By Zayera Khan
I am an explorer. Exploring, traveling, and nature coincide with each other. To date July 2023, I have visited 60 countries; as a solo traveler, as a group traveler, with a friend or partner. In some countries, I have participated in volunteering projects in nature, with farming or animals.
The activity of traveling, and being a visitor is a part of my identity. An explorer observing new cultures, languages, and customs.
I am where the locals are. Experiencing daily life. As I am a curious person, not your average tourist. So I ask questions and like to figure things out. Sometimes I only observe and listen.
About myself, I was born in 1974 in Karachi, Pakistan. My parents are Muslim and I grew up in an Urdu and Punjabi-speaking household.
When I was 4 years old, we relocated and lived in Nigeria until I was 10 years old. My childhood memories are very fond. We experienced challenges and hardships; being sick with malaria every year. Or that summer when the roof blew away from our house in a tropical storm.
At the age of 10 years, we relocated to Lund, Sweden. Learning Swedish and getting accustomed to a new lifestyle. Walking and biking to school, living a calm peaceful life in Sweden. Yet being an outsider. A person slowly adapting to a new culture and environment.
I wanted to explore other places in Sweden and moved at the age of 20 to study. I studied Cognitive Science and Interaction Design at the University of Sk枚vde and Malm枚. In the year 2000, I started working in IT. Through this path, I ended up spending 7 years in Switzerland from 2001 until 2008. With a year in Amsterdam, Holland, from 2006-2007.
Since 2008 I have been based in Stockholm, Sweden. In my professional life, I have continued working in the field of product development, designing new products and services.
On my vacations and leisure time, I continue to be adventurous and explorative. I hope to share my adventures and reflections with you. Reflections from life in Sweden and what you as a visitor or traveler may encounter.
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Unlock the Secrets of Sweden: What You Need To Know Before Your Visit 鈥� Part 2
Peculiar Yet Unknown Swedish Food Traditions Food is a big part of Swedish celebrations. No, I will not write about Herring or Fermented Baltic Herring known as Surstr枚mming. Instead, I would like to share the food traditions I like and cherish. Such as Kanelbullens dag, V氓ffeldagen, and Semmeldagen. A cozy Friday is Fredagsmys. Ending a busy week with a cozy […]
Unlock the Secrets of Sweden: What You Need To Know Before Your Visit – Part 1
Geography Sweden looks like a long banana. From south to north, the country stretches 1572 kilometers. A distance of 499 kilometers separates east from west. It has a coastline of 2400 kilometers, surrounded by the Baltic Sea in the east. Finland, Norway, and Denmark are our neighbours. Did you know that Sweden is the fourth largest […]
A Swedish autumn’s delight
The weather is grey, cloudy, and windy. The autumn season has arrived in Sweden. In Stockholm, the temperature is around 3 degrees Celsius in the morning. The first snowfall has already fallen in some parts of northern Sweden. There are still flowers blooming in the southern region. The weather in autumn can be confusing. You […]
Summers in Sweden
Summer in Sweden starts in June and lasts until the end of August. The summer months are a wonderful time to visit Sweden. If you want to experience the midnight sun, aim for the northern part in June before midsummer. I like spending summers in Sweden. Although I get very little sleep these months due […]
