Life in Norway Show

An English language guide to living and working in Norway, featuring interviews with both expats and Norwegians. Find out what it's like to live and work in Scandinavia, and whether Norway really is the happiest country on earth.

87: Cycling Trips in Norway 08/23/2024

87: Cycling Trips in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 87: Matthew Tolley of Cycle Norway joins the shows to talk about the joys of cycling in the Norwegian fjords and beyond, and how to plan your own cycling trip. Matthew Tolley moved to Norway in 2016, after, as so many Brits do, having met a Norwegian girl. He was no stranger to living abroad, having spent time in several countries previously. After falling in love with exploring the country on two wheels, he began publishing videos of his adventures on YouTube. He quickly built a loyal following because of successful videos like this one about cycling in Fjord Norway: After building a loyal following for his videos on YouTube, he now runs Cycle Norway to share his passion for cycling with a community of others interested in planning cycling trips around Norway. Full Show Notes: Cycle Norway: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/32688922

86: Opening an English Bookstore in Oslo 08/02/2024

86: Opening an English Bookstore in Oslo Life in Norway Show Episode 86: Prismatic Pages has made a splash in its first year of operation as the only English language bookshop in Norway’s capital city. We chat to the owner. Originally from Seattle, Indigo Trigg-Hauger moved to Oslo in 2016, but that’s not when her Norwegian journey began. She grew up with a strong Norwegian influence as her mother had spent some time in Norway. Despite many people having a lifelong dream to open a bookstore, Indigo says that wasn't the case with her. She did, however, work in a bookstore for a year, a job she says was the best she'd had. The store is in what Indigo describes as an "off-the-beaten-path" part of the Grünerløkka neighbourhood, north of downtown Oslo. It sells both used and new books, with an emphasis on a cozy environment and personalised service. Full Show Notes: Prismatic Pages: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/32395972

85: South Sudan to Norway 05/31/2024

85: South Sudan to Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 85: From the US to Horton via South Sudan, Nyagoa’s story is a fascinating one. Today’s guest is Nyagoa William Nyuon, a U.S. citizen who spent much of her adult life working in South Sudan. She now lives in southeast Norway working in international relations, but also helps to run a charity focused on raising awareness of child marriages in South Sudan. We talk about South Sudan, her charity work, the move to Norway, and her first impressions of the culture. Niagua is also honest about what life is like for a black woman living in a small Norwegian town. Full Show Notes: Catwalk to Freedom: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/31467787

84: Living in Norway as a Russian in 2024 05/18/2024

84: Living in Norway as a Russian in 2024 Life in Norway Show Episode 84: Today’s guest is Anna Kross, a landscape architect who works with the design of common spaces in the Oslo region. Full Show Notes: But the reason Anna is on the show today is to tell her story of relocation from Russia, and what it’s been like living in Norway as a Russian over the last few years. We talk about how the current situation in the world has driven Anna and her friends to start a podcast explaining the Nordic model to Russians, not because that is the solution but to show that there are other ways. We also talk about the experience of voting for the first time, and the relationship between Russians and Ukrainians in Norway. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/31364177

83: Buying a House in Norway 05/03/2024

83: Buying a House in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 83: Buying a house in Norway is not something you might think about early in your relocation, but for today’s guest it was the main reason they chose to move. Full Show Notes: Christoph Graf is from Switzerland, and a big reason he chose to move to the Oslo region with his Norwegian wife was because of the better value housing than in his home country. On this episode, we talk about the house buying process. We cover research, viewing, and bidding. We also chat about some of the other reasons Christoph chose to relocate, including easy access to nature. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/30678858

82: Spanish-Speaking Community in Norway 04/19/2024

82: Spanish-Speaking Community in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 82: Florencia Meinardo from ‘El Podcast de Noruega’ joins us to talk about her relocation from Argentina, and the experience of native Spanish speakers in Norway. Full Show Notes: Originally from Buenos Aires, Florencia spent some time living in the US before deciding to make Norway her home together with her Spanish partner. We talk about the relocation process, Florencia’s decision to learn Norwegian as quickly as possible, and what life in Norway is like as a native Spanish speaker. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/30678793

81: Challenges of Moving to Trondheim 04/05/2024

81: Challenges of Moving to Trondheim Originally from Canada, Kristine moved to Trondheim with her partner and is now happily settled working in research. But it hasn't all been plain sailing for her. Full Show Notes: Kristine arrived in Norway just weeks before the pandemic, which led to a unique relocation experience. Everything from meeting new people to learning Norwegian suddenly became more of a challenge. On today's show, we talk about what to expect when job hunting as a foreigner, some of the cultural barriers you’ll need to overcome, and the challenge of learning Norwegian. We also cover the things that Kristine likes about living in Trondheim, and those things she still finds challenging. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/30676303

80: Moving from Nepal to Norway 03/22/2024

80: Moving from Nepal to Norway We often feature interviews with people relocating to Norway from the U.S., or like me, from the U.K. Today I welcome Surendra Thapaliya to the show for a different kind of story. He’s originally from Nepal, and moved to Norway in 2016 to study at BI, the Norwegian Business School. He’s since gone from strength to strength and now lives with his wife in Oslo, where he has a senior marketing position. We talk about studying in Oslo, the differences between life in Nepal and life in Norway, and his own projects helping other from Nepal study abroad. Full Show Notes: Links from the Show: Surendra's employer Our Connect with Surendra Surendra's videos for the Nepalese community /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/30107708

79: Succeeding with Norway’s Job-Seeker Permit 03/08/2024

79: Succeeding with Norway’s Job-Seeker Permit Life in Norway Show Episode 79: Abby Noble shares her inspiring story of planning exactly how she would find a job in Norway, obtaining a job-seeker permit, and finding her ideal job in an Oslo architecture firm. Moving to Norway is a dream for many, but finding a job is often the biggest barrier. Today I’m joined by Abby Noble, an American who moved to Norway without a job in order to find one. She applied for Norway’s job-seeker visa in order to carry out her plan. She joins me on the show today to talk about the visa, and her process for finding work in the architecture industry in Oslo. Full Show Notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/30107653

78: Moving from Germany to Arctic Norway 02/23/2024

78: Moving from Germany to Arctic Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 78: Daniela Laguniak, an expedition leader with Havila Voyages, tells us about her relocation to Northern Norway and her working life on the Norwegian coastal route. Originally from Germany, she is fluent in three languages and lives in a remote part of Finnmark, Northern Norway. Daniela worked a seasonal tourism job at the North Cape in 2012 and then made the decision to move to Norway permanently. She now lives in Tana, one of the most remote parts of Arctic Norway, with her Sami partner. She also talks about her working life on board the Havila Polaris, where she works for 22 days, followed by 22 days off. It's a shift pattern that wouldn't suit everyone, but it suits Daniela perfectly. Full Show Notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/30052558

77: Moving from Singapore to Oslo 02/09/2024

77: Moving from Singapore to Oslo This is episode 77 of the Life in Norway Show. Moving to Norway from outside Europe poses a whole heap of challenges, not least convincing an employer to take a chance on you. Today I’m joined by Isabelle Loh, originally from Singapore and having relocated to Oslo with her Norwegian partner, she shared her frustrations about finding a job on LinkedIn, and drew a big response. We talk about life in Oslo, how she’s gone about the job search and how that has changed over time, and some advice for fellow job-seekers. Full Show Notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/29870773

76: Sami Culture in Northern Norway 01/26/2024

76: Sami Culture in Northern Norway Life in Norway Show #76: From the Sami Parliament and efforts to keep the languages alive to the importance of handicrafts and song, we hear all about Sami culture in 2024. Full Show Notes: The recent wind turbine controversy has brought Sami culture and indigenous rights back into the headlines here in Norway, and around the world. Bodø is about to start its year as European Capital of Culture, and the team has put Sami culture at the very heart of the program. So, who better to introduce us to the various aspects of Sami culture than Maria Hernes Bær, the coordinator of the Sami program for . We talk about Sami identity, some elements of the culture including what tourists experience and what they don’t, and the plans to showcase Sami culture at Bodø 2024. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/29658868

75: Retirement to Northern Norway 01/12/2024

75: Retirement to Northern Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 75: One of the most common questions I receive at Life in Norway is about retirement, specifically the idea of moving to Norway to retire. Full Show Notes: Now, while at the moment I plan to retire here, that’s not the same thing as moving here when already retired. I always thought that was a difficult thing to do, but a Life in Norway reader recently got in touch to share their story, and I immediately invited them on to the show. Not only have they retired to Norway, but they’ve retired to a remote part of Northern Norway. In today’s show I talk to Trevor Rulton about the benefits of challenges of living in a remote area, what everyday life is like, the admin process of moving to Norway, and lots more. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/29308788

74: Norway in 2024 01/01/2024

74: Norway in 2024 This show is going to be a little bit different because I don’t have a guest, it’s just me, as I look ahead to all things Norway in 2024. Full Show Notes: I’ll talk a little about what to expect for those of you planning a trip to Norway in 2024, plus information on what’s changing for those of us who live here in Norway. Finally I’ll talk a little bit about what you can expect from us here at Life in Norway over the coming year. First things first, if you’re not already a member at Life in Norway, head on over to lifeinnorway.net/weekly. You’ll join more than 17,000 people who receive our popular Norway Weekly newsletter every Tuesday morning. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/29285708

73: Living in Mandal, Southern Norway 12/02/2023

73: Living in Mandal, Southern Norway Life in Norway Show Episode #73: Agnes Erickson joins the podcast to talk about her move from California to Norway, and what life is like in a small town on the south coast. Full Show Notes: Agnes works in the marketing team at Norrøna House, the headquarters of Norwegian outdoor clothing brand Norrøna. She works from Oslo a couple days per week and works the rest of the time in Mandal. Mandal is a small Norwegian town of about 10,000 people on the southern coast of Norway, about 30 minutes west of Kristiansand. As with many southern coastal towns, Mandal is known for its white, wooden houses, beaches, and busy harbour. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/28862443

72: Finding Work in Norway with a Mentor 05/26/2023

72: Finding Work in Norway with a Mentor Life in Norway Show Episode #72: A repatriate to Norway joins the show to chat about her experiences returning to Norway after many years abroad, and how mentoring can help foreigners find employment in Norway. Full Show Notes: Tone Indrelid was born in Norway but spent many, many years living overseas in India, Oman, Syria and Borneo before she and her family returned to Norway. She now puts her years of experience as a anthropologist, interculturalist and language instructor to good use by becoming project leader in Stavanger for the organisation Sammen om en jobb. We talk about Tone’s experiences, some of the challenges in adapting and finding work in Norway, and how a mentoring program could help you. Sammen om en jobb: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/26899599

71: Working in the Norwegian Gaming Industry 05/04/2023

71: Working in the Norwegian Gaming Industry Life in Norway Show Episode #71: Two recent hires in Norwegian gaming company Riddlebit Software join us to talk about game development and their journey to working in Norway. Full Show Notes: Today I’m joined by two newcomers to Norway who are working in a small games development studio here in Trondheim. I have got to know both Jordan originally from Texas and Lyubov from Belarus over the past months as they work in the same coworking space as me. We talk about the gaming industry in Norway, how they found a job in a small games studio and what life is like here in Trondheim. Read more about Setback: Read more about Riddlebit Software: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/26742759

70: Unlock Norway with Gabriella Mikiewicz 04/21/2023

70: Unlock Norway with Gabriella Mikiewicz Life in Norway Show Episode #70: A US-Poland dual citizen joins the show to chat through her process of moving to Norway, and why she wants to share what she’s learned with you. Full Show Notes: Gabriella Mikiewicz is the founder of , which she created to help fellow newcomers understand the country better. She said her experience of living in Norway has been enriched by her Norwegian partner and friends, who have given her so much content and context to understand the country better. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/26601987

69: A Cruise Ship Captain on Life at Sea 01/20/2023

69: A Cruise Ship Captain on Life at Sea Life in Norway Show Episode #69: Captain Victor Stoica of the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship MS Borealis chats about life at sea, the responsibility of captaining a cruise ship and his favourite parts of Norway. I’m just back from a two-week cruise to the north of Norway in search of the northern lights. I’ll write much more about the journey and experience in the weeks to come, but in the meantime I have an interesting interview for you. Full Show Notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/25667535

68: The Norwegian Coastal Voyage with Havila 01/06/2023

68: The Norwegian Coastal Voyage with Havila Life in Norway Show Episode #68: Lasse Vangstein of Havila Voyages joins the show to talk about the Norwegian Coastal Voyage and the new Havila vessels introduced over the past year. The Norwegian coastal voyage has grown in popularity over the last decade. While still providing a vital transport service for cargo and local passengers, travellers from all over the world to come to Norway to experience the full coastal voyage. For many years Hurtigruten has been the only operator along the route. Now, Havila Voyages are putting brand new ships into service and travellers have a choice. Lasse Vangstein of Havila Voyages joins the show to talk about the history of the coastal service, what makes the trip so special and attractive to international tourists, and what Havila's new ships have to offer. Full show notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/25490568

67: Ice Hockey in Norway with Jordan George 12/09/2022

67: Ice Hockey in Norway with Jordan George Life in Norway Show Episode #67: We speak to an American ice hockey player living in Norway about ice hockey and how the sport differs in the UK, Germany and Norway. American Jordan George plays for Nidaros Hockey in Trondheim and also works in the club's marketing team. Previously he played professional hockey for several teams in Germany and Denmark and began by playing college hockey in the US. Full show notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/25279224

66: Learning Norwegian at an American Summer Camp 11/11/2022

66: Learning Norwegian at an American Summer Camp Life in Norway Show Episode #66: What is like to learn Norwegian as a teenager in the US and then move to Norway 20 years later? Find out on the latest episode of our podcast. Today's guest is Kari Nixon, a scholar of medical humanities and Victorian literature. She currently holds a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at NTNU here in Trondheim, Norway. Full show notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/24969249

65: Adventure Travel in Norway 06/10/2022

65: Adventure Travel in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode #65: Norway is known worldwide as a great destination for discovering the great outdoors. Today we chat about how to make the most of those opportunities with today's guest, Kevin J Rosenberg. He runs tour company IAG Adventures and wants more people to discover the natural beauty in Norway and the other Nordic countries. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/adventure-travel-podcast/ /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/23384819

64: Why Norway Needs a Startup Visa 05/27/2022

64: Why Norway Needs a Startup Visa Starting a business in Norway is challenging enough at the best of times. But doing so as an immigrant is a path that's full of uncertainties. Today we’re talking about a gap in Norway’s immigration rules which entrepreneurs can easily fall into and find themselves forced to leave Norway despite having built a life here. Full Show Notes: /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/23244599

63: US Embassy in Oslo, Norway 03/26/2022

63: US Embassy in Oslo, Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 63: The acting head of the U.S. Embassy in Norway joins the show to talk about her role and the relations between the two countries. Sharon Hudson-Dean is Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway. Sharon took a few minutes out of her very busy schedule when visiting Trondheim recently to become the fourth Ambassador to come on the show. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/22577147

62: Life as a Researcher on Svalbard 01/21/2022

62: Life as a Researcher on Svalbard Life in Norway Show Episode 62: Peter Betlem from the University Centre in Svalbard talks about living on Svalbard and working as a researcher. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/21681797

61: American Chamber of Commerce in Norway 01/01/2022

61: American Chamber of Commerce in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 61: Jason Turflinger of the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway joins the show to talk business culture in Norway and the US. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/21648395

60: Erasmus Study in Norway 12/17/2021

60: Erasmus Study in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 60: The European Erasmus programme allows millions of students to study abroad. Here's the experience of a Dutch student visiting Trondheim, Norway. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/21486299

59: Moving to Norway as a Child 11/27/2021

59: Moving to Norway as a Child Life in Norway Show Episode 59: In the latest podcast episode, I chat with a Latvian who moved to Norway as a child and then decided to stay as a teenager, without his parents. Full show notes: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/moving-to-norway-as-a-child/ /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/21295727

58: Travel Tips for an Outdoors Vacation in Norway 11/05/2021

58: Travel Tips for an Outdoors Vacation in Norway Life in Norway Show Episode 58: Agathe from Find Your Norway joins the show to chat about planning a hiking trip in Norway. /episode/index/show/lifeinnorway/id/21062987

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