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After 22 years in Sweden, Anna Hildén took her partner Magnus and the family's three children aged 10, 8 and 2 and moved back to Åland from Täby in Stockholm.
- Åland is like medicine for the soul, it makes me calm. In the big city, all impressions come from the bustle and strangers, here nature and the water provide the impressions.
Anna was born and raised in Åland, but moved to Sweden after high school.- I first worked for a year as a croupier on the ship Birka, which cruised between Mariehamn and Stockholm, and fell in love with the city when I walked around during port times. So I chose to move and started instead at the Birka office in Stockholm.
From Birka, Anna moved on to a company that sold foreign events. Here she worked as responsible for product, system and site while marketing tickets to everything from league football to musicals and sightseeing. Anna enjoyed it so much that she stayed for 19 years, but thoughts of Åland have still been there for a long time.
- We have always spent a lot of time in Åland and when we were not there it became clear how much we missed the family, the friends and all of Åland. There is a tranquility here and we feel good being here.
Through his father, Magnus also has ties to Åland, but he has never lived here except during holidays and vacations.- I am probably the one who has been the driving force, Magnus has been a little more hesitant.
After much deliberation, the family still chose to take the step from Täby to Åland and the move took place at the beginning of summer when the schools had finished for the term. Right now they are temporarily living in the cottage in Önningeby near Mariehamn, but they will move into town and a house by Idrottsparken that they can borrow from relatives.
- We moved here around midsummer, and immediately my anxiety about the move and about uprooting everyone lifted. Because you know what you have and not what you will get, but for us it has worked out really well. The children have also had a good attitude. Our 8-year-old said she would find a best friend on the very first day of school in the autumn, and she has done so.
Finding a home within cycling distance of school, friends and activities felt natural.- We wanted to keep what worked in Täby and looked at several options before deciding. For us, it was important to let the children's daily life guide us when we were looking for housing. That is the difficulty of moving when you have school-age children and absolutely do not want them to have to change schools again.
That it ultimately turned out to be Mariehamn and Övernäs school for the children feels extra special for Anna since she herself went there.
Career-wise, the pieces are also beginning to fall into place. Anna has just secured a temporary position as a marketing coordinator at the Maxinge shopping centre, but Magnus is for now combining his job search with weekly commuting to Sweden and his job as a team leader in home care services. Therefore, it is Anna who is currently responsible for the daily carousel of dropping off and picking up children to daycare, school and activities.
- There is dance, gymnastics, football with multiple training sessions and matches, but compared to everyday life in Stockholm, Åland is still easier. Everything is closer, it is calmer and you are always home within fifteen minutes.
Previously, the lack of time was extreme. - I only had time to leave work, do the shopping and put the children to bed before it was time for a new day. I tried to think positively and see two hours of commuting every day as personal time, but I would have preferred to spend the time on something other than cramming onto the train. It took so much energy.
- Of course, there is a risk of getting caught on the hamster wheel no matter where you live, but at least it spins a little slower here.
As soon as Magnus finds a job in Åland, Anna looks forward to having a little more time for her own activities.- I am so unaccustomed to personal time, but there is an abundance of possibilities. I look forward to spending more time with my friends and I am going to play tennis while my daughter is at her gymnastics.
The proximity to the sea is also important.- You become dependent on it! I do not know if it is because I am from Åland or because I am an archipelago dweller, but I have always been drawn to the water.
Welcome guide – everything you need to know before moving to Åland.
Information for those looking for a new job.
Find your new home – tips and advice for those looking for housing in Åland.
Mariehamn is the smallest metropolis in the Nordic countries and the only city in Åland. Here, nature and the sea are always close, as are the major cities surrounding it. When both work, housing, daycare, school and activities are within walking or cycling distance, you also get more time for leisure.
Do you want to move to Mariehamn? Here you can find more information!
Det finns många anledningar att välja Åland. Ibland är det jobbet, andra gånger familjen, kärleken eller möjligheten till en enklare vardag. Läs mer om hur livet på Åland kan se ut i våra intervjuer med nya ålänningar.
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