Mendel moved for peace and nature
Mendel Yael Braad, her husband and their three children had vacationed in Sweden several times before they made the decision: they wanted to make Sweden their home country. They have now lived in Sweden for about eight months and are enjoying their new everyday life.
“My ten year old son spoke fluent Swedish after just a couple of months. For me, it hasn’t gone quite as fast,” Mendel says with a laugh.
Mendel and her family had visited Skaraborg and their new hometown Tidaholm several times, since a couple of their friends had moved there a few years earlier. What attracted them was the calm and the closeness to nature.
“There is so much less stress in society here. We notice it in many ways. The children are much calmer at school; it’s not as strict and there’s less pressure with homework. And in the grocery store, Swedes put all the items in a neat line—back home in the Netherlands people throw everything on at once, like a mountain!”
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Close to nature
But most important of all is being close to nature.
“We have a two minute walk to the forest! That’s everyday luxury!”
Another reason the family chose to move specifically to Tidaholm in Skaraborg is the proximity to the Netherlands. Since they moved, many family and friends have visited.
“It takes about a day to travel from the Netherlands, which is just right. We expect to go there about once a year, but we also want our friends and family from there to be able to come visit us here.”
Starting with renting a house – but big plans ahead
Mendel’s husband is an engineer working with steel. He worked remotely even when they lived in the Netherlands and has been able to continue doing so in Sweden. Mendel is currently at home with the children to give the family some time to adjust to their new life.
In the long term, however, there are plans to build a guesthouse, a bed & breakfast or something similar. The goal is to welcome guests who, just like the Braad family, seek peace close to nature.
”As Christians, we wish to invite people to find rest and come closer to God in the stillness of nature. It will take some time, but within maybe five years we hope to make our dream a reality. For now we’re renting a house, which is perfect to start with.”
A smooth move between countries
Moving to a new country is of course a big decision, but Mendel says the family doesn’t feel they’ve run into any major problems. There was a lot of planning behind the move, though.
“My advice to anyone considering moving is to prepare well! It takes a lot of planning and you need a bit of patience with certain things. You hear stories about when things don’t go well, but for us everything was easy. As a parent, you always want the children to be well—and our children are happy here!”
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This text has been translated with the help of AI.
