I've never been to Sweden, and don't believe in it either. And he's just sitting in a room here. Could be a cheap hotel room in Newcastle, NSW, for all I know. Though I don't believe Australia is real either, because I haven't been there, but I couldn't do so, because it's a fairytale. He's from England, that's real for sure. Probably a cheap hotel in Gateshead.
I kinda get what you're saying; I was born in Texas but my mom was from Sweden; she taught me Swedish early on, but due to a lot of turbulent events growing up I didn't go to Sweden until I was 24. My mom had told me so much about Sweden, shown me pictures and so on, but it felt like some sort of fairy tale land and I was sure she exaggerated a lot, but once I traveled to Sweden that first time it was all exactly like I imagined it, and I was stunned. At that time I had just graduated from West Point and this being not long after 9/11 had a massive impact on what my career and life would turn into as a fresh officer which made it hard to think about anything aside from what it would be like to go to an actual warzone and as anyone who have been deployed in a warzone knows you sort of live outside of the rest of the world, your unit and your mission becomes your world, but something moved me deeply that summer and it always stayed in the back of my mind. It was over a decade before I got a chance to go back to Sweden, this time in the winter, and I thought this would give me a reality check to make me realize it wasn't just amazing, but I only fell in love with the country more. Add another almost ten years and I was now retired from the Army and working as a consultant, which I really hated and I couldn't imagine being happy with a job like that for another 20 years. It turned out that relatives in Sweden had passed away, relatives who were farmers; no one in the family wanted to take over the farm so it was to be put on the market. After researching further I understood that the farm had been in my family since the 18th century and it was a tragedy that it were to be sold. I got a crazy idea and after talking to my wife we decided to change our lives entirely and move to Sweden to become farmers. We moved here 9 years ago and while being a farmer certainly isn't a walk in the park and takes so much more will, skills, persistence and hard work than I could ever have imagined, even after spending 13 of my years in the army as a Ranger officer, but it was easily the best decision I've ever made. Yes, there are flaws in Sweden, nowhere is absolutely perfect, but out of all the countries I've been to, and judging by what I've learned about others, I find it hard to come up with anywhere I'd rather live. So many of the issues that seem insurmountable in America are just not an issue at all here, people are friendly in a self deprecating way that's almost unheard of in the US, the nature is amazing and the dramatic shifting of the seasons makes you appreciate every part of the year in a special way. Right now, in the summer it's almost hard to imagine that in a few months there will be deep snow, freezing cold and just a few hours of sunlight, but even the deepest, coldest winter has it's special magic. Hope you enjoy your time here to the fullest!
Wow, what an amazing story! And what a good deed to keep the farm in the family! Absolutely incredible. You don't happen to have a page where you tell more about this journey? I live in an old cottage (with a few acers of land) from the 16th century. One day someone from a neighbouring city called and said that a 30 year old man from the USA had discovered them as relatives. He flew from Chicago to Sweden to meet them. And it happened so that his great great ....great grandmother was born in my cottage in 1840 and lived here for 10 years. I welcomed them for a visit. At this time I was renovating the cottage and had got rid of all the modern renovations that previous owners had made. It was in that state that his great great grandmother probably had recognized everything. The guy was in ecstasy - for the first time he had rooted in his past and he could even experience what home and living his ancestors had left for America.
@@Baldershemlighet Jamen det här är ju också en väldigt fin historia! Genom din berättelse känner man att besökaren "bokstavligen" blev rörd in i rötterna. Och så blev jag också glad för det som du berättar om stugan, som fick bli autentisk igen. Jag bor uppe i Norrland och här är det många övergivna hus som gör mig ledsen. Man kan fortfarande se hur de har varit fullt med liv en gång i tiden, men nu har de bara drömmarna kvar... Så tack så mycket för ditt inlägg! PS: Jag blir nog väldigt nyfiken på "Balders hemlighet"! ;-)
Jag bodde i Stockholm i ett par månader per år, 2016-2019. Det saknar jag väldigt mycket och jag ser fram emot åka tillbaka. Och nästa gång tänker jag vara förberedd för att prata med andra på svenska!
@@Saandy_ vill tillägga att det är en myt att man inte får börja en mening med "och" eller "men" Kanske ska det undvikas att göras alltför ofta. Men din prosa blir väldigt platt och tråkig om du har för många regler du tror du måste följa.
Han frågade inte efter er hjälp. Sluta poängtera stav- och grammatikfel. Det kan uppfattas väldigt störande. Vi kan alla förstå vad han skriver! Om jag skulle få kommentarer på min engelska hela tiden så skulle jag bli jävligt irriterad.
@@brum293 Om ingen sier noe blir det ikke bedre, velkommen til en verden som går fremover. Å bli korrigert er en BRA ting, det hjelper folk å forbedre seg. LÆR noe for en gangs skyld.
@@user-gr5tx6rd4h I live in Stockholm. I know that it's like that in the northern part of Sweden too. And in summer there will never be a sunset. The sun is up all night and day.
@@KarinFiaLeijonmarckThe sun doesn't set earlier and earlier until the end of June. Well, I don't think that's the English phrase you meant because that would mean that it's dark for more and more of the day until midsommar when it's just light the whole day, which obviously isn't what happens. The sun sets earlier and earlier FROM Midsommar until the Winter Solstice which is in January sometime. So basically after January, it's getting gradually lighter for more of the day until June, and then after June it's getting gradually darker until January again.
same thing happened to me 7 months ago. i've been watching your videos for ages, started learning swedish when I was 16, and moved here for uni this year. it feels EXACTLY like this! :D ive never had someone in such a relatable position - learning so much swedish and indulging in the culture online all day, and then ACTUALLY going there. the difference is wild! and speaking to swedes without any difficulty is the best feeling ever :)
I think it's because when you're immersing in a language like Swedish that's so little spoken outside Sweden & Finland, it de-facto does just vanish from your life the second you stop interacting with it. So the language and culture can feel fake, almost like a computer game. So to then go somewhere where even when you're not trying to use it - when you're trying to just go to the supermarket - you encounter Swedish, would suddenly make it all seem so real and worthwhile.
I had the same experience in France. I'm lucky enough to have lived for a year in Paris in the mid-sixties! Paris was exactly like I had dreamed it to be! Amazing!
This was me in Japan. I loved it more than any other place I’d ever been. And my Japanese was good enough to where I didn’t need a word of English when I was there, and I was with a Japanese person who didn’t speak English the whole time. It was so fulfilling to know that all the effort of learning Japanese was completely worth it. The whole situation was just surreal
I am incredibly jealous. I have had probably the opposite experience. I moved to Japan and... found that I couldn't even call myself conversational. It has kind of broken me as a Japanese learner. Even though I live in Japan and love doing so, I have lost my enthusiasm for learning Japanese. It is a source of major disappointment for me, and has felt like I have wasted thousands of hours of time for little reward
@@cadian101st I shouldn't butt into this really but.. well first of all I don't know where in Japan you've migrated to, but isn't there at the very least some expat communities where you can intermingle with the locals? Because I'm 100% positive that there are Japanese people that want to learn English and people like you and them must be a match made in heaven. I had a similar experience coming to Tokyo for 3 weeks this spring, but I simply didn't have enough listening and speech-comprehension training I think. I'd only studied it semi-regularly only using duolingo and nothing else really for something like a year and a few months. Well, except for exclusively watching subbed anime, but that doesn't help nearly as much as you'd think. Anyway, enough about my shit. I know it is probably scary (at least I would feel that way) but I think the whole them learning English and you getting to practice Japanese would be a good fit. That's my best advice I can think of, sorry I don't know a specific organisation or anything to point you towards.
You are funny! You've been like remotely dating the Swedish language for so many years without ever paying it a visit, and now are overwhelmed. Isn't that sweet? You and your pen pal beauty are both cute, man. Congrats and enjoy yourselves. 😂😘
That's such a good description and explanation of how gratifying it is to learn languages! I was in Stockholm for the first time in March and had those same thoughts many times "People are speaking Swedish. Things are written in Swedish. They didn't switch to English. It's so strange this place exists." I really liked that they were patient enough to speak to me in Swedish even though I'm at a beginner level. I think they were just really patient and polite which was awesome. I need to go back soon. I hope you enjoy your time there! It sounds like you might end up moving. 😊
Well, having observed some conversations around me in not-very-good-Swedish, I think what happens if you speak Swedish is: They think you don't speak English, or it's considered rude to ask. There are actually people who speak Swedish (not well), but still better than they speak English, because they're immigrants who have had to spend the last 5 years learning Swedish or whatever. My Uber driver for the airport was like that, I heard a thick Russian accent and actually asked if he preferred English and he was like "No no, I'm terrible at English, use Swedish."
Personer blir allt sämre på svenska särskilt i skrift. På nätet är det helt bedrövligt med alla särskrivningar t.ex. Den nya generationen pratar ofta nån slags "invandrarsvenska" Man måste vara expert på sitt modersmål om man ska kunna tala ett sekundärt språk som engelska. De flesta har jag aldrig hört tala engelska i Sverige även om de säkert förstår det mesta.
Kjære svenske. Dere må for Guds skyld være bevisst verdien av deres eneste land - og kultur. Vite å sette pris på landet deres. Som norsk er det trist å oppleve svensker som er ubevisst om hvor verdifulle dere svenske folk, og deres land er. Dere er våre kjære naboer, så det betyr mye for oss at dere tar vare på det originale og vakre Sverige ! Klem fra Norge
I don't really know why, but this was touching and almost made me cry. It indeed is a very different thing to experience things in person than to learn about it, this motivated me to explore more of the world myself and not just take someones elses word of that something is good or bad, it is the personal experience that shall be cherished.
Glad you got to go to Sweden. A lot of this is very relatable actually; when I went to Poland a few months ago the whole experience felt surreal: The landscapes, seeing Polish everywhere, talking to Polish people irl. Definitely an unforgettable experience.
I had loved Sweden since I was 14 after discovering I have Swedish heritage. I finally went when I was 27 and I felt very similarly, it just seemed so Swedish and surreal. Additionally the fact that even though my spoken Swedish is god awful, the majority of the time I was spoken to in Swedish unless I asked to speak in English. I also found that even in the winter Swedes are extremely kind, they're just introverted (as am I), it was amazing. I have watched you for a while and enjoyed your content a lot, congrats on finally going and experiencing Sweden!
Awesome stuff Lamont! I just had family visit from Denmark, and it does truly make all the language learning effort worth it. I still have a ways to go, but it is an incredible feeling putting it to use! Cheers mate!
This actually happened to me in May in France. It was one of the most fantastic trips of my life. I didn’t see the Louvre, nor the Eiffel Tower, but I experienced the people and their culture in more intimate way than I ever could have imagined. Language learning is so worth it.
I have been learning Swedish and following you for quite some time. I am really glad you finally made it to Sweden and that you are so positively touched by it . I do love Swedish among 4 other languages I speak,so I can relate to your emotions because languages are a huge part of my identity! I am looking forward to seeing how your journey unfolds :) Best regards
Been watching you for ages, I am so happy for you! I got this after studying Swahili for 1.5 years and going to Tanzania, can’t imagine how you feel after all this time and effort! Enjoy yourself in Sweden mate!
Just had this experience as well! Been learning Norwegian for 9 or so months and it's by far the best decision I've made in my life. I've never really experienced the language by sitting in my room, so it was a hell of a fever dream going to Norway like 2 weeks ago. Suddenly I'm surrounded by this language and this culture that I've been learning for so long, and I can actually talk in this language and people can understand me! It sounds very normal like 'yeah it's a language from a country you idiot", but you don't really realise that fully whilst you're learning it if that makes sense. Also to talk about the sun thing, IT'S SO WEIRD. Ofc I know the sun sets later or just doesn't at all, but seeing that in real life? DAMN. Literally everything you said in this video happened to me as well, just in Norwegian and with Norway. The gratification that comes with finally getting the click in your brain is actually an eye-opening experience.
@annicaesplund6613 It depends... You've got to be REALLY good at one of the 3 if you want to understand the other 2. Even I struggle with Norwegian, even though most Swedes just think I'm Swedish... A guy in a bookshop here told me that it took him about a month to learn Danish, which I can understand... but he's Swedish. Essentially, understanding Norwegian is a part of Swedish life in Sweden (and vice versa) but it's not really a part of learning Swedish or learning Norwegian as a foreign language, so it kind of has to be tackled as "its own thing".
@thechameleon2636 the story goes all the way back to high school where I learned about Vlad III (Dracula). I had the opportunity to visit România the first time în 2011 and fell in love with the country. I later learned Romanian and when I went back in 2022, it felt like home for me. It's the most wonderful place in the world and I love the people and their language. (This is a very truncated version of the tale)
@junisvault3157 I briefly answered above, but the short answer is Dracula. I visited România for a short 3 days in 2011 and fell in love with the county. Once I discovered that I could learn the language, I was determined to speak it. Now I've been "adopted" by a Romanian couple who find it amazing that am American would learn Romanian just to understand their culture and history.
As we say: "Jag måste nypa mej i armen, jag tror inte det här är sant!" (I have to pinch my arm, I can't believe this is for real.) I'm so happy for you. Your Swedish is excellent, and you now have got to experience that the language-barrier has disappeared. You were a real individual to those you spoke with, not a foreigner, just a new interesting person to talk with at ease. Many think that Swedes in general speak English so well, that it is no effort for them to do so, but for those who don't daily switch back and forth in a full range of both languages, talking in English is still taking a toll. You search for the right words, and it is frustrating that you don't find them immediately, it is embarrassing that you note that you make mistakes that you actually know that you should avoid, you register the reaction of the listener to your way of speaking, not just to the content of the thoughts you try to conway, and you try hard to understand from the context, if they use expressions that you are not fully familiar with, and you feel like your authentic personality is not shining through your struggling attempts at saying something resembling what you mean, not managing to express excatly what you mean. You have to be generous when you speak a foreign language, and not mind that it kind of deminishes you, and places you outside a level playing field. "Men du får ju bjussa på det!" And we Nordics care very much, in our hearts of hearts, about a level field and equality. I'm so glad for you, Lamont, that you got to experience this state of flow. You have worked so diligently and you so deserve it! All the best wishes for many more meaningful encounters with Swedes and Sweden. Bring your family, asap, so that they may witness what you have accomplished! A virtual hug!
I noticed thinking back on my reply to you, that I used "glad" instead of pleased. In Swedish we have "glad, lycklig, nöjd", and "det gläder mej" - or some everyday expression: va bra, toppen, or, as some of my young relatives say: kanon or shit. But though they resemble English words, they don't mean exactly the same. It is complicated. 🙂Hard even for professional translators.
Well, yeah, notice also that *_I_* said "glad", even though I basically never use that word in English... and I didn't really notice at the time but I did when I was editing it... That was definitely a Swedish translation coming through.
@@daysandwords Yes, *glad* is a very good word in Swedish, because you can be "glad" for something, though you are not "lycklig" in general - and of course I did not notice that you used "glad" in English! Have you incorporated "lagom" and "mysig" as loan-words already, not to forget about "fika" - did you know that fika is simply kaffi (coffee) with the syllables put in the reverse order? As you for sure hear when you listen to Swedish conversations, we have thousands of English loan-words, fejset, racet, BFF (bästis), match, boring, shit, bitch, etc! Some indivduals sport them more than others. Are there some good Swedish words that you would like to hear in frequent use in Australia? Like "hullerombuller" for your kids, perhaps? 🙂
My British (Swedish speaking) colleague and I agree that "jobbigt" is the most useful one... "Passa på" is also quite hard to translate well. Hullerombuller is quite good... My house is generally like that in every room haha.
@@daysandwords Yes, "jobbigt" is beyond "jobbigt att översätta" - "passa på" likewise. We struggle a lot when trying to translate from Swedish to English. With kids in the family, the whole life tends to be "hullerombuller" - hence "Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn" by Astrid Lindgren, who had the language-philosophy that an author needn't simplify the language for children, but should never be condescending. In my phantasy I think she had "Alice in Wonderland" in mind, when she said that. Well, one shouldn't talk about those two in the same month! Such a difference in quality.
It doesn't sound weird at all. This was the most relatable video ever. I learnt a language to reasonable fluency without ever stepping foot in the country. My first time going there, after the pandemic, was just ... just unbelievable. I had pretty much the exact same experience.
It's awesome getting to see an internet stranger you've been following for years achieve their dreams. I had a similar experience in Japan, so I get what you mean. Thank you for all the videos that both inspire and speed up the learning process!
Maybe I should plan a similar kind of trip to the Vatican City. I know that not everyone there speaks Latin even, so it's not the same thing. But, if memory serves the ATM machiens and stuff like that have a Latin option, and many higher-ranking clergy can. Apparently there's even a pizza shop that gives you a free slice if you speak Latin. I deliberately and properly studied Latin for a similar amount of time as you've studied Swedish - about seven to eight years. And for the last three years I've just been using it as part of my PHD research. I started aged 12 so, it always feels really special to me, and I like when I see the language written on monuments or churches and such. So a trip like yours, only to the Vatican, might be a cool experience.
Such a motivating video for my Polish studies! I'm less than 400 hours into my studies, but I hope to be able to experience something similar one day. Vänliga hälsningar från Sverige!
I'm so happy for you! Jag har pluggat svenska i 2,5 år nu. 😀Jag är på A2 nivå, men jag kan inte vänta att prata lite med svanskar (t.e. beställa nagåt på en restaurang, eller fråga om vägen). Jag älskar din motivation 💙💛 Hugs from Poland🤗
@@falkowskaaga1 uczę się na kursie, ale dużo rzeczy robię też sama: aplikacja, podręczniki, książki napisane łatwym szwedzkim, różne filmiki na YT, przeglądam gramatykę itd. A Ty jak się uczysz? 😃
@@sylwias8550 pewnie masz juz takie mocne A2/B1, jak sądzisz? Ja sie ucze wloskiego wylacznie z aplikacjami (jak mam czas to probuje uczyc sie na pamięć czytanek/wywiadów), ale przewaznie uczę się tylko 5-10 minut dziennie. 5-ty miesiąc, na razie jestem mniej wiecej w połowie A1. Chciałabym szybciej ale musze uzbroic sie w cierpliwość, bo nie moge wiecej zrobić w ciągu dnia niz te pare minut.
@@falkowskaaga1 Czuję się na mocne A2. Na pewno więcej rozumiem niż potrafię powiedzieć. Najważniejsza jest systematyczność. Nie przejmuj się tym, że spędzasz 5-10 minut dziennie. Najważniejsze, że robisz to codziennie. Spróbuj włączyć w naukę słuchania piosenek włoskich - Włosi mają piękne piosenki więc taka forma nauki też będzie dla Ciebie przyjemna!
@@sylwias8550 moze faktycznie to jest niezly pomysl z tymi piosenkami. Jestem typowym wzrokowcrm, rozumiem bez problemu to co jest napisane. Ten sam tekst wylacznie odsluchany rozumiem juz duzo gorzej, musze odtwarzac wielokrotnie. Szukam drogi,zeby to ogarnąć
Im absolutely stoked for you dude. I can almost feel what your feeling with how you describe it. I have a feeling I will have this moment when I visit Japan this November. I'll be fufilling a dream I have had since I was 8 years old and I am currently 31.
I’ve been here for a while, as my language learning journey led me here. I was always impressed by your Swedish skills, as a Norwegian personally. And I must say you finally being in Sweden is awesome! Enjoy!! Og selvfølgelig, velkommen til Skandinavia!
Congratulations man, as a second language speaker myself who also had a long language learning journey this is ringing bells. Great to hear your having this fulfilling experience.
The thing that brought this home to me the best, though I'd experienced it to some extent earlier, was my 6 weeks in Brazil. Once you've been somewhere it becomes so much more real to you, and you care about it more when you hear about it in the news, etc.
The experience you're having is very similar to the one I have when I'm in Norway. I think your Swedish is better than my Norwegian (and Norwegian dialects mean I'll never be fluent with everyone) but I can definitely relate to the experience.
This might have just jumped to being my favorite video of yours. Going to get a little cheesy here, but... it's absolutely inspiring. Motivating. Love your honest display of emotion. It really hits home on how meaningful it is to learn another country's language, culture, and heart. Thanks so much for sharing that moment with all of us here on your channel.
So relatable. Makes me feel normal and not-weird, as a 16 year old who fell in love with German and Germany a few years ago and every time I go and visit I just think: am I actually in this country speaking this language and living this life for a week?’ (Because I go and stay with friends). So this is not strange and is actually so relatable and comforting! Totally get it! ❤
That's how a person from Jutland feels when going to Copenhagen. The relief felt when on the return trip you drive up the Great Belt bridge (or into the tunnel if going by train) is immense! 😂
That was me in Greece. I went to Greece and it was like Disneyworld. Even though my Greek wasn’t very good and I needed my friends’ help a lot it was great. I could speak and use the language in person and actually USE it and not fake use it. Every person I met was so great and supportive and friend. An older woman taught me some Greek and was very encouraging. It was great
I haven’t been to Sweden but I’ve been learning Swedish for a while now. I completely imagine when I finally arrive there one day, hearing the language and walking around I’ll share the same surreal experience you describe 😊 I’m very happy for you!
I studied English for 10 years and got a C2 level without ever leaving my country. I even became a Cambridge examiner. The day I went to the UK... It felt like a dream. But I don't even know how to explain it. I arrived like at 3am and it was very cold and humid. Even the smell of that moment is imprinted in my brain. I just cannot forget. I dream about it every now and then.
Félicitations, Lamont! I've bren watching your videos since the beginning, when I was looking for resources to help me learn French. I know the feelings you're describing. So glad you got to have this experience, you deserve it.
For as much as I love every single video you post, this is my new favorite video on your channel. You've worked so hard to bring this vision to life, and now you're here. You made it. I can hear the sincerity in your voice and I hope you're proud of yourself. It's so inspiring to watch, and I can't wait until I have a conversation like this with myself one day. And for what it's worth, I don't think it's crazy at all that you "didn't think Sweden was a real place." Obviously you knew that Sweden existed, but none of us can really claim to "know" the true essence of something unless we experience it ourselves. And it seems like this experience is living up to what you had hoped and more. Cheers man, loved this.
I’m so happy for you! I experienced this when I went to Latin America for the first time while being fluent in Spanish, though it wasn’t as intense because I hear Spanish spoken all the time in the U.S. This inspires me to keep going with polish, because Poland also feels like something that only exists in my imagination right now. I’ve been following you for a while and I’m happy to see your consistency paying off in this way!
Wait, people are speaking to strangers in the street? Are you sure you're in Sweden? 😄 edit: On a more serious note, I wish I could have a journey like yours. I understand it's not free and you put in a lot of work getting to where you are now. It just sounds like a really cool journey to experience.
Specially when swedish system torture children by paralisator to take my flat in stockholm.Sweden lives by robing all their history. Businness with Hitler.
Im honestly glad for you mate, it was the same for me with spain after 3 years learning the language It was somehow better than how i built it up in my mind and one of the best experiences of my life to date Enjoy the rest of your time there! Im sure the fact your conversations are going so well is a brilliant feeling too
Naaah man, it sounds crazy, but I get it. Stuff isn't REAL real until you actually see it in person. Until you can actually experience it yourself, you can't be ACTUALLY sure it exists. And when you spend this much time obsessing about a language, going to a place where it's actually spoken is kinda crazy. Congrats for making it there. Have fun!
This is so moving to hear. Im swedish but learning korean and I can truly imagine me being like this going to Korea some day. Tack för den här berättelsen! Välkommen!
Det här var det mest hjärtevärmande jag sett på länge. Fantastiskt upplyftande att se någon som genomgått något som verkar närmast en uppenbarelse. Kul att du gillade din första tid i Sverige.
You are the sweetest person ever!!❤ thanks for sharing your story and your thoughts! I have traveled the world alone twice but it just feels like home when the weather is unpredictable, the sun never sets and each day is different in length temperature and humidity, you never know what’s gonna happen that day. ❤ Glad you enjoyed it so much, it warms my heart!
Thx for posting this Lamont! I'm with ya brotha... I think that being able to Finally really connect with people and a culture so distant from our own place/experience is so difficult to describe, that you'd need poetry or something to do it justice! Glad to see it's been so impactful already :)
For me, it was similar going to Switzerland after having tried to learn French on my own. It felt like my hobby was suddenly manifested into a real place. It was like if you spent all your time playing Minecraft, and then suddenly one day you're in a world where everyone around you also plays Minecraft as a LIFESTYLE. It's so gratifying that all those hours you spent playing Minecraft, actually turn into a survival skill.
Love this! That is so awesome, I’m glad that you’re getting to truly and deeply enjoy your time in Sweden, effortless conversations and all. What an amazing thing for your first time going to Sweden to line up with this moment in your language journey. 🎉 Congratulations! And what great encouragement for me! Maybe I’ll get there one day too :)
This is beautiful. It was a year of learning before I visited Portugal and I found it strange and magical to be in a place that only existed in RUclips and Netflix. I've only a small idea how intense that would be after seven years.
It was the same thing when I went to the US for the first time, as a swede. Everything I saw on TV during my childhood, there it was, a surreal experience.
I think I know exactly what you mean! You just described nearly perfectly how I feel whenever I’m in Germany! It’s so rewarding and fascinating to see and hear everything in German, even though this is evident and expected - there’s objectively nothing to feel overwhelmed about. Finally, enjoy Sweden! You much deserve it!
I’m so happy for you! This made my day. It is a gorgeous country. I was there recently. And I know how much this must mean to finally be there. Have a wonderful time!!! My goal is to one day speak Swedish as well as you!
RUclips made me stumble upon your video. I'm Swedish but with a mixed background since my father was not born here. I am part English and I don't get to see London very often but every time I go I'm similar to you even though I've been there several times, "I'm in London! I'm on the tube! People are speaking English everywhere!" and it feels very good. Of course it fades a bit after a few days but I'm still in this sense of wonder every time I'm there. I'm so happy Sweden makes you feel this way. It is indeed a wonderful country.
this is a superb video! I am australian who was in Sweden only few weeks ago (for the first time) and I have zero swedish (I’m learning Spanish but i really like this channel). but this video is so touching, truly inspiring and motivating for me. thanks!
Your wonder is really heartwarming! And quite funny😄 But yes, it’s all real, and so is the midnight sun. For now we’ll skip over the complete lack of sun later in the year, look forward to your January video😂
Hi Lamont. Congratulations on your 7 years of hard work and achieving your goal of reaching a high level in Swedish and visiting Sweden. While I am not at your level, had a similar feeling from my recent trip to France after learning French for 4.5 years. It has been a pleasure watching your videos as you worked hard and achieved your dream.
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
never thought i would see a person be so shocked to be in sweden
😂
me too
I've never been to Sweden, and don't believe in it either. And he's just sitting in a room here. Could be a cheap hotel room in Newcastle, NSW, for all I know. Though I don't believe Australia is real either, because I haven't been there, but I couldn't do so, because it's a fairytale. He's from England, that's real for sure. Probably a cheap hotel in Gateshead.
@@AngloSaks666 Wait what? England is real???
@@AngloSaks666Gateshead is also in Newcastle, NSW.
As a swede, this is so sweet and brought a tear to my eye. Good job in learning swedish! Välkommen hit
It did to me too. And I'm Danish. Well, actually 3/8 Swedish. Oh, now it gets complicated. But it moved me too.
Me too and I'm Norwegian ❤
Sooo good of you to learn the language!!!! ❤❤❤
I get the impression your soul remembers living in Sweden before. Enjoy and be well!
Welcome to Sweden guys and girls 💙💛💙😃
@@larsrons7937so three eights not-a-devil? Just kidding of course! Though you wouldn’t really understand humor “Dane”
I kinda get what you're saying; I was born in Texas but my mom was from Sweden; she taught me Swedish early on, but due to a lot of turbulent events growing up I didn't go to Sweden until I was 24. My mom had told me so much about Sweden, shown me pictures and so on, but it felt like some sort of fairy tale land and I was sure she exaggerated a lot, but once I traveled to Sweden that first time it was all exactly like I imagined it, and I was stunned.
At that time I had just graduated from West Point and this being not long after 9/11 had a massive impact on what my career and life would turn into as a fresh officer which made it hard to think about anything aside from what it would be like to go to an actual warzone and as anyone who have been deployed in a warzone knows you sort of live outside of the rest of the world, your unit and your mission becomes your world, but something moved me deeply that summer and it always stayed in the back of my mind. It was over a decade before I got a chance to go back to Sweden, this time in the winter, and I thought this would give me a reality check to make me realize it wasn't just amazing, but I only fell in love with the country more.
Add another almost ten years and I was now retired from the Army and working as a consultant, which I really hated and I couldn't imagine being happy with a job like that for another 20 years. It turned out that relatives in Sweden had passed away, relatives who were farmers; no one in the family wanted to take over the farm so it was to be put on the market. After researching further I understood that the farm had been in my family since the 18th century and it was a tragedy that it were to be sold. I got a crazy idea and after talking to my wife we decided to change our lives entirely and move to Sweden to become farmers. We moved here 9 years ago and while being a farmer certainly isn't a walk in the park and takes so much more will, skills, persistence and hard work than I could ever have imagined, even after spending 13 of my years in the army as a Ranger officer, but it was easily the best decision I've ever made.
Yes, there are flaws in Sweden, nowhere is absolutely perfect, but out of all the countries I've been to, and judging by what I've learned about others, I find it hard to come up with anywhere I'd rather live. So many of the issues that seem insurmountable in America are just not an issue at all here, people are friendly in a self deprecating way that's almost unheard of in the US, the nature is amazing and the dramatic shifting of the seasons makes you appreciate every part of the year in a special way. Right now, in the summer it's almost hard to imagine that in a few months there will be deep snow, freezing cold and just a few hours of sunlight, but even the deepest, coldest winter has it's special magic.
Hope you enjoy your time here to the fullest!
What a beautiful story to share! And thank you also for keeping the farm alive. It warms my heart. ❤❤❤
Thank you for sharing your story. As a swede it was really special to read it. If it had been ten times longer, I would still have read it all. 🙂
Wow, what an amazing story! And what a good deed to keep the farm in the family! Absolutely incredible. You don't happen to have a page where you tell more about this journey?
I live in an old cottage (with a few acers of land) from the 16th century. One day someone from a neighbouring city called and said that a 30 year old man from the USA had discovered them as relatives. He flew from Chicago to Sweden to meet them. And it happened so that his great great ....great grandmother was born in my cottage in 1840 and lived here for 10 years. I welcomed them for a visit. At this time I was renovating the cottage and had got rid of all the modern renovations that previous owners had made. It was in that state that his great great grandmother probably had recognized everything. The guy was in ecstasy - for the first time he had rooted in his past and he could even experience what home and living his ancestors had left for America.
@@Baldershemlighet Jamen det här är ju också en väldigt fin historia! Genom din berättelse känner man att besökaren "bokstavligen" blev rörd in i rötterna. Och så blev jag också glad för det som du berättar om stugan, som fick bli autentisk igen. Jag bor uppe i Norrland och här är det många övergivna hus som gör mig ledsen. Man kan fortfarande se hur de har varit fullt med liv en gång i tiden, men nu har de bara drömmarna kvar... Så tack så mycket för ditt inlägg!
PS: Jag blir nog väldigt nyfiken på "Balders hemlighet"! ;-)
That was a beautiful read.
Välkommen hit! Hoppas du får det härligt i sverige. 🏵
Jag bodde i Stockholm i ett par månader per år, 2016-2019. Det saknar jag väldigt mycket och jag ser fram emot åka tillbaka. Och nästa gång tänker jag vara förberedd för att prata med andra på svenska!
Du skriver ganska bra, något småfel men jag förstod allt, välkommen och lycka till i Sverige!
@@lkjhoiuy97yjhgghfyrthgvjhguty Väldigt bra, skulle jag säga ;)
@@Saandy_ vill tillägga att det är en myt att man inte får börja en mening med "och" eller "men"
Kanske ska det undvikas att göras alltför ofta. Men din prosa blir väldigt platt och tråkig om du har för många regler du tror du måste följa.
Han frågade inte efter er hjälp. Sluta poängtera stav- och grammatikfel. Det kan uppfattas väldigt störande. Vi kan alla förstå vad han skriver! Om jag skulle få kommentarer på min engelska hela tiden så skulle jag bli jävligt irriterad.
@@brum293
Om ingen sier noe blir det ikke bedre, velkommen til en verden som går fremover.
Å bli korrigert er en BRA ting, det hjelper folk å forbedre seg.
LÆR noe for en gangs skyld.
The sun not setting until after 10 PM still surprises me, and I've lived all my 47 years here...
Here in the northern part of northern Norway the sun doesn't get over the horizon at all in winter days.
@@user-gr5tx6rd4h I live in Stockholm. I know that it's like that in the northern part of Sweden too. And in summer there will never be a sunset. The sun is up all night and day.
@@user-gr5tx6rd4h So your glass is half empty. All summer you have light around the clock. Keep your glass half full! :)
@@user-gr5tx6rd4h Same here in northern Sweden. We truly are brothers in the perpetual bright and dark.
@@KarinFiaLeijonmarckThe sun doesn't set earlier and earlier until the end of June. Well, I don't think that's the English phrase you meant because that would mean that it's dark for more and more of the day until midsommar when it's just light the whole day, which obviously isn't what happens.
The sun sets earlier and earlier FROM Midsommar until the Winter Solstice which is in January sometime. So basically after January, it's getting gradually lighter for more of the day until June, and then after June it's getting gradually darker until January again.
same thing happened to me 7 months ago. i've been watching your videos for ages, started learning swedish when I was 16, and moved here for uni this year. it feels EXACTLY like this! :D ive never had someone in such a relatable position - learning so much swedish and indulging in the culture online all day, and then ACTUALLY going there.
the difference is wild!
and speaking to swedes without any difficulty is the best feeling ever :)
I think it's because when you're immersing in a language like Swedish that's so little spoken outside Sweden & Finland, it de-facto does just vanish from your life the second you stop interacting with it. So the language and culture can feel fake, almost like a computer game. So to then go somewhere where even when you're not trying to use it - when you're trying to just go to the supermarket - you encounter Swedish, would suddenly make it all seem so real and worthwhile.
@ThePhilologicalBell 🤔 fake? Swedish belong to the germanic language group, just like English.
@@annicaesplund6613 you don’t understand what he’s saying - he’s correct
Välkommen till Sverige.
@@EarthTraveler3087 tackar :)
This was me in Paris, I’m so happy you get to experience this.
Same, France changed my outlook much more than I expected.
I had the same experience in France. I'm lucky enough to have lived for a year in Paris in the mid-sixties! Paris was exactly like I had dreamed it to be! Amazing!
This was me in Japan. I loved it more than any other place I’d ever been. And my Japanese was good enough to where I didn’t need a word of English when I was there, and I was with a Japanese person who didn’t speak English the whole time. It was so fulfilling to know that all the effort of learning Japanese was completely worth it. The whole situation was just surreal
日本語は学ぶのが楽しい！
I am incredibly jealous. I have had probably the opposite experience. I moved to Japan and... found that I couldn't even call myself conversational. It has kind of broken me as a Japanese learner. Even though I live in Japan and love doing so, I have lost my enthusiasm for learning Japanese. It is a source of major disappointment for me, and has felt like I have wasted thousands of hours of time for little reward
@@nicholasseitler4997 「日本語を学ぶのは楽しい」
@@cadian101st I shouldn't butt into this really but.. well first of all I don't know where in Japan you've migrated to, but isn't there at the very least some expat communities where you can intermingle with the locals? Because I'm 100% positive that there are Japanese people that want to learn English and people like you and them must be a match made in heaven. I had a similar experience coming to Tokyo for 3 weeks this spring, but I simply didn't have enough listening and speech-comprehension training I think. I'd only studied it semi-regularly only using duolingo and nothing else really for something like a year and a few months.
Well, except for exclusively watching subbed anime, but that doesn't help nearly as much as you'd think.
Anyway, enough about my shit. I know it is probably scary (at least I would feel that way) but I think the whole them learning English and you getting to practice Japanese would be a good fit. That's my best advice I can think of, sorry I don't know a specific organisation or anything to point you towards.
@@tanizaki I see. I've only been learning for about 10 months, but thank you! The particles always confuse me... a lot. Lol.
You are funny! You've been like remotely dating the Swedish language for so many years without ever paying it a visit, and now are overwhelmed. Isn't that sweet? You and your pen pal beauty are both cute, man. Congrats and enjoy yourselves. 😂😘
A lovely way of describing it❣️
Oh, so that's why he's acting like that.
That's such a good description and explanation of how gratifying it is to learn languages! I was in Stockholm for the first time in March and had those same thoughts many times "People are speaking Swedish. Things are written in Swedish. They didn't switch to English. It's so strange this place exists." I really liked that they were patient enough to speak to me in Swedish even though I'm at a beginner level. I think they were just really patient and polite which was awesome. I need to go back soon. I hope you enjoy your time there! It sounds like you might end up moving. 😊
Well, having observed some conversations around me in not-very-good-Swedish, I think what happens if you speak Swedish is:
They think you don't speak English, or it's considered rude to ask. There are actually people who speak Swedish (not well), but still better than they speak English, because they're immigrants who have had to spend the last 5 years learning Swedish or whatever. My Uber driver for the airport was like that, I heard a thick Russian accent and actually asked if he preferred English and he was like "No no, I'm terrible at English, use Swedish."
Personer blir allt sämre på svenska särskilt i skrift. På nätet är det helt bedrövligt med alla särskrivningar t.ex.
Den nya generationen pratar ofta nån slags "invandrarsvenska"
Man måste vara expert på sitt modersmål om man ska kunna tala ett sekundärt språk som engelska.
De flesta har jag aldrig hört tala engelska i Sverige även om de säkert förstår det mesta.
@@daysandwords In Sweden it's far more likely Polish than Russian by the way, unless you think you can tell the difference in accents
@@JoelDZ Ukrainian would be likely in this day and age.
Why on earth would we "switch to English"? Lol
I've been a subscriber since 2020/2021. I'm so glad to see you finally made it to Sweden!!
Wow, det var en fin och rörande berättelse. Tack för att du delar och ger mig ett nytt perspektiv på mitt eget land. 👍🏻
Kjære svenske. Dere må for Guds skyld være bevisst verdien av deres eneste land - og kultur. Vite å sette pris på landet deres.
Som norsk er det trist å oppleve svensker som er ubevisst om hvor verdifulle dere svenske folk, og deres land er. Dere er våre kjære naboer, så det betyr mye for oss at dere tar vare på det originale og vakre Sverige !
Klem fra Norge
Häftigt! Vilken upplevelse för dig, grattis och välkommen!
I don't really know why, but this was touching and almost made me cry. It indeed is a very different thing to experience things in person than to learn about it, this motivated me to explore more of the world myself and not just take someones elses word of that something is good or bad, it is the personal experience that shall be cherished.
Glad you got to go to Sweden. A lot of this is very relatable actually; when I went to Poland a few months ago the whole experience felt surreal: The landscapes, seeing Polish everywhere, talking to Polish people irl. Definitely an unforgettable experience.
Can you speak Polish?
@@falkowskaaga1 with that name, I would be surprised if not ;)
So happy for you. And for me too: I truly needed this motivation boost to keep going with my German studies. Thanks Lamont!
Roligt att du äntligen kom till Sverige och kul att det var ännu bättre än du hoppats på! Hoppas du får en fortsatt fin vistelse här.
I am so happy and excited for you! I am also planning to go to Sweden at some point and I hope to have an amazing surreal experience too!!!
Wellcome
Du är varmt välkommen !
I love how you have been learning Swedish for years and had reserved expectations and let it hit you naturally!
Som språkintresserad svensk har det varit jättemotiverande att se din resa med svenska. Så kul att du har det bra i Sverige!
So glad you made it there. It’s wonderful to experience awe in life. After all we only live once.
I had loved Sweden since I was 14 after discovering I have Swedish heritage. I finally went when I was 27 and I felt very similarly, it just seemed so Swedish and surreal. Additionally the fact that even though my spoken Swedish is god awful, the majority of the time I was spoken to in Swedish unless I asked to speak in English. I also found that even in the winter Swedes are extremely kind, they're just introverted (as am I), it was amazing. I have watched you for a while and enjoyed your content a lot, congrats on finally going and experiencing Sweden!
Awesome stuff Lamont! I just had family visit from Denmark, and it does truly make all the language learning effort worth it. I still have a ways to go, but it is an incredible feeling putting it to use! Cheers mate!
Greetings from Denmark:)
@@PandaaArts Tusind tak!
Woah woah, don’t even attempt to group sweden and denmark togheter. We are nothing like those danish bozos.
@@amerikanskdansker8771 BjornTV
This actually happened to me in May in France. It was one of the most fantastic trips of my life. I didn’t see the Louvre, nor the Eiffel Tower, but I experienced the people and their culture in more intimate way than I ever could have imagined. Language learning is so worth it.
As a Brit who's lived in Norway for nearly three years, I still don't believe that Norway is a real place.
In Norway now. And yep. Every day. It feels next level. Shame I can't stay 😢
Godt å høre at dere likte Norge 👍🏻🫡🇳🇴
@@emilieduncan7917 Why?
Wait, I'm not real? Is this not real? What existential crisis is this?!
Hey! Im norwegian and i would looove for you to elaborate a litte! What is it that does not feel real?😁 im happy to hear you enjoy yourself here
I have been learning Swedish and following you for quite some time. I am really glad you finally made it to Sweden and that you are so positively touched by it . I do love Swedish among 4 other languages I speak,so I can relate to your emotions because languages are a huge part of my identity! I am looking forward to seeing how your journey unfolds :) Best regards
Been watching you for ages, I am so happy for you! I got this after studying Swahili for 1.5 years and going to Tanzania, can’t imagine how you feel after all this time and effort! Enjoy yourself in Sweden mate!
Just had this experience as well! Been learning Norwegian for 9 or so months and it's by far the best decision I've made in my life. I've never really experienced the language by sitting in my room, so it was a hell of a fever dream going to Norway like 2 weeks ago. Suddenly I'm surrounded by this language and this culture that I've been learning for so long, and I can actually talk in this language and people can understand me! It sounds very normal like 'yeah it's a language from a country you idiot", but you don't really realise that fully whilst you're learning it if that makes sense. Also to talk about the sun thing, IT'S SO WEIRD. Ofc I know the sun sets later or just doesn't at all, but seeing that in real life? DAMN. Literally everything you said in this video happened to me as well, just in Norwegian and with Norway. The gratification that comes with finally getting the click in your brain is actually an eye-opening experience.
Then you wouldn't have any problem with Swedish.
@@annicaesplund6613 😶
@annicaesplund6613
It depends... You've got to be REALLY good at one of the 3 if you want to understand the other 2. Even I struggle with Norwegian, even though most Swedes just think I'm Swedish...
A guy in a bookshop here told me that it took him about a month to learn Danish, which I can understand... but he's Swedish.
Essentially, understanding Norwegian is a part of Swedish life in Sweden (and vice versa) but it's not really a part of learning Swedish or learning Norwegian as a foreign language, so it kind of has to be tackled as "its own thing".
I understand completely. I had much the same feeling about România. I appreciate you for sharing your feelings. Enjoy your time visiting.
I’m sorry to ask, but you wanted to learn romanian/ move to Romania? I just wondered what your reasons for that was🤔😅😊
well damn now I need to know why specifically Romanian.
@thechameleon2636 the story goes all the way back to high school where I learned about Vlad III (Dracula). I had the opportunity to visit România the first time în 2011 and fell in love with the country. I later learned Romanian and when I went back in 2022, it felt like home for me. It's the most wonderful place in the world and I love the people and their language. (This is a very truncated version of the tale)
@junisvault3157 I briefly answered above, but the short answer is Dracula. I visited România for a short 3 days in 2011 and fell in love with the county. Once I discovered that I could learn the language, I was determined to speak it. Now I've been "adopted" by a Romanian couple who find it amazing that am American would learn Romanian just to understand their culture and history.
@@TiffanyHallmark That’s a nice story😊
I feel like this in Germany! Language really makes a country feel brand new and otherworldly
Välkommen till Sverige! 🇸🇪 Glad att höra att din vistelse här är givande!
As we say: "Jag måste nypa mej i armen, jag tror inte det här är sant!" (I have to pinch my arm, I can't believe this is for real.) I'm so happy for you. Your Swedish is excellent, and you now have got to experience that the language-barrier has disappeared. You were a real individual to those you spoke with, not a foreigner, just a new interesting person to talk with at ease.
Many think that Swedes in general speak English so well, that it is no effort for them to do so, but for those who don't daily switch back and forth in a full range of both languages, talking in English is still taking a toll. You search for the right words, and it is frustrating that you don't find them immediately, it is embarrassing that you note that you make mistakes that you actually know that you should avoid, you register the reaction of the listener to your way of speaking, not just to the content of the thoughts you try to conway, and you try hard to understand from the context, if they use expressions that you are not fully familiar with, and you feel like your authentic personality is not shining through your struggling attempts at saying something resembling what you mean, not managing to express excatly what you mean. You have to be generous when you speak a foreign language, and not mind that it kind of deminishes you, and places you outside a level playing field. "Men du får ju bjussa på det!" And we Nordics care very much, in our hearts of hearts, about a level field and equality.
I'm so glad for you, Lamont, that you got to experience this state of flow. You have worked so diligently and you so deserve it! All the best wishes for many more meaningful encounters with Swedes and Sweden. Bring your family, asap, so that they may witness what you have accomplished! A virtual hug!
I noticed thinking back on my reply to you, that I used "glad" instead of pleased.
In Swedish we have "glad, lycklig, nöjd", and "det gläder mej" - or some everyday expression: va bra, toppen, or, as some of my young relatives say: kanon or shit. But though they resemble English words, they don't mean exactly the same. It is complicated. 🙂Hard even for professional translators.
Well, yeah, notice also that *_I_* said "glad", even though I basically never use that word in English... and I didn't really notice at the time but I did when I was editing it... That was definitely a Swedish translation coming through.
@@daysandwords Yes, *glad* is a very good word in Swedish, because you can be "glad" for something, though you are not "lycklig" in general - and of course I did not notice that you used "glad" in English! Have you incorporated "lagom" and "mysig" as loan-words already, not to forget about "fika" - did you know that fika is simply kaffi (coffee) with the syllables put in the reverse order? As you for sure hear when you listen to Swedish conversations, we have thousands of English loan-words, fejset, racet, BFF (bästis), match, boring, shit, bitch, etc! Some indivduals sport them more than others. Are there some good Swedish words that you would like to hear in frequent use in Australia? Like "hullerombuller" for your kids, perhaps? 🙂
My British (Swedish speaking) colleague and I agree that "jobbigt" is the most useful one... "Passa på" is also quite hard to translate well.
Hullerombuller is quite good... My house is generally like that in every room haha.
@@daysandwords Yes, "jobbigt" is beyond "jobbigt att översätta" - "passa på" likewise. We struggle a lot when trying to translate from Swedish to English. With kids in the family, the whole life tends to be "hullerombuller" - hence "Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn" by Astrid Lindgren, who had the language-philosophy that an author needn't simplify the language for children, but should never be condescending. In my phantasy I think she had "Alice in Wonderland" in mind, when she said that. Well, one shouldn't talk about those two in the same month! Such a difference in quality.
You are more than welcome in Sweden mate. If all people coming here could be so respectful and nice as you!
Önskar dig allt det bästa!
I am so happy for you, I’ve been following your videos for a very long time and seeing your dreams coming true makes me definitely happy and proud.
Jag är så glad för din skull. Hoppas verkligen du blir behandlad väl och får en fantastisk semester i Sverige.
The feeling of overwhelming joy. Glad att du hade en fin tid här hos oss svenskar ❤
It doesn't sound weird at all. This was the most relatable video ever. I learnt a language to reasonable fluency without ever stepping foot in the country. My first time going there, after the pandemic, was just ... just unbelievable. I had pretty much the exact same experience.
Sorry I can't heart this comment. (edit... SET foot... SET foot... please. Then I can heart the comment.)
It's awesome getting to see an internet stranger you've been following for years achieve their dreams. I had a similar experience in Japan, so I get what you mean. Thank you for all the videos that both inspire and speed up the learning process!
This is the most inspiring video I've ever seen, you've made me really want to study my languages more! 🙂
Maybe I should plan a similar kind of trip to the Vatican City. I know that not everyone there speaks Latin even, so it's not the same thing. But, if memory serves the ATM machiens and stuff like that have a Latin option, and many higher-ranking clergy can. Apparently there's even a pizza shop that gives you a free slice if you speak Latin.
I deliberately and properly studied Latin for a similar amount of time as you've studied Swedish - about seven to eight years. And for the last three years I've just been using it as part of my PHD research. I started aged 12 so, it always feels really special to me, and I like when I see the language written on monuments or churches and such.
So a trip like yours, only to the Vatican, might be a cool experience.
Such a motivating video for my Polish studies! I'm less than 400 hours into my studies, but I hope to be able to experience something similar one day. Vänliga hälsningar från Sverige!
Why do you learn Polish? :)
@@falkowskaaga1 Pure interest - the language seemed practically impossible so I was like "Fuck it, let's do this"
I visited Poland earlier this year. It was funny to notice they eg. use the word 'kran' for a water tap - 'kraana' is colloquial Finnish for tap.
@@Komatik_And Kran is tap in Swedish too, though they all go back to the same origin ofc.
I'm so happy for you!
Jag har pluggat svenska i 2,5 år nu. 😀Jag är på A2 nivå, men jag kan inte vänta att prata lite med svanskar (t.e. beställa nagåt på en restaurang, eller fråga om vägen). Jag älskar din motivation 💙💛
Hugs from Poland🤗
Jak się uczysz Szwedzkiego, na kursie czy z aplikacjami?
@@falkowskaaga1 uczę się na kursie, ale dużo rzeczy robię też sama: aplikacja, podręczniki, książki napisane łatwym szwedzkim, różne filmiki na YT, przeglądam gramatykę itd.
A Ty jak się uczysz? 😃
@@sylwias8550 pewnie masz juz takie mocne A2/B1, jak sądzisz? Ja sie ucze wloskiego wylacznie z aplikacjami (jak mam czas to probuje uczyc sie na pamięć czytanek/wywiadów), ale przewaznie uczę się tylko 5-10 minut dziennie. 5-ty miesiąc, na razie jestem mniej wiecej w połowie A1. Chciałabym szybciej ale musze uzbroic sie w cierpliwość, bo nie moge wiecej zrobić w ciągu dnia niz te pare minut.
@@falkowskaaga1 Czuję się na mocne A2. Na pewno więcej rozumiem niż potrafię powiedzieć. Najważniejsza jest systematyczność. Nie przejmuj się tym, że spędzasz 5-10 minut dziennie. Najważniejsze, że robisz to codziennie. Spróbuj włączyć w naukę słuchania piosenek włoskich - Włosi mają piękne piosenki więc taka forma nauki też będzie dla Ciebie przyjemna!
@@sylwias8550 moze faktycznie to jest niezly pomysl z tymi piosenkami. Jestem typowym wzrokowcrm, rozumiem bez problemu to co jest napisane. Ten sam tekst wylacznie odsluchany rozumiem juz duzo gorzej, musze odtwarzac wielokrotnie. Szukam drogi,zeby to ogarnąć
Vilken skön video, kul att du hade en så positiv upplevelse.
Im absolutely stoked for you dude. I can almost feel what your feeling with how you describe it. I have a feeling I will have this moment when I visit Japan this November. I'll be fufilling a dream I have had since I was 8 years old and I am currently 31.
I’ve been here for a while, as my language learning journey led me here. I was always impressed by your Swedish skills, as a Norwegian personally. And I must say you finally being in Sweden is awesome! Enjoy!! Og selvfølgelig, velkommen til Skandinavia!
You picked the perfect time for it too!!! Welcome to the Nordics!
Great video. As a Swedish learner myself this video almost made me cry. I would like to try this out as well.
Welcome to Sweden glad ur enjoying your time in our Great Country 🇸🇪🇸🇪
Congratulations man, as a second language speaker myself who also had a long language learning journey this is ringing bells. Great to hear your having this fulfilling experience.
The thing that brought this home to me the best, though I'd experienced it to some extent earlier, was my 6 weeks in Brazil. Once you've been somewhere it becomes so much more real to you, and you care about it more when you hear about it in the news, etc.
Låter fint! Hoppas att det fortsätter så. Att lära ett språk ger så mycket mer än "bara" orden. Förtjusande!🇸🇪
The experience you're having is very similar to the one I have when I'm in Norway. I think your Swedish is better than my Norwegian (and Norwegian dialects mean I'll never be fluent with everyone) but I can definitely relate to the experience.
This might have just jumped to being my favorite video of yours. Going to get a little cheesy here, but... it's absolutely inspiring. Motivating. Love your honest display of emotion. It really hits home on how meaningful it is to learn another country's language, culture, and heart. Thanks so much for sharing that moment with all of us here on your channel.
So relatable. Makes me feel normal and not-weird, as a 16 year old who fell in love with German and Germany a few years ago and every time I go and visit I just think: am I actually in this country speaking this language and living this life for a week?’ (Because I go and stay with friends). So this is not strange and is actually so relatable and comforting! Totally get it! ❤
It's really refreshing to see someone so happy. Congratulations! I can't remember the last time I felt this kind of joy. I forgot it was possible.
I know where You come from. I am from Copenhagen and I needed to go to Bornholm and had to drive through Sweden. Almost brought me to tears! 🤣
That's how a person from Jutland feels when going to Copenhagen. The relief felt when on the return trip you drive up the Great Belt bridge (or into the tunnel if going by train) is immense! 😂
Väldigt inspirerande! Blir sugen på att fortsätta med spanska igen. Tack!
That was me in Greece. I went to Greece and it was like Disneyworld. Even though my Greek wasn’t very good and I needed my friends’ help a lot it was great. I could speak and use the language in person and actually USE it and not fake use it. Every person I met was so great and supportive and friend. An older woman taught me some Greek and was very encouraging. It was great
As a Greek, I'm very glad you liked our language, ελπίζω να είσαι πάντα καλά!
This might be the most inspiring video you've made. I felt it deeply, man. Grattis!
Hey man I'm glad for you!
I haven’t been to Sweden but I’ve been learning Swedish for a while now. I completely imagine when I finally arrive there one day, hearing the language and walking around I’ll share the same surreal experience you describe 😊 I’m very happy for you!
I studied English for 10 years and got a C2 level without ever leaving my country. I even became a Cambridge examiner.
The day I went to the UK... It felt like a dream. But I don't even know how to explain it. I arrived like at 3am and it was very cold and humid. Even the smell of that moment is imprinted in my brain. I just cannot forget.
I dream about it every now and then.
I experienced this when I went to Japan and knew what this video was about before even opening it. I am so happy for you
Välkommen :)
That was a long time coming
Félicitations, Lamont! I've bren watching your videos since the beginning, when I was looking for resources to help me learn French. I know the feelings you're describing. So glad you got to have this experience, you deserve it.
For as much as I love every single video you post, this is my new favorite video on your channel. You've worked so hard to bring this vision to life, and now you're here. You made it. I can hear the sincerity in your voice and I hope you're proud of yourself. It's so inspiring to watch, and I can't wait until I have a conversation like this with myself one day.
And for what it's worth, I don't think it's crazy at all that you "didn't think Sweden was a real place." Obviously you knew that Sweden existed, but none of us can really claim to "know" the true essence of something unless we experience it ourselves. And it seems like this experience is living up to what you had hoped and more. Cheers man, loved this.
Check out this man's podcast guys, it's good stuff.
@@daysandwords Thanks brother!
So glad you got to have this experience. And thank you for talking about it.
This is such a wonderful little video. I'm really glad you get to have that experience. You've definitely earned it :)
I’m so happy for you! I experienced this when I went to Latin America for the first time while being fluent in Spanish, though it wasn’t as intense because I hear Spanish spoken all the time in the U.S. This inspires me to keep going with polish, because Poland also feels like something that only exists in my imagination right now. I’ve been following you for a while and I’m happy to see your consistency paying off in this way!
Wait, people are speaking to strangers in the street? Are you sure you're in Sweden? 😄
edit: On a more serious note, I wish I could have a journey like yours. I understand it's not free and you put in a lot of work getting to where you are now. It just sounds like a really cool journey to experience.
Congratulations! You really got me emotional there! This is what I strive to achieve with my third language, love u 😘
Scandinavia is a great place.. there is litterally no other place on earth like the 3 scandinavian countries.
Specially when swedish system torture children by paralisator to take my flat in stockholm.Sweden lives by robing all their history. Businness with Hitler.
Glad to hear your thoughts and I'm happy you've been learning the language. Varmt välkommen hit!
Välkommen
Im honestly glad for you mate, it was the same for me with spain after 3 years learning the language
It was somehow better than how i built it up in my mind and one of the best experiences of my life to date
Enjoy the rest of your time there! Im sure the fact your conversations are going so well is a brilliant feeling too
Naaah man, it sounds crazy, but I get it. Stuff isn't REAL real until you actually see it in person. Until you can actually experience it yourself, you can't be ACTUALLY sure it exists. And when you spend this much time obsessing about a language, going to a place where it's actually spoken is kinda crazy.
Congrats for making it there. Have fun!
This is so moving to hear. Im swedish but learning korean and I can truly imagine me being like this going to Korea some day. Tack för den här berättelsen! Välkommen!
So what you're saying, is that we should just get flat Earthers to Scandinavia so they can see the midnight sun.
Flat Earthers don't believe in evidence.
@@daysandwordstrue true
Det här var det mest hjärtevärmande jag sett på länge. Fantastiskt upplyftande att se någon som genomgått något som verkar närmast en uppenbarelse. Kul att du gillade din första tid i Sverige.
sweden is real????
Surreal!
Unreal.
You are the sweetest person ever!!❤ thanks for sharing your story and your thoughts! I have traveled the world alone twice but it just feels like home when the weather is unpredictable, the sun never sets and each day is different in length temperature and humidity, you never know what’s gonna happen that day. ❤ Glad you enjoyed it so much, it warms my heart!
Thx for posting this Lamont! I'm with ya brotha... I think that being able to Finally really connect with people and a culture so distant from our own place/experience is so difficult to describe, that you'd need poetry or something to do it justice! Glad to see it's been so impactful already :)
For me, it was similar going to Switzerland after having tried to learn French on my own. It felt like my hobby was suddenly manifested into a real place. It was like if you spent all your time playing Minecraft, and then suddenly one day you're in a world where everyone around you also plays Minecraft as a LIFESTYLE. It's so gratifying that all those hours you spent playing Minecraft, actually turn into a survival skill.
I can't believe you've been learning Swedish for seven years and are only now visiting the country. That must be an amazing experience.
Love this! That is so awesome, I’m glad that you’re getting to truly and deeply enjoy your time in Sweden, effortless conversations and all. What an amazing thing for your first time going to Sweden to line up with this moment in your language journey. 🎉 Congratulations!
And what great encouragement for me! Maybe I’ll get there one day too :)
This is beautiful. It was a year of learning before I visited Portugal and I found it strange and magical to be in a place that only existed in RUclips and Netflix. I've only a small idea how intense that would be after seven years.
It was the same thing when I went to the US for the first time, as a swede. Everything I saw on TV during my childhood, there it was, a surreal experience.
I think I know exactly what you mean! You just described nearly perfectly how I feel whenever I’m in Germany! It’s so rewarding and fascinating to see and hear everything in German, even though this is evident and expected - there’s objectively nothing to feel overwhelmed about. Finally, enjoy Sweden! You much deserve it!
I’m so happy for you! This made my day. It is a gorgeous country. I was there recently. And I know how much this must mean to finally be there. Have a wonderful time!!! My goal is to one day speak Swedish as well as you!
Välkommen åter! Trevligt att höra att du trivts så mycket här 🙂
RUclips made me stumble upon your video. I'm Swedish but with a mixed background since my father was not born here. I am part English and I don't get to see London very often but every time I go I'm similar to you even though I've been there several times, "I'm in London! I'm on the tube! People are speaking English everywhere!" and it feels very good. Of course it fades a bit after a few days but I'm still in this sense of wonder every time I'm there. I'm so happy Sweden makes you feel this way. It is indeed a wonderful country.
So happy for you, Lamont. Thanks for taking us with you.
Welcome to Sweden! Hope you enjoy your stay!
Välkommen! Kul att du är här! :)
this is a superb video! I am australian who was in Sweden only few weeks ago (for the first time) and I have zero swedish (I’m learning Spanish but i really like this channel). but this video is so touching, truly inspiring and motivating for me. thanks!
Så gulligt att höra sån genuin uppskattning! Roligt att ditt besök verkar ha blivit över förväntan.🤗
Your wonder is really heartwarming! And quite funny😄 But yes, it’s all real, and so is the midnight sun. For now we’ll skip over the complete lack of sun later in the year, look forward to your January video😂
I will do a January video... from Australia, if my house doesn't catch on fire.
Hi Lamont. Congratulations on your 7 years of hard work and achieving your goal of reaching a high level in Swedish and visiting Sweden. While I am not at your level, had a similar feeling from my recent trip to France after learning French for 4.5 years. It has been a pleasure watching your videos as you worked hard and achieved your dream.
Glad to have you here ❤
Best regards, Sweden