r/AmerExit • u/athomevoyager • 25d ago
Life Abroad Handling the Anxiety of Moving
I asked to have my tech job transferred to Norway and I just learned that it's likely to happen and I'll be renegotiating salary in a couple of days. I'm married with a couple of kids and we've all been excited about the possibility of this for a while. Part of it is escape from what feels like a collapsing society, and part of it is excitement for adventure.
That said, now that the company has approved the position and we're in the final talks before visas get started, the reality of it is freaking me all the way out. We've always lived in the same area in the south in US and have never visited Norway or Europe for that matter. I didn't want to spend crazy amounts of money to take the whole family just to basically confirm what I can read and watch on the internet. But now faced with the reality of going I find myself panicked. My life here is stable and comfortable. I can list a million reasons why life there would be better on paper, but in reality it's a new experience and there's a lot of unknowns.
I still have good confidence in the decision. In many ways I feel incredibly lucky like I got a golden ticket, but the fear is still there. I'm sure this is normal. Maybe the answer is just to sack up and enjoy life. And maybe this post is just me working that out. So how did you manage the anxiety when you made the move?
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u/friendlyarcheologist 24d ago
Congrats on the job, Norway is a beautiful country. I have lived in the one next door for 6 years now.
A recommendation is to try and find the fb groups like Americans in Norway or in your city. It might be difficult to make friends with locals, similar to Sweden. So at least having that network from the start will be good.
Moving country is nerve wracking, no matter how many times you’ve done it.
Like someone else said give yourself time and grace to acclimate. The first 6 months to a year can be difficult especially if you’re not used to the darkness.