"I love the working culture here."
Chiara is Italian. I'm not sure about you, but I haven't met ANY Italians in Skellefteå. (If you're reading this, and you're Italian, please contact us!).
She's also a warm, exuberant character fizzing with enthusiasm for life. We met at Alhems Tradgård, one of Chiara's favorite Skellefteå restaurants
So, how on earth did this Italian end up in Skellefteå?
– I moved here because of my Portuguese boyfriend, Joao. We were living in Portugal before moving here. He wanted to move to Italy, but I didn't want to go back to Italy. So I was like, we can move to any country in Europe but please just not Italy.
What happened next surprised Chiara.
– He said I’ll send some CVs out and let's see. And then one day he called me and said, “We're moving to Sweden.”
So Chiara thought, that's good, living in Stockholm would be fun.
– Then Joao told me it was up north in a place called Skellefteå, and I looked on the internet and saw it was quite close to the Arctic Circle, and that the temperature was -30c in the winter and I said, “I'm not ready to move yet!”
But, last November, they did move. Just in time for the heaviest November snowfall in a long time. Chiara grimaces.
– I had to clear the snow 10 times from the front of our place in just a couple of hours. And I was like, "Why the hell did we move here?"
– And then in December it was minus 35c. It was like a nightmare. And I said to myself if I survive this, I will love this country. And it's true. I love it now, I really love it. I really don’t want to live anywhere else.
What on earth about Skellefteå persuaded frozen, snowbound Chiara to change her mind?
– I love the nature here. It's so green. Also during winter, even if you have snow around, the landscapes are still so different to what you see in Italy or Portugal. And I love the people here. In Italy everyone says Swedish people are cold and standoffish. From what I’ve experienced, it’s the opposite. I’ve met mostly wonderful people so far. Our landlord was so lovely when we first arrived. He invited us over for both Christmas and Easter.
Chiara also fell for Sweden's more balanced approach to life and work.
– I love the working culture here. It's like a dream, at least compared to where we used to live. I used to work 10 hours per day. And here it's the opposite. They place a high value on privacy and family time here. It's something money can't buy.
Living in Skellefteå has even made 26-year-old Chiara think about settling down.
– For the first time, I feel like I can truly plan for the future. I can consider getting married, buying a house, having children. This place feels like a good fit for me. It's a small city, but that's exactly what I love. There's not so much traffic, so getting around is easy. You can choose to drive, bike, or walk – whatever suits you best.
Joao told me it was up north in a place called Skellefteå, and I looked on the internet and saw it was quite close to the Arctic Circle, and that the temperature was -30c in the winter and I said, “I'm not ready to move yet!”
But what about Swedish pizzas? Surely Skellefteå's love of kebab, pineapple and banana pizzas must be a very big black mark for any proud Italian.
– I've not tried kebab pizzas, but I am certain that if I ate a pizza with pineapple or banana on it, I would lose my nationality, Chiara says half-laughing and half-scowling.
However, she has found good food.
– As well as Alhems, La Cena cooks good Italian food. You know that the owner is Italian if the menu is written in correct Italian, and La Cena's is correct. My favorite place for breakfast is Cafe Kanel.
Even more surprisingly, she's found a wide supply of Italian ingredients for cooking at home.
– Living in Portugal was a bit of a shock. Finding Italian products in supermarkets was surprisingly difficult. Here, however, it's the complete opposite. You can find practically anything, even something as specific as a rare Neapolitan flour (Caputo) that even my mom struggles to find back home in Italy. It's amazing!
That said, there don't seem to be many Italians here to take advantage of the wide array of Italian ingredients. Why is that, I ask Chiara.
Chiara Pugliarelli
– It's strange - wherever I go, I seem to find Italians, but not here. There are a lot of people from South America, especially Brazilians, but Italians are noticeably absent.
Chiara has a think and finally comes up with a theory.
– The long, cold winters might be a deterrent. Who would want to relocate to a place with winters like this? It takes a certain kind of resilience, I suppose. So why the lack of Italians? Perhaps it's a cultural difference. Italians can be very attached to their moms and their families, and a big move like this might seem daunting. It takes someone open-minded and adaptable to embrace a new culture.
– I’m attached to my mom, too, of course. But she won’t build my future; I have to build my own future.