Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow

Follow Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

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…

Heather Jonasson


    • May 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 25m AVG DURATION
    • 143 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow

    #144 Happy Cinco de Mayo from Sweden

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 33:36


    To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, we talk to Nannette, a Dietician from Mexico!

    #143 Familiar but Foreign

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 29:48


    Do you feel more at home in your new country, your old country, or neither one? We discuss growing and evolving in a different culture.

    #142 Thriving in a New Culture

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 30:03


    Jackie, from Barbados, works with training and coaching people living in a new culture.

    #141 Living Fully as an Expat

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 24:08


    Fanny talks about a special course she is running that deals with the challenges people face as immigrants living abroad.

    #140 I Like Cookies

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 40:56


    Kimberly, from Houston, talks about the + and - of living in Sweden, dating culture in TX, language mistakes & why we celebrate Black History Month

    #139 Enjoying Green Spaces    

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 25:34


    Burak, from Turkey talks about enjoying the reserved lifestyle in Sweden with yoga, meditation and green spaces.

    138 Did You Say Swindon or Sweden?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 29:43


    Dean originally thought he was moving to Swindon, not Sweden. But it all worked out for the best! Starting in Norrköping and ending up in Stockholm, he now runs his own business and spends time wondering why everyone in Sweden wears black in the winter.

    #137 Making it Through the Winter

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 32:13


    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

    #136 Love Story, Chili & Taxes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 23:39


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

    #135 Building Northern Dreams with Project Sweden

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 36:37


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

    #134 Navigating Swedish Language with a Side of Humor

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 29:19


    Sarah, from Australia, is involved in publishing books around Swedish language and culture and how people, mainly non-native Swedes, experience that. She also has the best tip for surviving the darkness of November. To explore what books are available at Lys, just visit their site here: https://www.lysforlag.com/?lang=en

    #133 Forging a Life in Sweden

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 27:22


    Mike, from Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, never imagined he would live his life as a blacksmith in Sweden, but here he is! We talk about learning the craft and how it's hard to learn Swedish when everyone wants to practice their English with you.

    #132 The Importance of Having Seasons

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 36:53


    Laurie is from Scotland and lives in Börlänge. We chat a bit about the metal scene in Dalarna, the awesome event venue of Dalhalla, and pros and cons of the Swedish school system. Read more

    #131 How Do Pop Tarts Work

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 40:38


    We talk to Luisa, from Brazil, about moving during a pandemic, Swedish mannerisms, working in July and how pop tarts can be very complicated.

    #130 Not Everyone Eats Jam With Meatballs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2024 37:24


    This episode, Annapurna from India talks about moving with a dog, passive aggressive Swedes, food culture and wine etiquette in Sweden.

    #129 From Valborg Fires to Friendly Faces

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2024 47:52


    It's a two for one special today! We've got Lee and Alan, both from the UK. We chat about Valborg, defend Systembolaget and share some tips on meeting people through […]

    #128 Diving into Sweden

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 42:38


    Today, we talk to Maisie, from Malaysia, about scuba diving in Sweden, learning the language, and we take a deep ‘dive' into some Swedish word meanings!

    #127 Sad Norwegian Sandwiches

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 31:17


    New season, old voices! We question whether Finland is actually the happiest country, talk about solo camping and whether we feel like we belong in Sweden, or if we are in constant limbo.

    #126 Summer Stories Part Two

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2023 21:11


    We're talking to some of our guests from this past spring. We hear a bit about exploring the viking island...

    #125 Summer Stories Part One

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 14:14


    In this special summer edition, we find out how former guests Adam from Australia, Matteo from Argentina and Diana from Latvia spend their summers, both in Sweden and around the world.

    #124 Attack of the Giant Potato

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2023 20:05


    Today we chat with Ben, who works in comedy, about living in part-time in Linköping, voiceover work, and making a film about all the big things in the small towns across Sweden.

    #123 This is Week 22

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2023 16:51


    Justin moved around from Colorado to Louisiana to Seattle and finally to Sweden. And what does he find the strangest? Week numbers!

    #122 The Suburbs of Copenhagen

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2023 25:28


    Steph lives in Malmö, but is originally from London. We discuss living in the south of Sweden, falafels, and startups.

    #121 Living Your Best Life

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023 20:37


    Karan, originally from India, has worked as a sous chef in Stockholm with some very well-known chefs. We obviously get some restaurant tips and learn why he hates putting raisins in lussekatter.

    #120 Rebel WITH a Cause

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 20:12


    Before starting a life in Sweden, Naoko, from Japan, had already done a lot.

    #119 Maybe Means No

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2023 20:31


    Marco, from Italy, talks to us about Swedish house parties and importing Italian wine.

    #118 Sister Act

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 22:47


    This week we talk with two sisters who moved to Stockholm, both with very different journeys. And they both happen...

    #117 My First Latvian

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 26:57


    Diana is most people's first Latvian. And the podcast's first Latvian as well! She talks to us about dating in Sweden, Latvians around the world and more!

    #116 Swedish Malicious Compliance

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2023 20:41


    Adam from Australia shares his suspicion of ice cream trucks that operate in the winter. What is really going on there?

    #115 Belonging

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 20:52


    Matteo is from so many countries that we lost count. He talks to us about his international journey and the importance of belonging.

    #114 Holidays Around the World

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 29:08


    on 4 guests about how they celebrate the holidays where they come from: Egypt, Manchester, Cape Cod, Sri Lanka, Essex and France.

    #113 The Trouble With Visas

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 24:33


    Today’s episode was recorded remotely, but not for the usual reason. This time our guest, Sheona, got deported! She gives...

    #112 Meatballs for Every Occasion

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2022 18:58


    Ameury from France wants to know why the same food is served for every Swedish holiday.

    #111 Brexpat

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 27:44


    We talk to Luke from Essex in the UK about southern Sweden, Halloween and All Saints Day.

    #110 Waterproof

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 24:10


    Vajeen is from Sri Lanka and wanted to move to another country. His wife wanted Australia, but they ended up in the opposite hemisphere.

    #109 Remember to Get Insurance

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 19:51


    A quarter-life crisis led Adam to leave the Cape Cod America dream to find out what Europe had to offer.

    #108 Is There a Blue One?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 21:36


    Grace, from Manchester, tells us about her first Midsommar experience and being repeatedly overrun by bicycles.

    #107 Reindeer and Strawberries

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2022 22:45


    Mustafa, from Egypt, talks to us about warm countries vs cold countries, Egyptian cotton, and discovering new careers.

    #106 Trapped in Paradise

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 27:37


    Diego returns for the season finale! We discuss which is easier – moving to Sweden or New Zealand? Also, co-living...

    #105 Welcome to the Sourdough Hotel

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 28:45


    Johanna is a former tour guide from Hungary that now lives in Sweden. Today she shares her views on Hungarian paprika, Stockholm's sourdough hotel, and why Sweden is good when it comes to banking but not when installing bathroom pipes.

    #104 The Book of Icelanders

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2022 16:31


    Anna is from the land of no McDonalds and no mosquitos - otherwise known as Iceland!

    103 Caviar Every Saturday

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2022 24:08


    Oystein, from our neighbor Norway, explains some differences between our two countries. Plus, Valborg plans.

    #102 The Price of Piggelin is Too Damn High

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2022 12:42


    Jeremy from the U.S. talks about working remote and living outside of Stockholm. Plus, we get a tip on a place called Dog Island.

    #101 Gravel in My Shoes

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2022 17:08


    Anna, from the Netherlands, took an analytical approach when deciding to live in Sweden. Pros: good work/life balance. Cons: You often have gravel in your shoes.

    #100 We're Going to Have a Meeting About the Meeting

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 27:09


    Malcolm from Sydney, Australia, gives us some tips on how to reinvent ourselves when starting over in a new country. Also, why do Swedes need so many meetings?

    # 99 Swedish History – More than just Vikings

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2022 30:53


    We chat with the hosts of A Flatpack History of Sweden about history and Swedish problems.

    sweden swedish vikings swedish history
    #98 An Immigrant in New Zealand

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2022 21:34


    Diego says enough of this darkness and ice. It’s time to move to New Zealand.

    #97 Taking the High Nose

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 25:21


    was living in Manhattan when she met her future husband during a vacation in Sweden. Three kids later, they now reside in the west coast town of Höganäs.

    #96 All Things Swedish and Scottish

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 22:30


    We talk to Lee from Scotland about kilts, dogs, vegetarian haggis and his frustration with Estrella chips.

    #95 Warming up by the TV Fireplace

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2021 43:37


    This week's ice and snow podcast guest, Bokani, is from Zimbabwe. You think pronouncing Swedish is hard? Try Ndebele! Also, why is blood pudding still a thing?

    #94 The Best Thing About Sweden is Pastry Traditions

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 39:37


    Our guests today are from France, with a side of American. We talk winter and Lucia gear for kids, how to beat seasonal depression and getting your medical needs online.

    Claim Life in the Land of the Ice and Snow

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel