts of the popular YouTube channel Project Sweden. Mimi from The Netherlands and Derrick from Texas.

Latest Posts

image shows person lounging under sun umbrella in the snow

5 Essential Tips for Surviving the Swedish Winter

It’s that time of year again. The “days” are dark and shorter, the coat is thicker, and we’ve already had our first snowfall. Living here for over 24 years, I’ve learned a lot about how to make it through the long, dark winters. So, if you’re new to Sweden or just need some survival tips, … Read more

image shows sign advertising a pumpkin spice manicure and pedicure

Pumpkin Spice has gone too far

On a recent trip to Dublin, I spotted this sign in a spa window:

image shows comment feed on Facebook discussing whether kids can trick or treat in a Swedish neighborhood

The Annual Halloween Confusion

And so it begins again. The annual confusion over the correct day for Swedes to celebrate Halloween. This is just a sample from our neighborhood online group. Allow me to translate:  -Can kids go on Halloween and ring on private people’s doors October 31st? -Yes, anyone that has a lit pumpkin in front of their … Read more