David is from Folkestone, a beautiful coastal town in England. So, how did he end up in Skövde?

- My wife lived in Sweden when we first met online. Shortly after I visited her for the first time, I fell in love with both her and Sweden and haven't returned to England since," David says happily.

This was just over five years ago. Last year, the family moved to a house just outside Skövde, where his wife was born and raised.

A career in the digital sphere

Professionally, David works as a sole trader, wearing multiple hats as an editor and writer specializing in video games, esports, and soccer. His work frequently takes him to different cities in Sweden for major events such as DreamHack in Jönköping, which he covers extensively. David’s career allows him to merge his passion for gaming with his professional expertise.

- It can be hard to switch off if you spend all day at a PC and have a lot of 'online' hobbies. So during the Covid pandemic, I took up my childhood hobby - collecting and painting Warhammer miniatures and collecting Pokemon and football cards. Painting the little plastic models has really helped me to disconnect," says David.

Exploring Skövde

While David and his wife may not consider themselves avid outdoors enthusiasts, they have explored many different things to enjoy in Skövde.

- My main haunt in Skövde is Manatorsk which specializes in games and has a wide range of Magic and other card games, Warhammer, D'n'D and a bunch of board games for all ages and tastes. Being a massive nerd, that place has been a wonderful comfort for me since we moved. Otherwise, we have started attending more local events, food markets, etc., as we get used to the local area.

As his 1.5-year-old daughter grows, they look forward to exploring more of what Skövde has to offer.

- Now that it's summer in Sweden, and our little girl is more mobile, I spend a lot of time in the garden with her. Living out in the country means we have a lot of space for her, something I am really thankful for. So most days, rain allowing, we'll be in the garden kicking a soccer ball or she'll be running around the house pointing at flowers.

Future in Skövde

David and his family are commited to Skövde long-term. Professionally, David is particularly intrigued by developments at Science Parkand want to branch out more and make connections with the local gaming scene which is growing here.

- I recently attended DreamHack Summer in Jönköping and bumped into a local game developer, Angry Demon Studioswho I'll hopefully be visiting before they release it's next game. I think Skövde game scene is so surprisingly big, that I think more people in the English-speaking world need to hear about it.

- So I guess, if I had a long-term goal for my time in Skövde, I would love to work i a field that allowed me to shine a light on those studios more. Maybe that's starting my own YouTube/TikTok channel and getting those developers' games into the view of more people.