07/02/2026
One of my absolute favorite pearls to take with me from my time in Stockholm is the fika break. Fika is the quintessential Swedish cultural tradition of taking a daily break to drink coffee, eat pastries, and socialize with friends, family, or coworkers. It is a mandatory moment to pause, reset, and connect- with managers even walking around reminding employees to ensure they take their fika break. Everywhere you walk the cafes have boards outside advertising to come in for fika, and it’s a forced time for the oftentimes introverted Swedish to connect and socialize with people around them. It’s a lovely way to slow the day down and remember that there is so much more outside of work. Oftentimes at home, I can get so caught up in critiquing and photographing my work and planning and designing smiles that it becomes a hyperfocus- and truly one I don’t mind as I love the challenge…. But this time away reminds me that I always want to work to live and not live to work. The other pearl that I will carry with me away from this trip is that I truly love my job… I miss having a hand piece in my hands…. I miss my patients…. I miss my team… and what a lovely gift it is to have a profession I love so much that I’m eager to return to it. I often feel guilty taking time away- it can feel like I’m letting down my patients and team who expect me to always be there… so from the bottom of my heart -thank you for gifting me this precious time to see a glimpse of the world and other cultures, and truly refuel my soul. ❤️🦷-Dr. C
