It
was the job opportunity of a lifetime, a one-year contract as an economic
development consultant in beautiful western Norway. I was going to be working
with local schools, governments and entrepreneurs while my children and
I lived in a postcard perfect rural village near the fjords. Within just
a few weeks we were packed and flying home, just in time for my kids to
end up almost a whole grading period behind in school. What happened?
Timing is everything,
well almost everything. For a move like this to work timing and research
were everything - everything that went wrong. More time and more careful
research might have saved this move. Hopefully our experience will help
the next family who wants to experience the beauty of Vest land. Our problems
broke down into two major groups: the financial/logistical problems and
the social/cultural problems. By learning from my mistakes you should be
able to avoid difficulties in both areas.
*You must have
a personal number to receive wages in Norway. It’s similar to the American
social security number. This fact I knew. Unfortunately, I found out when
I went to Svelgen to register my work permit that it would take about six
weeks for this number to arrive. For someone who had just spent thousands
on plane tickets and moving expenses this was a rude awakening. My company*
eventually advanced me some cash, but this problem seemed to be tied to
a strange cultural notion: Norwegians think all Americans are rich. It
never occurred to anyone that waiting weeks for my first paycheck would
be a problem. In addition, my company assumed that I would be able to immediately
purchase a car. Cars are considered luxury items in Norway and even used
ones are expensive.
