An interesting article published by the BBC caught my attention recently. It’s about the Norwegian social phenomenon ‘dugnad’. It can be translated to to help or support, but as the author Oddrun Midtbo lucidly shows, the meaning goes far beyond its literal translation.
Tags: living in norway, life in norway, moving to norway, norwegian culture
Land is not something that could belong to anybody. That was the key message of Chief Seattle’s famous speech to George Washington in 1852; nobody can own ‘the freshness of the air’, ‘sparkle of water’ or ‘blueness of sky’. As human beings we are merely particles in the grand scheme of nature and we should thus regard all nature’s elements – down to each needle of a pine tree – as something sacred. Something we are to share equally amongst ourselves.
A long, long time ago the movement of glaciers carved out deep valleys and left behind a dramatic landscape, sprinkled with waterfalls, rivers, lakes and mountains. The fjords are Norway’s most distinctive feature – the word itself comes from Old Norse ‘fjörðr’, an inlet or estuary. There are around 1,190 fjords scattered along the coast, the largest concentration of fjords in the world.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word office? Do you picture formally dressed people working long hours behind their computers, or relaxed colleagues drinking coffee together while discussing their feelings about the latest team project?
According to several expat studies, foreign residents who live in Norway are very satisfied with most aspects of life, particularly with their new work-life balance and family life. But what they are missing is friendliness of the local people.
Career success, friendships, travel, leisure time… We care strongly about these values, but when we become parents, they all become secondary to our family’s happiness. We start to base decisions on the well-being of our children, rather than our personal goals and desires.
Tags: moving abroad, moving with family, family life, living in norway
When thinking about moving to a foreign country with your family there are many pros and cons to consider. We have set out some positive and negative impacts moving abroad can have on your children.
For parents, ensuring a good life for their children is a priority that influences most of their big life choices. Moving abroad, expat parents have to consider various factors: will their children be safe, well-educated and entertained, will they be healthy and enjoy a good quality of life, how will they fit in the new social and natural environment, and so on.
The line between work and personal life is becoming more and more blurry; after all, we carry an office in our pockets 24/7. There is an increasing awareness of just how overwhelming issues that are born out of work-related stress can be, and yet, work-life balance, the holy grail of modern life, seems more elusive than ever.
Tags: work-life balance
Citizens of Europe are happily exercising one of their core rights; the freedom to live, work and study within any of the EU/EEA member countries. According to estimations there are more than a million EU citizens moving within EU borders in a single year. If you’ve never been one of them, chances are you at least considered it at some point of your life and know that – like with most things in life – there are pros and cons to be weighed. This article is focusing on the pros.
Tags: working life, moving abroad, working abroad, work-life balance