When I suggested to my friend that she and I meet at IKEA for coffee today, I didn't know that she had recently returned from a trip to Sweden. There, she had enjoyed daily fika with her traveling companion—fika being a break with coffee and, traditionally, a Swedish cinnamon bun called Kanelbullar.

I loved the idea of fika and went searching for more information on it when I returned home. According to travel writer David Nikel, fika is "something of a ritual" in Sweden. It's more than a coffee break with something sweet: it's spending time with others as part of a deliberate break from one's day. In his article Swedish Fika: Sweden’s ‘Premium Coffee Break’ Explained, Nikel notes, "The important part isn’t the coffee or even the sweet treat, it’s the valuable time spent connecting with others." In many Swedish workplaces, says Nikel, employees take turns baking something for fika. But it's also possible to enjoy fika outside the workplace or even the café. Nikel advises: "Set aside some deliberate time to gather with friends or family, bake something homemade and put your phones to one side." I was born to fika.

The word fika can be used as both a verb and a noun, according to Emma Gillies. In her post The Swedish Art of Fika: Coffee, Cake & Catch-ups, Gillies notes that "you can fika any time you like in Sweden": at work, when you're out and about, at home. The key is to take your time. "A Swedish fika is a relaxed affair," she writes.

I love adopting positive customs and traditions from other cultures. Fika combines three things I love: a hot beverage, a sweet treat and nurturing time with a loved one. That sums up my day. My friend had reached out to me last week after I shared news of my latest complication with breast reconstruction surgery. When I received her invitation, a part of me wanted to stay home and wallow in my misfortune, but a voice in my head said, "Get out there. This will be good for you." And it was—very good.