EDITORIAL

Welcome to a place that dares

“I can see why you’re proud of your hometown. It looks just like everything I’ve ever wanted.”

She says it while studying the photos behind me in our exhibition stand at the Emigration Expo in the Netherlands. I turn around and see Skellefteå through her eyes – the nature, the light, the people, the sense of possibility. What is everyday life to me is someone else’s dream.

We continue talking about what life in Skellefteå is like. About the closeness between the city and nature. About the opportunities, the jobs, the schools, and the leisure activities. About the safety and that hard-to-describe feeling of truly belonging. She has not yet visited Skellefteå, but her curiosity is strong and her questions are many.

At the same time as she marvels at everything Skellefteå has to offer, I cannot stop thinking about the courage it takes to even consider such a step. Because even though I know Skellefteå is a wonderful place to live, moving to a new city and a new country means more than just a new address. It means leaving familiar surroundings, language, friends, and routines behind. It means daring to start over.

Often, many pieces of the puzzle need to fall into place: work, housing, schools, and social life. These are big decisions, filled with both excitement and uncertainty. That is exactly why the work my colleagues and I do feels so meaningful. We get to be part of that very first contact, the first conversation, the first feeling that maybe this really could be possible. We answer questions, clear up uncertainties, and sometimes ease worries.

And we get to tell the stories. About those who have already taken the leap. About people who dared to move here and who today call Skellefteå home. Those are the kinds of stories you will find in this magazine – personal, courageous, and inspiring.

So to you who are curious, hesitant, or perhaps have already made your decision: Welcome. Welcome, all brave people, to a place that continues to dare.

So to you who are curious, hesitant, or perhaps have already made your decision: Welcome. Welcome, all brave people, to a place that continues to dare.

Text: Cecilia Söderström

Photo: Patrick Degerman