2025 was our first full year in Sweden after the "Great Transatlantic Move of 2024." And it was a full year indeed of Swedishness and adventures. But the year also featured a trip to Legoland California and a visit to Legoland in Denmark (Why? Some things don't have a good explanation). We bid farewell to 2025 while skiing in the dark winter skies of Sweden and welcomed 2026 with fresh optimism.
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Jackie (38) started 2025 with a new job as a pattern drafter at H&M headquarters in downtown Stockholm. She loves her job, her colleagues, and perhaps most of all her lifestyle. Scandinavia is famous for its work-life balance, and Jackie is taking full advantage of it. She enjoys her alternating yoga and CrossFit class offered by H&M, scouting out the tastiest restaurants in Stockholm, and exploring Europe. She and Dane visited Paris, and of course, ate themselves silly on French cuisine.
Dane (35) completed his “Viking baptism" by bathing in open water every month of the year (Fun fact: the water is really cold in the dead of winter). Dane was in the US a lot this year, completing a film about the Great Salt Lake crisis, which is finally in post-production and will be released in 2026! He hosted a "Hot Ones Challenge" for his coworking space in Stockholm and enjoyed a bit too much making his Swedish colleagues cry over hot sauce. Dane released his first app on the App Store, with several more apps in the works for 2026.
Alfa (10) reached the decade milestone! While her parents are in shock over the double digits, Alfa is full of energy and imagination. She effortlessly navigates three languages (Swedish, Danish, and English) during her visits to the US and Denmark. Alfa writes and draws almost constantly. She even wrote her own chapter book. When she isn't absorbed reading books, Alfa likes her choir class, playing foursquare, and is looking forward to starting musical theater classes.
Cruz (7) hit the year where he started losing teeth on what seemed like a weekly basis. Naturally, the gaps in his smile led Cruz and his dad to make an episode for their film series, Cowboy Cruz, every time he lost a tooth. Cruz enjoys playing soccer, drawing, and onewheeling. He is also smitten with reading. His favorite books are "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and the Swedish series "Handbook for Superheroes".
