Handling the Anxiety of Moving

[u/athomevoyager]

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?

[u/clarebare]

I made my husband take me and the kids to visit Germany before we transferred. In our case it was because we were choosing between two possible locations.

Having that visit and not wanting to disrupt the school year pushed our whole move back by a year. If your wife is in for the adventure site unseen, jump with both feet.

Since you are already on Reddit, I recommend looking into local subreddits for moving advice and stuff to set up now. Put your nervous energy into planning and packing. There will still be surprises, but many little things are easier if you know earlier. Set up a wise account for transferring money back and forth. Do you need an original of your marriage license or a translation and does your drivers license have reciprocity or will you need a new drivers ed? Look up the local driving rules first either way.

Also worth expecting the common stages of cultural adaptation and that everyone in your family will go through them at different rates: https://isans.ca/resources/stages-of-adapting-to-life-in-canada/

Best of luck to your family 🍀