Moving To Norway From The USA? 9 Tips You Need To Know Now

Why Norway? What crazy Haitian or Caribbean would move to Norway or north of the Arctic Circle?

Moving to Norway wasn’t easy. I can’t tell you with confidence that you can move abroad. I couldn’t even say it for myself, though I tried my best to stay positive that it would happen. My desire to move to Norway and my love for the Arctic began years ago. What started with curiosity became a scorching, all-consuming desire.

I always had an intense desire to go places and to see the world. Maybe it was because my family is from Haiti, or maybe it was because I moved quite a lot growing up and understood that people can call multiple places home. In college, curious about places I had not been, I did some research. I stumbled upon photos of the northern lights and pictures of Maine and Canada, but when I found photos of Iceland and Norway I felt pure excitement. I wondered if I could study abroad in either of those places, but my college didn’t offer study abroad opportunities there.

Love Story

I did a lot of research on Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. These countries are highly praised as desirable places to live for safety, equality, environmentalism, and social benefits like generous maternity leave, all things I care about. So, one day I put on my dating profile that I wanted to live in a Nordic or Scandinavian country. One of the most important things to me was finding a person who would be bold enough to join me on some of my wild adventures if the opportunity presented itself. Fortunately, my now-husband took quite an interest in my dating profile. “Huh, a Caribbean woman looking to live in cold, mountainous places… excellent!”

My husband is from Wisconsin, and he is used to adventures in northern Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. My husband is also a glacial researcher, so snow, glaciers, hikes, mountains, and – checkmate… or in this case, soulmate! I know, corny. But fortunately, being honest about what I wanted in life from the very beginning helped me find someone who shared my dreams. It’s very hard to convince people to believe in your dreams, so it’s simple when they already share them.

But there was more to him than his fondness of glaciers, snow, and mountains and I discovered it 3 months later when we took our first international trip together to Iceland. It was the most fun we had in our lives – sleeping in our sleeping bags in the car when the tent got too wet, running down a mountain in the rain right after enjoying a pleasant soak in a hot spring, and finding ourselves overwhelmed with laughter while exploring what seemed like another world. It was in Iceland that I fell in love with my husband and that my love for the Arctic began (though we were still about 100 km south of the Arctic Circle).

Since then we’ve traveled to many places around the world (mostly mountainous regions). But there was something still telling us to move north. Maybe it was our many winter ski road trips, where we’d often find ourselves in the middle of a snowstorm, and Colin would beg me to play Frozen’s hit classic, “Let It Go,” changing the lyrics slightly to, “Let It Snow.” Maybe it was our misery with New York City and Madison, Wisconsin’s humid summers. The political issues and safety concerns in the US were certainly factors.

Setting Our Intentions

Colin and I have a Saturday tradition where we disconnect from everything, sit on the couch, and talk to each other about our dreams, where we want to settle down, and the life we want our future children to have. I am a firm believer of goal setting and writing and talking about dreams. We had similar concerns for the safety of our future children that I know my mother had when she made the decision to flee Haiti in the 80s under the leadership of Jean-Claude Duvalier (Baby Doc) and immigrate to the United States.

You see, when people immigrate to another country it is not usually because they hate their country, but rather because of the circumstances that force them to consider other places or the unique opportunities that occasionally offer the chance to experience something different. Oftentimes, they take the leap when thinking of their families and safety. This was the case for my mom. My mom and I have so much pride in Haiti and the USA, but there are clear issues that could not be ignored.

Although we considered Alaska or places we could at least get lots of snow, like Minnesota or northern Michigan, eventually the emotional rollercoaster of feeling unsafe as a black woman became unbearable. I accepted that though I am unlikely to see many who share my racial and ethnic identity in northern Scandinavian and Nordic countries, at the very least, I know I’ll feel much safer.

Off To Norway

We discovered Tromsø, Norway, the Paris of the North, a small city nestled on an island in a fjord, illuminated with northern lights and the glow of winter snow. Tromsø seemed like what my heart had been yearning for. By no means was it easy to get here. There were also several things I had to ask myself before moving. How will I assimilate as a black woman? I am hard-of-hearing, so how difficult will it be for me to hear and learn a new language? How challenging will it be to find a job? Will I be able to find ingredients for Haitian cuisine?

Check out this free printable on questions to ask yourself before moving abroad.

Well, I had to find out the answers to all my questions and soon. Colin found the Ph.D. opportunity of his dreams. Yes, that meant we were indeed moving to Norway. I had to leave my job, because after all, moving to Norway was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Now that I’ve been given one of my biggest dreams, I made the choice to focus on my other dreams like writing blogs and children’s books.

So what advice do I have for you as you begin your journey moving to Norway, chasing the northern lights, or moving someplace else?

1. Write your goals down. A dream can still be a dream when you wake, and dreams are more special when you wake because it is then that you can make them come true.
2. Try! Luck is always a part of the equation, your financial situation, your connections, etc. However, if you do not try, you’re automatically accepting defeat, and you will never know what could have been. Every step you take counts, even the small steps.
3. Save as if you could get the opportunity to move anywhere tomorrow. It is expensive to ship things abroad, so think about your purchases, and save where you can.
4. Tell very few your dreams, some people will kill them before you do.
5. Research your places of interest, both good and bad. After all, you will be living there!
6. Don’t expect you will have access to the same things you did before. No, Norway does not have Amazon! Move to a new place with an open mind and an open heart.
7. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. You are destined for your own journey and you are going to get there on your own time and in your own way. Just try to stay positive, and celebrate all of your wins no matter how small.
8. Give yourself time When you make your big move, remember, you will miss home, whether you moved abroad by choice or by necessity. I do miss my loved ones, and I miss home. I’m incredibly grateful for the kindness people have shown me here, but I’m still adjusting to things. Give yourself time and the freedom to adjust to your new life. If you make an effort to learn about the culture and language it will come in time. But understand that when you’re down and missing home, there are days you will feel unmotivated. Practice self-compassion.
9. Finally, remember the grass is not always greener on the other side, especially not in the Arctic. I’ll save that for another post. 😉

I hope you join me as I share more about my life in Norway, travel adventures, and my journey to rediscovering my happiness and dreams. For those people belonging to traditionally marginalized groups, especially, I hope you are able to make it to a place where you feel safe. Mobility is difficult for some people more than others, but life is about taking chances and trying your best even if things don’t work out as planned. Challenges exist everywhere you go, even in Norway.

But it’s more threatening and scary depending on where in the world you are. It should not be this difficult for people to exist, but it is. And no matter where you go, you will face challenges. While I cannot promise an easy road ahead in your new country and your new life, I hope that you are able and willing to take the chance and move someplace that does not threaten your existence. I am rooting for you.

Med Hilsen,

Arlynn