Colleague abroad: living and working in Sweden
After more than 8.5 years full of creativity, great collaborations and heaps of good coffee at Jacs Koopman, it was time for Mark to start a new chapter. So, together with his good friend Marleen and his two 19.5-year-old cats, he left for Sweden!
A new chapter
After a fully loaded car ride divided over two days, I finally set foot on Swedish soil on May 11, ready for a new adventure among the forests, lakes and tranquility that Sweden has to offer. The fine news? I will simply remain responsible for all of Jacs Koopman’s graphic designs and designs. So the style, approach and creativity will remain familiar. Only everything will probably get a small Scandinavian touch.
New workstation
In my temporary rental apartment in Sadarne, I didn’t have a luxury desk, so I converted my dining room table into a workstation. With my laptop and a second screen, I went back to work on June 2. Every Monday I have a Teams meeting with Koen, the marketing & operations manager, to talk through the week. Meanwhile, I bought my own house, located on a lake in Nianfors, a real dream spot. (The yellow house from the photo) Here I have been able to set up another good workplace. With my new Swedish work week, good planning is essential. So there is less room for ad hoc designs, but of course I always try to stay flexible and make room for new ideas. This way I can both get my work done and enjoy my new surroundings.
Farewell party
My departure from Jacs Koopman did not go without a huge surprise. Of course I already knew that we would be having a drink on my last day, but what I didn’t expect was that we would be celebrating a week earlier with over 40 friends and family who showed up unexpectedly, at least for me, otherwise of course everyone knew about it. After two beautiful speeches by Casper Vulling and good friend Jurgen, we enjoyed delicious snacks and drinks. What made it extra special was that a picture was taken of everyone and put on a personal card, nice to read back later and reminisce.
“That I would really take the plunge, not many expected. There were even bets running!”
A dream for years
My departure from Jacs Koopman did not come as a complete surprise to colleagues, by the way. I had been talking about it for years and it had always been a dream to move to Sweden one day. But not many expected me to actually take the plunge. There were even bets running! Still, the moment came: my house was sold, the garage sale held and a lot of stuff went to the local thrift store. After the sale of my house, everything suddenly happened at lightning speed and for many it became clear then: this is really going to happen! To this day, I don’t regret it for a moment, but I admit that I do miss the sociability at the office, my parents and the friendships I made in the Netherlands from time to time.
Fortunately, I regularly FaceTime with my parents and friends to still stay in touch and now that I have my own home, of course the Fika is here too! Finally, I’m only a two-hour flight from the Netherlands. Driving is a bit further, but even then I’ll be back home in about 18 hours. Although the distance is a bit longer, the Netherlands remains close.
Enjoying my new life
Besides my work, of course, I am thoroughly enjoying this move. The peace, the nature … it’s just wonderful here. Of course the Netherlands also has its beautiful places, but here it is really different. Yes, it is often a bit cooler than in the Netherlands, but that is something I can live with just fine. You can just drive around here for an hour or walk through a beautiful nature park and completely lose yourself in your thoughts. That also does something to your creativity. The silence, the space … everything contributes to the creative process. You literally get space for new ideas, without the crowds you sometimes experience in a busy city.
“It’s super nice to still be remotely connected”
Everything is different, but at the same time it feels so right. I am extremely grateful for this move and look forward to continuing to grow both personally and professionally in Sweden, but it is super nice to still be connected to Jacs Koopman from a distance.
This is an article from issue 13 of our own Helder Magazine. Curious about the rest of the content? Then download the full magazine.