We’ve almost made it to summer, and the days are only getting longer! A few months ago, I was leaving campus in the dark, checking my phone to see what time it even was, and convincing myself that 3:45pm was not, in fact, bedtime. Now I’m sitting outside with friends, no jacket, no rush to go home, and wondering how this is the same place.

Everyone kept telling me that Swedish summers are special. People talk about them all the time, like they’re something you earn after getting through winter. But it’s only now, as everything starts to shift again, that I’m beginning to understand why. Here are a few things that I couldn’t be more excited for!

1. Biking and Hiking Trips

One of the first things people told me when I moved here was that you don’t need to go far to feel like you’ve left the city. I didn’t fully get that in winter, but now it’s all making sense.

Fjällnora is an incredible hiking and swimming spot, only an hour by bus out of Uppsala. There’s a huge lake, red cottages you can rent out, campfire spots and tons of hiking trails. All summer, you’ll see people swimming, barbecuing, or just lying in the sun doing absolutely nothing, the best way to spend the day.

The lake just south of Uppsala is also only a short bike trip away on a summer afternoon. It’s one of those places you don’t really plan for. You just check the weather, send a quick message to your friends, and then jump on your bike. I’ve started to realise that a lot of summer here works like that. You don’t need to organise anything big. The best days tend to be the ones that happen a bit last minute.

2. Fikas Move Outside

Fika doesn’t disappear in winter, but it definitely gets even better once the sun comes back! The second the weather allows it, terraces fill up. Chairs are dragged out, tables spill onto the pavement, and suddenly everyone is outside at the same time. You’ll see people sitting in the sun for hours with a coffee and something sweet, fully committing to not being indoors any longer than necessary.

Coming from Australia, I thought I understood outdoor café culture, but this feels different. Maybe it’s because it’s not taken for granted here. There’s a bit more intention to it. People make the most of it while they can. You go out for a quick coffee and somehow end up staying for two hours, just talking and watching the city move around you.

3. The Sun Never Sets

I’m still having to get used to this one! After months of planning your day around the two hours of daylight, summer flips everything. You look at the time, expecting it to be mid-afternoon, and it’s already 21:30. You head out for a walk after dinner and realise it’s still properly bright.

At first it feels a bit strange, but then it becomes something you start to lean into. Evenings stretch out in a way they never did before. There’s no rush to head home, no sense that the day is “ending” in the same way. I’ve noticed how much it changes the energy of everything. Conversations last longer, plans feel more relaxed, and there’s always this feeling that you still have time.

4. Swedish Midsommar

Midsommar is one of those things I’d heard about so many times before actually being here. But I’ve been reassured it’s nothing like the movie (let’s hope…)! Flower crowns, dancing around a maypole, songs that everyone seems to know except you. It sounded a little chaotic, and honestly, it will be, but in the bestest way!

For the celebrations, people leave the city, gather with friends, and spend the whole day outside. There’s food, music, and a lot of traditions that you might not fully understand at first, but that doesn’t really matter. You just follow along, copy what everyone else is doing, and somewhere along the way it starts to feel natural. By the end of the day, you’re not questioning it anymore, you’re just part of it.

5. Time to Slow Down (Outside)!

Winter taught me how to slow down indoors. Summer feels like learning how to slow down again, but this time outside. People spend more time in parks, by the river, or just sitting somewhere with friends. You don’t need a full plan for the day to feel like you’ve done something meaningful. One of my favourite parts is wandering through town at lunch time, and watching everyone in Uppsala flooding out onto the streets and basking in the sunshine!

I’ve noticed it in myself as well. I’m less focused on filling every gap in my calendar, and more okay with letting things unfold. Going for a walk without a destination, staying out longer than I expected, ending up somewhere I didn’t plan to be. Taking my Kindle out, and finding the perfect sunny spot to relax in.

A few months ago, I was learning how to live with the dark. Now I couldn’t be happier to be back in the light again. It truly feels like a completely different version of Uppsala to the place it’s been these past months, and I love the smiles returning to people’s faces!

So congratulations to those who’ve made it through a year of university, or to those preparing for the move here in the fall. Remember to slow down, bask in the sunshine and enjoy yourselves!