Experiences after emigrating to Norway: “so much Feels the same, yet everything is different”
A new life in Norway
At the end of 2023, Willem and Maike van den Corput emigrated to Norway together with their two children. They are currently building a new life there—one that is completely different from their former life in the Netherlands.
At the time of the phone interview, the weather in Norway is wonderful. Willem says:“It’s around freezing with a clear blue sky. Compared to the previous weeks, it actually feels quite warm. Back then, we had a really harsh winter. Ah, here comes Maike with the coffee. We’re ready for the interview!”
Why emigrate?
Maike starts the interview by explaining why the family emigrated to Norway.
“A new work-related opportunity came Willem’s way. We always said that if such an opportunity abroad presented itself, we would go for it. The job interviews took place last September, and in October we visited Florø together. It’s a unique opportunity to build a different life in such a western corner of the world. During that visit in October, we immediately made the decision. In the months that followed, we arranged everything, and on January 4 of this year, we flew to Norway.”
Willem adds: “Together with our 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, we embarked on this new adventure. We left Molenhoek (near Nijmegen) for Florø because of my job. I’m an engineer at heart and have always worked in the automotive industry, mainly in project development. For the past six years, I’ve been in engineering management. Now I’m the Norway manager of a team that, as a new company, develops electric propulsion systems for boats.”
A completely different life: A different school system
Did Willem and Maike have previous experience with Norway, or did they jump in at the deep end?
Maike explains: “In 2008, we spent a holiday in Norway—before we had children. Even then, we were deeply impressed by the country’s beauty and purity. Norway is truly challenging in terms of landscape, sports, and nature. The life we have now is completely different from our life in the Netherlands. There, we lived just south of Nijmegen, surrounded by greenery and forests—very grounded. Now we live on a peninsula, along the coast, with a different climate and way of life. That’s exactly what attracted us most: a new adventure!”
Willem adds: “It takes some getting used to, especially for the children. Fortunately, they’re more flexible than we ever hoped. They’re adapting very well. They’re social kids who make friends quickly. At the moment, they’re getting by in English, but they’re very eager to learn Norwegian. The school system, however, is very different and much less dynamic than in the Netherlands. They have to adjust to what they experience as a rather boring way of teaching, which does make things more challenging.”
Working in Norway
Life in Norway is also very different for Maike compared to the Netherlands—a major adjustment for her and the family.
“I worked as a self-employed entrepreneur, participating in projects as a nutrition coach for companies. How do you keep employees healthy and energized? I gave lectures and (cooking) workshops. From October onward, I quickly phased that work out. Now I’m still exploring my options. I’ve started my own project that I can develop from home. I’m also looking into how I can find a job here—networking a lot and meeting people for coffee. Everything takes a bit longer for me because of the emigration, also because Norway is a country that tends to wait and see first. They’re very cautious when it comes to offering jobs. For Willem, things moved much faster.”
Willem explains: “Yes, I was approached for this position. It’s a full-time job, and the (temporary) housing we arranged is close to my workplace. A Norwegian workday is around 7.5 hours. By 4:00 p.m., the office really starts to empty—that’s deeply ingrained in the culture. In the evenings and on weekends, we enjoy sports, social activities, and spending time outdoors in nature.”
‘Fingerspitzengefühl’
Emigrating isn’t something you arrange in just a few days. Still, Willem and Maike managed to complete everything within a few months.
Maike says: “What do you take with you? Which subscriptions do you cancel? How will our household goods get there? These were all questions we had. During our visit in October, we were already able to make many decisions. Fortunately, we found a house to rent that turned out to be partially furnished—something we didn’t know beforehand. That made it very difficult to decide what to bring. So we packed using our ‘Fingerspitzengefühl’—our intuition. You can buy a sofa on a local marketplace, but you want to sleep in your own bed. We really tried to make the house feel like home. Not many belongings, but our own belongings.”
Willem adds: “The big question was, of course, how everything would work out in Norway, but you still have to make decisions back in the Netherlands. We rented out our own house instead of selling it—just to see how things would go here first. We also spoke with many different parties and had to arrange everything in a very short time. It was an intensive crash course in emigrating, but luckily the move itself went very smoothly. On January 2, all our belongings were packed quickly, safely, and efficiently by De Jong Removals. Because we had numbered the inventory, there was a clear structure and we immediately knew where everything belonged. Everything also arrived in perfect condition.”
Soon, Willem, Maike, and the children will be moving again. Willem explains:
“We’re currently in temporary housing, and last week we found another home—a few kilometers from here, with a garden close to a small beach in the village. There, the children will have more freedom. Fortunately, this house is also partially furnished, which is quite common in Norway.”
Happy with the choice for Norway
By now, life in Norway is in full swing for Willem and Maike. The decision to emigrate from the Netherlands is one they are still very happy with.
Maike says: “It really was a matter of feeling. You can prepare as much as you want, but you have to experience it. You have to be there. The average Norwegian is reserved, but so much depends on your own attitude and how you present yourself to new people. We try to stay open to new impressions and not keep looking through a Dutch lens. We’re here now—this is it. That’s what you have to deal with. So much feels the same, yet everything is different.”
Willem concludes: “I think this is important for anyone considering taking the leap. You can prepare for six years, but at some point you just have to do it. Only then can you really make a decision. After about three months, we’re gaining more insights, and for now, we definitely plan to stay here. It’s very easy to say ‘no’ because it’s scary, but we will never regret not taking this chance.”
