Best Wishes for 2023!
I hope you all have been enjoying the holidays and are looking forward to celebrating the new year. As we are entering the last few days of December I have been looking back at the year that just passed and reflecting on the many things that transpired. What a year it has been! It started under challenging circumstances with another surge in covid cases caused by the omicron variant, but later in 2022 we finally were able to relax some of the covid controls and go back to something more akin to normal. I have been so happy to spend more time meeting people in person and getting that connection with others that is hard to replicate in a virtual environment. I definitely hope this trend continues next year!
It has also been a very exciting year for my language school, Learn Swedish Now. The interest for the Swedish language just seems to grow and grow! I have more people learning about the Swedish language and culture now than ever before! The number of clients have been steadily growing since I first started in the fall of 2020, and in just the last year alone the business grew by almost 50%! Who knew that there would be so much interest in this Scandinavian language. Perhaps it is a sign of our increasingly global world, a renewed interest in travel and exploration after covid, or even a longing to seek out one's roots and heritage. Probably all of the above. It is such a privilege to work with my students and I am amazed at their diverse backgrounds and experiences. Some of my fondest memories from 2022 was to meet some of them in person for the first time, such as when I attended the Saint Lucia lunch at the Drake Hotel in Chicago earlier this month. Or when I was in Sweden this summer and connected with former and current students.
Speaking of Sweden, another highlight of the year was the annual trip to my native country! I got to visit family in Kalmar, spend some time on the “sunny and windy island” Öland, and enjoy a few days in the capital city Stockholm that I called home for many years. While I am always excited to go back, it was also great to see how well some of my former students now living in Sweden are doing. They have all acclimated well and are continuing to practice their language skills. It is just so much easier to feel at home in a new place when you know the language! No need to be fluent though; even some basic skills will go such a long way. Anyway, summer is still a long way off but in just a few months it will be time to start planning my next trip to this beautiful place in northern Europe.
With 2022 in the back mirror it is time to start looking ahead to all that 2023 will have to offer. I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! If this is the year that you will be exploring your Swedish roots, plan a trip to Sweden, or maybe learn to communicate better with a Swedish-speaking family member you should consider signing up for a free lesson or consultation below. I offer private lessons over video calls that are customized to each student, and I make learning Swedish fun by incorporating Swedish culture and traditions. This one-on-one approach is by far the fastest and most efficient way to learn a language, so sign up today!
