Oh the Arctic. The beautiful, chilly land up North full of the most gorgeous landscapes you will ever see. From stunning fjords and mountains to the midnight sun and northern lights, the Arctic truly is a magical place.
While it is true that life in the Arctic is pretty magical there are some things that can take time adjusting to for an expat. To get a look at the real life of an expat in the Arctic I have teamed up with fellow Arctic expat Van from Snow in Tromso. Trust me Van knows what she is talking about, this gal has been all over the Arctic, from Greenland to Iceland and her home in Norway she is an Arctic explorer!
So what is life in the Arctic really like????
Van and I came up with some questions to ask each other to try and give you all some insight on how life as an expat in the Arctic has really been for us. Enjoy!
1. What’s the no. 1 item from your home country you wish you could get your hands on in the Arctic?
Van: Can I say Currywurst-Pommes? I know it’s a cliche, but I do miss this national dish of ours. And I also miss real German bread. Basically all I miss about Germany is food, I have to admit, haha!
Kaelene: This is actually a tough one! I can’t think of one specific item that stands out that I wish I could find in Iceland. For the most part I can always find what I need, or a close substitute, but it will cost me a pretty penny to get it. I think for me the thing I miss is affordable, and good quality, produce. For example fresh strawberries, oh how I crave those at the beginning of summer when they are in season, but not enough to pay $6USD for a tiny box of them in Iceland.
2. What surprised you most about the Arctic after moving there?
Van: I think I was most surprised about the amount of people wanting to live there too. Up until I moved, I thought I was one of very few people who would actually want to move to the Arctic but I learned pretty quickly that the housing situation in Tromso is terrible. There are way more people wanting/needing a place to live than there actually are places available. Hundreds of students come to Tromso each semester and the city is booming. I know that a lot of people still think that the Arctic is an empty and boring place and even though I never have been one of them, I also didn’t expect it to be that popular!
Tromso from above. Find more gorgeous pictures of Tromso over at Van’s blog!
Kaelene: I feel like my two years in Iceland has been full of surprises. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I moved to Iceland so everything has basically surprised me. From how Icelanders can put a positive twist on months of bad weather to the emphasis put on work and life balance it has all be a lovely surprise. And the beauty of the landscapes in Iceland, it never fails to take my breath away!
3. What’s the one question everyone always asks you about your life up North
Van: Is it very cold? That’s definitely the one thing, people always ask me about and I get it, the Arctic is supposed to be cold, right?! Anyway, thanks to the gulf stream, Tromso is a relatively warm place. We rarely have days with -10 degrees and I haven’t experienced it to be colder during the day than that. Usually, it’s between -5 and +5 degrees Celsius in winter and that’s thanks to being at the coast. Places situated in the mountains, far away from the ocean, definitely reach -20 degrees and colder quite frequently but Tromso luckily isn’t one of those places.
Kaelene: The weather. I guess the Arctic gets a bad rep for being a chilly place:) Really though, like Van I am always getting asked about the weather. Many assume that it is always way below freezing in Iceland and that we have snow year round. Thankfully this is not true, thanks again to the gulf stream. Although the summers could be a bit more warmer I can’t complain about the winter temperatures, I am quite happy they stay right around freezing and rarely dip much further below.
Okay, sometimes it gets a bit chilly!
4. What is the biggest cultural difference you have experienced between your life in the arctic and life back home?
Van: Life in the Arctic (and Norway in general) is a lot more laid-back and slow. In Germany it’s quite usual to be quick in your work and also, everything is organized to the max. I know, it might be a cliche but only living in Norway made me realize that there’s a lot of truth to it. Norwegians take things much less serious and the work life is much slower and more relaxed. Breaks and holidays are taken seriously whereas it’s quite normal to work over-time in Germany.
Also, people don’t argue in Norway. In Germany we argue all the time. Whether that’s between friends and family or with the customer service of a shop. I don’t speak of aggressive fights here but if you have a problem, you talk about it. Norwegians are a lot more careful when it comes to arguing or complaining, which I didn’t know up until I complained and argued with people for the first time. I’ve seen people working at customer services reacting really nervous, even afraid, when I had to complain about something which is something I hadn’t experienced before. Norwegians try to avoid arguments which makes contacting a customer service a lot easier but working with them a bit harder (for me personally that is).
Kaelene: I have definitely experienced culture shock since moving to Iceland, and after two years I still do! The language barrier was a tough one for me, and learning Icelandic is quite the challenge! I think one of the biggest differences though between my life in the US and in Iceland is the work life balance. Having your time off in Iceland is just as important as coming to work and at first this was strange to me coming from a country where taking time off is basically frowned upon. It took me a bit to shake off my American work ethic as my co-workers call it but now I fully embrace that time off and see how important it is!
5. Which hidden gem of the Arctic should be on everyone’s bucket list?
Van: There are lots of places but if you only have time and money to see one place in the Arctic, I would advise you to head to the Lofoten Islands! This archipelago in the Norwegian Sea of Northern Norway is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen - except for Greenland maybe. The Lofoten Islands have everything you would expect to find in Norway: fjords, mountains, hidden beaches and wildlife ranging from whales to sea eagles. Plus, there are lots and lots of little fishing villages where you can find those typical, colourful, wooden houses!
Kaelene: I think all of the Arctic is one gorgeous hidden gem, I have so many places on my Arctic bucket list I am hoping to explore. Iceland is really the only place in the Arctic I have been able to explore and choosing just one place to share from Iceland, that is almost impossible. A place I visited recently that currently claims the top spot for my favorite place in Iceland is Vestmannaeyjar.
Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
6. Do you think you were fully prepared for what awaited you in the Arctic? If you could, would you change some decisions/preparations you made?
Van: I think I was too prepared in some regards and not prepared at all in others. For example, I bought lots and lots of outdoor gear of which I haven’t even used half as it’s not as cold as I anticipated anyway! But when it comes to food and housing prices, I definitely wasn’t prepared enough. I knew that life in the Arctic was expensive but it still was quite the shock to see just how expensive it really is. Also, I definitely underestimated polar night. It hit me quite hard when I experienced it for the first time and it wasn’t something I’d want to experience again.
If I could change something, I’d definitely make a higher budget to be better prepared to the Norwegian cost of living and I’d also follow every possible advice I ever heard about dealing with polar night, from taking vitamins to visiting the solarium to using special lamps, right from the start. I’ve now learned, fish oil, vitamins and artificial sunlight are definitely a cure for polar night mood swings.
The adorable colored houses in Greenland
Kaelene: I don’t think I was prepared at all for what awaited me in Iceland. You should of seen the coat I brought for my “winter coat“, the poor thing didn’t last very long or keep me warm at all! The main thing I would change though is coming in with the mindset that adjusting to life in Iceland would take time. I moved here thinking I would adjust and have my own friend group in no time, and when that didn’t happen I got discouraged and felt like something was wrong with me. Once I accepted that it takes time I felt much more at ease with life in Iceland.
7. What is your favorite food item you can only get in the Arctic?
Van: Julemarsipan and Julebrus! Julemarsipan is the Norwegian Christmas marzipan and Julebrus is a special Christmas lemonade. I’m very sad about the fact that these things are only available during Christmas though and always try to buy as much as possible when they’re on sale in January.
Kaelene: While I can get this item everywhere I just love the fresh fish you get in Iceland. Smoked salmon and an Icelandic flatcake, yummy that is my favorite snack and I crave it when I am away from this little island!
8. What is your favorite thing about living in the Arctic?
Van: The views on the mountains and the ocean that I wake up to every day! The Arctic definitely is the most beautiful place I can imagine and the nature and landscapes there are so unique! I can’t imagine living without a view on the mountains anymore!
Van’s adventures always have the most gorgeous views!
Kaelene: I love the slower pace of life and the focus on taking time to just enjoy life outside of the daily grind. That work life balance is tough to come by in the states so I am very glad to have found it here in Iceland. And also, the nature, the Icelandic nature is just stunning!
I am pretty in love with the Icelandic nature. Can you blame me?!
So who is ready to move up the Arctic and join Van and I?!
Have any other questions about life in the Arctic? Leave them in the comments Van and I would love to hear from you!
Question of the Day?
Would you ever move to the Arctic? How about a visit to the Arctic?