I followed my husband from New York to Sweden's coast. The move changed the way I think about life and work.

"About a month later, Ben received a call from an old colleague about a work opportunity at a pizza-and-wine bar in Tylösand, a beach town on Sweden's west coast. As a chef, the experience sounded exciting to him, and we also saw this as our opportunity to try somewhere new. That's why, weeks later, we found ourselves vacuum-sealing most of our clothes, giving away what we didn't need, and subletting our apartment - not knowing how long we'd be abroad."

"A month later, we arrived just in time for Midsommar (and no, not the A24 version). Sweden welcomed us with nearly 18 hours of daylight and wildflowers everywhere. It felt almost too idyllic to be real. After hopping between Boston and New York for nearly a decade, I couldn't believe this had become our new normal. The pace here has completely changed the way I view work. Almost as soon as I arrived, life seemed to slow down."

A Brooklyn apartment fire made burnout feel undeniable and prompted a need for space. A chef's job offer in Tylösand led to packing minimally, subletting the apartment, and moving to Sweden in time for Midsommar. Long daylight hours, wildflowers, and a slower pace recalibrated the nervous system and shifted perspectives on ambition, burnout, and boundaries. Daily life slowed, favorite hobbies resurfaced, and the relationship with work transformed. Despite an upcoming move to Maine, the habits and boundaries formed in Sweden are intended to be preserved moving forward.

Read at Business Insider