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Life in Sweden

Grona Lund and Stockholm from the water

A Bit Overdue: Thoughts on Travel, Home, Repatriation, Saying Goodbye, and Beauty

August 27, 2018 By Jodi

A couple weeks ago we passed our one-year repatriation anniversary. Not coincidentally, a couple weeks ago we got back from our summer trip to England and Sweden. We had a lovely time, and I'll sneak some pictures in here to add visual excitement to what will most likely end up a rambling stream of tired,...

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Boy walking in woods with Fjallraven backpack

Repatriation: Some Thoughts

November 13, 2017 By Jodi

Most of my posts over the last six months have been about how overwhelming and difficult our international move was. (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C.) But now that we've been here for nearly three months and finally received our stuff (two-and-a-half months after it left Sweden!), it's starting to feel like the move is over....

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Boy running through the woods in evening light

On Overwhelm

May 31, 2017 By Jodi

In 2014, we moved to Sweden and we had our second child, Leif. Having a baby and moving internationally in the same year was incredibly stressful, and I vowed not to do it again. Well, it's 2017, I had a baby a few months ago, and we're preparing to move back to the US. That thing...

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Multnomah Falls near Portland, Oregon

A Huge Announcement

May 18, 2017 By Jodi

So, I have something to tell you.

Farmer releasing cow from barn

A Wonderfully Quirky Swedish Spring Tradition

May 8, 2017 By Jodi

In my last post, I wrote about a rather sedate spring tradition in Sweden. This weekend, we attended one of the quirkiest traditions we've heard of: the spring cow release, or kosläpp.

Boys sweeping the street

Life in Sweden: Community Cleaning Days

May 4, 2017 By Jodi

Now that spring has (finally!) come to our part of Sweden, communities are having their biannual fixardagar or städdagar (fixing days or cleaning days). Most communities, be they neighborhoods, marinas, apartment or condo associations, or parent-cooperative preschools, have a day in the spring (and another in the fall) when members of the community get together to do whatever...

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August in pink pants

Raising Gender-Neutral Kids in Sweden

April 20, 2017 By Jodi

Last Thursday, when I arrived at school to pick up the boys before the long weekend, Leif was wearing a hot pink skirt over his pants. They'd done some dress-up for Easter and he hadn't taken off the skirt yet. When I commented on it ("I love your pink skirt!"), he seemed pleased and proud, then continued to...

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Listening to the nurse at baby's first home visit

A Great Thing Sweden Does For New Babies (and Their Families)

March 20, 2017 By Jodi

I remember the first time we went to the pediatrician when August, our first, was born. It was within the first week of leaving the hospital, and it was our first excursion out of the house with the baby. It took us at least thirty minutes to get ready—we had to pack the diaper bag, get...

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Making friends as an adult in the US and Sweden, two women hiking

Making Friends As An Adult in the US and Sweden

February 24, 2017 By Jodi

I've been thinking a lot about relationships—particularly friendships—as part of my happiness project these last few months. It's also something I think about as an immigrant living in a foreign country. I have been blessed to have some of the very best friends in the world, but, unfortunately, they all live an ocean—or an ocean and a...

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Fire outside cafe making for a cozy Swedish winter

Winter in Sweden: the Basics

December 15, 2016 By Jodi

It's time to talk about winter in Sweden. A while back I wrote about summer in Sweden, essentially saying that it's like heaven. And winter? Well, winter can feel like the opposite; or if not quite like hell, then rather like a long, slow slog uphill through waist-deep snow in the dark with clouds covering...

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About Jodi

I just repatriated from Sweden to the US with my British husband and three young kids. I started this site while living in Sweden to build the conversations and community we've had with loved ones around the world, and to create a space to share thoughts about life, beauty, motherhood, and everything else. read more →

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Recent Posts

The Surprising Uses of Melancholy: Watercolor Painting and Reading Poetry

April 9, 2019 By Jodi 1 Comment

Watercolor flatlay

I may have mentioned that I went through a spate of melancholy recently. 😉 The good news it that I'm through it; the better news is that I got a lot out of it.

Are You Willing to Pay More to Shop Locally?

December 5, 2017 By Jodi 1 Comment

Shirts hanging in small shop

Here's a pertinent question for the holiday season: do you prefer to shop at locally-owned stores rather than big box stores or online? If so, are you willing to pay a higher price to do so? We lucked out in that our new town, Corvallis, has a great downtown and is plush with locally-owned stores....

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Happiness Project: Focus Areas

September 1, 2016 By Jodi 4 Comments

hands-holding-sparklers

A few weeks ago I wrote about starting a happiness project. I'm putting together a mini-project to begin next week (I would have preferred September 1, but after our recent transatlantic trip I'm a bit behind). For reasons I'll share later, a six-month project fits my life better than a year-long one, so I'm going to start by...

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Sailor Moon and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

October 21, 2016 By Jodi 1 Comment

Red converse sneakers

Today I'm thrilled to share this story by my dear friend Laura. I met Laura in the first months I moved to Los Angeles, and she's been a treasured friend since the day I met her. Laura is the ultimate go-to for how to do anything involving sewing, crafting, drawing, or starting creative projects, and has the best historical...

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About Dear Sabrina

Welcome! Dear Sabrina is a lifestyle blog for the thinking woman (and man, if men read lifestyle blogs). I hope that visiting this site gives you something to think about, makes you laugh, or shows you something new. If you want to further connect, find me on one of networks below or send an email.
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