My First Pride Outside the US
My impressions of Stockholm Pride after immigrating to Sweden
When I started dating my Swedish partner, I missed Denver Pride because I wanted to be in Sweden for Midsommar. Because I needed to be back to start teaching in Denver, I missed Pride in Stockholm.
This was such a small price to pay while finding happiness again.
For both of us. I originally reached out to my Swedish guy after my late husband suddenly and tragically died. I was looking for any sort of wisdom or support my guy could provide since, a few years previous, he lost his partner in similar circumstances. He had a couple more years of widower-ness under his belt, so we began WhatsApp texting and occasionally video chatting. The texts and calls became more frequent until the texting was every day and the video calls weekly.
Two years ago, I had finished a teaching degree and decided to celebrate by visiting him in Sweden for Midsommar. And after I arrived, we fell into this shockingly easy co-existence. It was so good after what we’d both been through that neither of us was sure what to do. Was this a reason to hope again? Turns out, it was.
Fast forward two years and the full immigration process (another story for another day), and I arrived with a residency visa and the ability to be in Sweden for…
