ohhhh America

ohhhh America the land of plenty!

It is true that "There is no place like home" and after receiving my 2 wonderful care packages from my loving family, this proved even more to be true.

If home is where the heart is then home is also the land of Target, Starbucks, and Taco Bell, Peanut butter!

After being away from home for almost 3 months and trying to absorb as much of the Swedish culture as possible...I would say it's fair that I’ve become a little homesick.

So I’ve come up with a few of my favorite things about America that the Swede's don’t know they are missing: (In no particular order)

1. Delectably delicious flavored coffee at Starbucks

2. The always fashionable yet affordable and modern Target - where I can shop for hours and hours and hours...

3. No don’t be fooled Sweden DOES have Peanut butter but its comparison to American PB is that of crushed up peanuts, blehh!

4. Doritos-the very best of flavored tortilla chips...Nacho Cheese, Ranch, and Spicy Buffalo! Ohh My!

5. Recording of TV shows, Americans don’t waste their time downloading we have a Tivo/Dvr!

6. I miss my Blackberry!!! Although Sweden does have many similar phones to the Blackberry, there is nothing better than the Real thing!

7. The open and vast environment of American Shopping Malls and the exciting energy inside of them.

8. I love "The Holidays" in the US because of the crazy and over the top decorations and celebrations that come along with them.

9. Swede's do have delicious candy but they have NOTHING like Skittles! The hard yet chewy fruity candy that comes in a zillion flavors!

10. "One stop shop and Everyday low prices" are not as easily and commonly found as in America - i.e. Walmart, Target, Costco, Safeway, OfficeMax...

11. The seemingly endless aisle of the grocery store where the many of outrageous types and flavors of cereal can be found.

12. Doughnuts- ohhhhh doughnuts what more is there to say? Chocolate, sugar, and maple....Sweden has many tasty Danish's but what about the Doughnuts?

13. Victoria’s Secret a girl’s best friend to making every outfit look sensational.

14. Taco Bell where you eat any meal for under $5.

15. The high standards and expectations that have been set for customer service in US, where the customer knows best.

16. BIG trucks and SUVS where you can fit all of your friends while towing a camping trailer or boat, that always guarantee a good time!

17. Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and American Eagle - their trendy and fashionable clothes won’t break your bank.

18. Business that are open 12hrs a day where you can buy a new pair of shoes, go grocery shopping and get a massage all after 6pm!

19. Department stores like Nordstrom and Macy's where you can walk-in in sweat pants and walk out with beauty and style make over practically for free!

20. Gum - big packs, small packs, and even car packs. In every shape, size, color, and flavor you can imagine!

…These are just a few of my favorite things…

It's true! That's me sporting Doritos (Family size) in Sweden, haha!

A day of my life, living in Sweden...

So I know many of you are curious of what exactly I’ve been doing here and how I spend my days, so here you go!


A Day in the life of Ashley Abroad


10am-Wake up! Make some coffee (I know some of you will hate me for this, but you should know how much I love my sleep!)


10:30-Watch one of my downloaded shows for about an hour. They only thing on Swedish TV at this time are re-runs of Days of Our Lives, blahhh!


11:30-Switch to Swedish TV (7th Heaven or The Ellen Show, re-runs of course) and then start the search for any new jobs that have been posted. Depending on my luck and happiness level I search for 1 or 2 hrs.


1:00- Shower and clean up a bit


1:45- Lunch time! And maybe a show for fun!


2:30- Time for homework and or errands


3:30- Either go out (downtown) or think about what’s for dinner???


5:00-Start making some dinner


5:30-Erik is home!


6:00- Dinner time, mums!


6-12pm- anything could happen! haha


Now I know what you are thinking, it's not the most exciting or glamorous of lives. But I feel very lucky to be here in Sweden and even though these are very ordinary things that I’m doing on average, they are kind of adventurous for me. At the risk of sounding sappy, it's all worth it to be here and get to see Erik every night.

Plus, when I am out and about I get to see awesome and beautiful things like these:


I L-O-V-E it!

On my way to being a Desperate Housewife

Who knew moving to Sweden would turn me into some type of Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, and or Brie Hodge/Susan Meyer prodigy?

Lets begin with all the yummy things I've made:

1. Veterbrod (Swedish coffee bread)

2. Corn Chowder

3. Cinnamon Apple cake

4. Spicy Chilli

5. Spinach Bacon Quiche

6. Salami, Olive, Mushroom Pizza

7. Beef Stroganoff

8. Beef Tacos with Guacamole

9. Twice Backed Potatoes

10. Minestrone Soup

11. Mexican Omelet

12. Swedish Crepes

13. Chicken Parmesan

13. Pesto filled chicken

14. Cinnamon raisin granola

15. Spaghetti with Meat sauce

16. Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

17. Tortilla Soup

ect ect...

Those are just the ones that I remember and yes they were all homemade from scratch....if I do say so myself! (i'm not bragging at all, haha)

Now onto more of this housewife business-

Lets talk about the odd and somewhat random joy i've been getting out of vacuuming twice a week and doing the laundry once a week. Not to mention interior organization, but let's be honest i've always enjoyed that! Then there is the constant candle burning and dusting that are both joyful everyday occurrences.

At first my grocery store adventures were somewhat panic stricken with the language barrier to fault. But now they are more of challenges which I happily accept. Like how to find the proper or similar ingredients for my American recipes. Also, what new items to take and chance and try out! I must say chocolate oat milk is quite tasty!

Then comes the next housewife challenge - the actual cooking of the goods. The measurement and temperature conversions can sometimes be a bit of a science experiment and only once have they gone south.

So after all of this I think I would make an "Underbart" contestant for The Real Housewives of GBG, dont you think?

sooo its been a while: My thoughts on Sweden

Hej everyone!

So sorry I kind of forgot that I had a blog, but now im back!

Here are some of the things that i've noticed about Sweden:

1. In almost every home window you will see a lamp and a plant and or one or the other...but ALWAYS a lamp and or a plant.

2. They like to flavor most things with curry, chilli, or black licorice

3. They all love to brag about how good Swedish candy is

4. Most Swedes are very modest about themselves

5. They tend to be stand-offish until you get to know them, but once you do they are good friends!

6. They also have fat and stupid people just like all countries, so dont let them fool you

7. Swedish has many simularities to English - although they tend to talk a little backwards at times.

8. Swedes often learn British English - which can be quite fun when talking to them!

9. When talking to one another they tend to talk somewhat fast and not as loud as Americans. (Sometimes i wonder how they hear eachother)

10. They have a fun, but some what dry sense of humor

11. They like to have fun, drink, and be merry

12. They can consume large amounts of alcohol with out it even fazing them

13. Not everyone has blonde hair and blue eyes

14. They can still think its hot when its 60F outside

15. They make the best pastries

16. They love thier tea and coffee

17. They are much further advanced than Americans with equality

18. They are also much much further advanced with being green

19. They are constantly talking about the weather

20. They love to worship the sun

21. In retail and grocery stores you can often see them handeling merchandise with gloves.

22. They have funnest colors for houses...Red, Yellow, & Blue...

23. Something from Volvo, Ericsson, Ikea and H&M you will find in every Swedish household

24. The words slim, thin and narrow best describe the fit of swedish apparel

25. They like fizzy water

26. Thier wiener dogs are really really hairy

27. As a part of Swedish etiquette you should always remove your shoes when entering someones house. (I always forget this)

28. They LOVE nature

29. They are more worldy than most Americans could ever be

30. They have the most and the best interior design stores i've ever seen

ahhhh ok! I think 30 was a good start to my list, i hope you enjoyed them! However, there are so many more. I am constantly inspired by the Swedish view of life!

"as if Facebook and Twitter aren't enough..."

So after careful thought and consideration I have decided to start my very own blog. Not only because it's a very Swedish/European thing to do, but because just maybe I have certain aspirations for it.

I want my friends and family be able to follow me in my everyday Swedish life...as if Facebook and Twitter aren't enough! But I also have been thinking about exploring my creative side through this blog as well.

Fashion Finds

With only 1 short week under my belt in Sweden, I find myself everyday taking notice to Swedish Fashion and how it is unlike anything that I'm used to. There is a certain riskiness to it that in indescribable, an uncommon pairing and matching of color, texture, and pattern that is somehow beautiful. So the plan is from time to time to share my thoughts on this...since after all Fashion is something that I know!

Daily Discovery

Yummmmm -Ananas Split! It like a chocolate covered pineapple Popsicle with ice cream on the inside. One word...Delish!

Ohhhhhh yaa Say Hej Hej! to my little friend Bubbles!

-xo