Adventures & Moments

Let’s start with the obvious—the weather! Sweden’s winters are just as brutal as Canada’s, especially if you live in the north like we did. I remember stepping into my first Canadian winter and thinking, Oh, I got this! Sweden had already toughened me up.

💡 Key takeaway? If you’ve survived a Swedish winter, Canada’s cold won’t shock you. The secret? Layer up, invest in good boots, and embrace the snow life!

Ahh, taxes! This one didn’t shock me at all. If you’ve lived in Sweden, you already know about high taxes. In fact, Sweden is one of the highest-taxed countries in the world. So when I started working in Canada and saw my pay slip with deductions for EI (Employment Insurance) and CPP (Canada Pension Plan)—I was like, Oh, just another day in tax land!

If there’s one skill Sweden forced me to master, it’s independent problem-solving.

During my master’s program, my professors loved sending my assignments back with a “Redo and resubmit” feedback.  And the worst part? They wouldn’t tell me what to fix! 😭 The only solution? Do more research and figure it out.

That mindset followed me to Canada. Now, before I ask questions, I make sure I do my research first. If I can’t find the answer after digging through the first 10 pages of Google, then I ask for help (yeah, adjusts my research pro max cap),. Trust me, this skill is a lifesaver in any new country!

Sweden and Canada have very different lifestyles!

In Sweden:

• Want an apartment? Get on a waitlist.
• Need to see a doctor? Take a number.
• Moving into the country? Wait 3 months because it’s summer and the staff is on vacation! 🤯

I remember being so frustrated when I had to wait 3 months just to register my residency in Sweden because the person handling my case was on summer break. And don’t get me started on giving birth—when I was pregnant, I was told most doctors were on vacation and that I might have to be flown to another city for delivery just in case there was need for it😳

Coming to Canada? What a relief! Walk-in clinics exist, and if you have money, you can get an apartment in days. No long waitlists, no endless queuing—just efficiency! 

When I moved to Sweden, cooking was a struggle. Translating ingredients, figuring out substitutes, and dealing with little access to Nigerian food? Definitely not my favourite memory. My first few meals? Let’s just say…a total mess, but shout out to my man for always trying all my meals and encouraging me #ManLikeMyBaey😅

Eventually, I figured out how to work with the ingredients and got creative in the kitchen. On days when I wanted a break from cooking, we explored other cuisines like Indian, Chinese, and Thai—and to be fair, they were absolutely delicious!

Moving to Canada? Game changer! 🇨🇦

• Nigerian restaurants exist! 🎉
• Ingredient confusion = almost zero.
• Food variety is incredible!

Recently, we went to a Nigerian restaurant and had Ofada rice, fried yam & stew, Jollof rice, and fried fish. I nearly shed a tear of joy! 😭 Sweden could never give me this!

Btw, peep some of my kitchen slays below, don't worry the messy ones are not there😂

Sweden was where we built our foundation—our marriage, our careers, and our first steps into parenthood while Canada is where we’re growing and expanding on that foundation.

There were tough moments, challenges, and so many learning curves. But looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve been lucky to live in two of the top-ranked countries in the world, and for that, I’m grateful. 🙏🏽

If you made it this far—thank you for reading! 💋 Don’t forget to drop a comment if you’ve had a similar experience or share this with someone moving abroad! Until next time… 😘