Top Ten Signs You're an American-by-way-of-Sweden Living in Sydney

Manly Beach

So I wrote this heartfelt love letter to Sydney, and it was so enthusiastically gushing that my colleagues decided I needed some gentle ribbing. Fair enough—I suppose when you've gone from surviving nine-month Swedish winters to sending sunset photos with captions like "just another Tuesday in paradise," you might have become that person.

But here's the thing: when you've travelled from America to Sweden to Australia and finally found the place that feels like home, you do become a bit evangelical about it. And yes, I've developed some particular Sydney habits that seem ridiculous to people who were born into all this sunshine and surf.

So in the spirit of being able to laugh at myself (and because my colleagues are probably right), here's my guide to recognising when you've become an intercontinental Sydney convert who's too enthusiastic about their adopted paradise.

10. You've become that person who says "it's not even cold" when it's 15°C

 After surviving nine-month Swedish winters, you're now the designated weather expert who reminds everyone that this is actually beach weather where you come from. Your Australian friends think you're insane, but you're out there in shorts while they're rugged up like they're heading to Antarctica.

9. You can navigate the entire city by coastal walk

 Forget street addresses—you give directions like "it's two beaches past the rock pool" or "turn left after the good coffee spot on the Bondi to Coogee." Your internal GPS is calibrated entirely to cliff-top paths and harbour views.

8. You've developed an unhealthy emotional attachment to your local barista

 You know their name, their coffee philosophy, and probably their weekend plans. Moving to a new suburb feels like a betrayal because you'll have to start over with someone new who doesn't automatically know your "usual."

7. 6am weekday social plans seem totally reasonable

 Back home, suggesting a dawn catch-up would have been met with concerned calls to your family. Here, you're the one initiating sunrise walks and feeling smug about having accomplished more before 8am than most people do all day.

6. The Opera House has gone from postcard to personal milestone

Now I take my kids there to see concerts and shows. That iconic building has become my landmark for everything—restaurant quality, apartment prices, and general life satisfaction are all rated on proximity to those famous sails. Every time I sit beneath them, I feel grateful for the life we've built here.

5. You've become insufferably evangelical about Sydney beaches

 Every visitor gets the full PowerPoint presentation: "This is Bondi for tourists, this is Coogee for families, this is Manly for... well, manly things." You have Opinions about which beach is best for what activity, and you're not shy about sharing them.

4. You plan your social life around ocean access

 Dating profile: "Must love long walks on the beach (literally, I do this daily)." You've unconsciously eliminated anyone who lives more than 20 minutes from saltwater. Mountain people? We don't speak the same language.

3. You've started using "active lifestyle" as an excuse for everything

 Late to work? "Sorry, caught the sunrise at Coogee." Expensive activewear budget? "It's an investment in the Sydney lifestyle." Your bank account might disagree, but your step counter is very impressed.

2. You feel personally responsible for Sydney's weather reputation

 When it rains, you apologise to tourists like it's your fault. When it's sunny, you take credit like you personally negotiated with the weather gods. You've become Sydney's unofficial meteorological ambassador.

1. You measure your life satisfaction in "how far I've come from grey Swedish winters"

 Every morning, coffee by the water is a small victory over your past self who thought vitamin D was just something you read about. You've become that person who sends sunset photos to friends overseas with captions like "just another Tuesday in paradise" (and you're not even sorry about it).