Shelbi found an egg.
– I found an egg here this morning. They lay them in the evening.
Shelbi Taylor pulls an egg out of her hoodie pocket. She has just checked in on Kerstin the Flemish Giant rabbit and introduced Norran’s reporter to a very friendly young goat.
For a long while it was very uncertain that she would be able to stand here in this urban haven at the 4H farm at Morö Backe in Skellefteå. She grew up in the US and met Gustav online in 2016. They decided to meet halfway in Iceland. Sparks were flying and she came here the year after to be with him and to do a masters.
After the student visa ran out she got an extended visa and tried to find a job but ran into trouble.
– I applied for over one hundred jobs and just got no after no. It was because I didn’t speak Swedish at the time. The municipality wouldn’t even employ me as a cleaner as they didn’t think I would be able to read the labels on the cleaning products.
At a loss she then decided to apply for a partner visa based on her connection to Gustav. The rules state that you cannot apply for the visa from Sweden so Shelbi was forced to go live in the US during the application period. She left in August 2019 without any knowledge of exactly how long it would take, the authorities said 6-17 months. Then the pandemic hit. She was living with her parents in New Hampshire.
– It was vastly different from the Swedish approach to the pandemic. I didn’t hug my parents for fear of killing them.
Shelbi is a strong believer in the power of community and getting more people involved.
In August of 2020 she was told that her interview would be in February. She constantly e-mailed the embassy to see if they had any openings and that eventually paid off and she got an interview in November.
– I had collected all the evidence I could find, photos, lists, dates to prove my connection but in the end none of that was needed. And I got my visa approved less than 24 hours later.
After a lot of trials and tribulations, including a GoFundMe fundraiser to help pay for Shelbi’s plane ticket after she had been unable to work during the pandemic, she landed in Skellefteå just in time for Christmas in 2020.
– It felt amazing. There had been so much uncertainty and instability and now lots of possibilities opened up.
Shelbi got a job at the international English school but she has since then moved on to a doctoral employment at Södertörn University in Stockholm, conducting research into the Nordic pre-school system.
Being more settled unlocked the opportunity to get involved in society, something Shelbi had been longing for.
– I didn’t have the capacity for that when everything was so unstable. Getting rejected on the job market also made me feel not worthy. Now I had so many things I wanted to get involved in. Embroidery club, orienteering, skiing.
Shelbi found a small note advertising the 4H farm on Morö Backe. She contacted them and the week after she was there letting the goats out in the morning.
”I didn’t know the farm was here. I heard a rooster a few years ago and wondered who kept a rooster in an apartment.”
– Volunteering fills me up. There is a culture of being very busy and not having time but I want to show what’s possible. It could take as little as an hour, half an hour a week. It slowly grows on you that you are using your time well and your heart grows.
Shelbi feels strongly about getting people involved and building stronger communities.
– It’s so important, especially for people moving here. It’s hard to feel connected and invested in building a strong community but there’s no reason why they can’t get involved.
One problem seems to be that the information is not available to those who want to get involved.
– Information is passed by word of mouth here and if you’re new it can be difficult to find out what’s available. I’m really interested in kayaking for example but I had no idea there was a kayak club in town.
According to Shelbi there are three sides to the equation. The municipality, organisations and people.
– The municipality has an extensive list of all cafés in town but not of all organisations. The information needs to get out there. The organisations must be more welcoming. For example, nowhere near all organisations come to Inflyttardagen. And finally, people need to step up and get involved.
”Volunteering fills me up.”
When asked whether Shelbi has encountered any culture shocks, all examples she mentions are positive realisations.
– Built-in infrastructure – so smart. Like bike ramps on stairs, I’ve not seen that anywhere else. Groundbreaking. The culture is thoughtful, smart and considerate of what people are doing. The stair ramps is a visible way that’s taking form.
– Something else that really touched me is body positivism. Not just accepting bodies but that it doesn’t matter. I can feel like me in this body, no one is judging me. These are our bodies and it’s fine. You find it in children’s books as well. In the US I can’t avoid opinions on bodies. It’s so much the opposite there.
Having gone through the ordeal of navigating the visa process, Shelbi is determined to make the most of her time.
– I worked really hard to be here. There’s a reason I did it, I wanted to stay here.
Shelbi's tips
A free orienteering app with check points in town and outside.
”It’s in Swedish but it’s an excellent way to learn the language and find your way around. Reading a map is a universal language. The clues can be on a lamppost (stolpe) on a footpath (gångväg) – now you’ve learned two new words. Good for kids and everyone.”
A club for winter swimming.
”It has filled me up so much. Open swimming for everyone. It’s a great organisation. They need volunteers as well.”