Adventure to Stavanger
Stavanger harbor at night with Christmas season decorations
Our adventurous move to Stavanger, Norway.
Here’s a companion Adventures in Norway photo album where I continue to add photos as the adventures continue. I also recently started a separate Stavanger Street Art collection that I’ll keep adding to as I encounter new art.
Prelude
It started with Kai last year, as a 16 year old, declaring “I want to go to college in Norway”. Hmmm. Okay. How can we support him in that? His interest gelled from many factors. On vacation back in 2015, Kai, Dominique and I all found Sweden and Norway to be magical when we explored the Lofoten islands, campervanned throughout Norway and visited friends in Malmo and Oslo. Kai also has an interest in Norse mythology in part from reading tons of fantasy fiction. More recently, he follows a Norwegian YouTuber who he admires. Lastly, he liked what he’d learned about Norwegian culture compared to the increasingly toxic climate in the U.S. It all served to push his thinking in that direction.
After Kai’s declaration, we originally were thinking we’d move to Norway after he graduated from Trillium Academy (formerly Bridges Academy) in 2 years to help him get established. We had already discussed our desire to move to Europe when we became “empty nesters” in a couple years, so that fit quite nicely. To prepare him for that eventuality, we worked it out with Kai’s school in Seattle to learn Norwegian through an online college course.
Trillium Academy had just emerged from the flames of an imploding Bridges Academy, Kai’s school last year. That followed the financial implosion of APL, his school prior to Trillium. The existential chaos of two schools in crisis caused us to analyze all of our options for Kai, leading us to ultimately conclude that moving sooner better prepares Kai for success in two years. With us already planning to become European digital nomads two years from now as empty-nesters, this was not that drastic of a change of plans.
We had already separately decided to drastically downsize our lives and belongings, including selling our lovely house in Columbia City.
Our old 1918 house in Columbia City are of Seattle, WA
We had twice vacationed in Norway and fell in love with the outdoor paradise. I experienced this midnight double rainbow when visiting the Lofoten Islands.
Midnight double rainbow at Stamsund Hostel
We have friends in Norway and Sweden. We found that the less frenzied, more supportive culture there is in line with our values. We came to the realization that accelerating our move to Europe would give Kai the best chance of acclimating and learning the language prior to the greater demands of college. I also was transitioning roles and working more closely with leadership in London, which would suddenly be an easy flight away.
Six years ago, I slogged through the 3 year process of getting both my and Kai’s birth-right German citizenship. This was a key prerequisite making this possible. It gives me the ability to work and live in Norway without a work visa.
Dominique found one single high school in Norway that seemed to be a great fit for Kai, the International School of Stavanger. We applied, Kai and Dominique flew there for a “Taster Day”, and Kai being officially accepted for his last 2 years of high school was the final step in clinching this new chapter. Housing that met our objectives was quite scarce, so we rented a house just a few blocks from the bustling old town Stavanger sight unseen, from just a video walk-through with a relocation specialist we hired.
July 23 – The Journey Begins
After many weeks of preparation, on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024, we woke up at 7am to an echoing, nearly empty house except for the furniture we gifted to the house’s new owners, Luther and Erica, a young couple who will be arriving without furnishings from NYC, and were genuinely excited we planned to leave a few items.
Our official 7 pages of FDA embossed Vet health certificates for Ruby and JoJo arrived just in time by FedEx overnight, the afternoon before, just to run them one last time to the vet to get the final required worm meds added in and stamped. It was a harrowingly short 8 day window from the required health checkup and signoff, to receiving the embossed paperwork back from the FDA. We were amused by the irony that our pets are arriving significantly more vetted than us humans. Apparently human born diseases are less of a concern.
Vet health certification for Ruby and JoJo
At 8:45 am, we made a final run to the Seattle Waste Transfer station, right as they open at 9 am., with all of the final junk and trash that we could not even give away. The day before, we hauled one final carload of donations to Goodwill with dishes and other essentials, gave away our remaining food to a nearby free food pantry, and we did a final test weight check of all six giant Goodwill acquired suitcases, most at the maximum 62” total dimensions and all just barely squeezed in under 50 pounds. We had already successfully accomplished a trial test load into the Thrifty rental car that we rented straight after selling our Pacifica van a few days earlier to a dealer near the airport.
After weeks of methodical reduction, we successfully distilled our lives down to 6 suitcases, 1 carry-on, 2 pet carriers, along with a 5’ x 10’ storage unit, to exist indefinitely in-waiting near a house we no longer own, filled with an eclectic mix of items we consider dear to our hearts including memorabilia, books, a unicycle, a 90 pound quartz and pyrite rock, sculptures, paintings, and one-of-a-kind wooden table.
With a car crammed to the gills with people, pets and luggage, we swing by the storage unit to toss in a few remaining items that would’ve tipped the scales of our suitcases, then continue on to SeaTac airport for our 2:20 pm flight to Frankfurt. In the chaos of pets and excessive luggage, we left Dominique’s brand new Galaxy S24 in the rental car as we returned it, never to be seen again. Check-in and takeoff went smoothly for our 10 hour red-eye.
We had actually booked through Munich with a 3 hour layover, yet Lufthansa at the last minute and without notifying us or explaining the change, rebooked us on a flight through Frankfurt with an impossibly short 1 hour layover.
How to fit our entire lives into a rental sedan?
Hellish Day at Frankfurt Airport
As we predicted, between the required pet health check at immigration, Dominique slowed down by her partially [re]torn LCL (she slipped and fell again 2 days before departure), and an impossibly unhurried security checkpoint at the Frankfurt airport, we indeed missed our flight to Oslo on Wednesday.
Attempts to recover by phone were unsuccessful because the Lufthansa system showed us as having made the fight. They insisted we had to resolve it at the airport since there they could physically verify that we were indeed not on that flight to Oslo.
We proceeded to stand in a long line just to be allowed to enter the customer service waiting lounge where we were assigned ticket #83. The monitor displays #41 as the next travel weary customer.
Many hours at Frankfurt Airport with Ruby and JoJo.
After sitting in the service lounge for 3 hours with Kai, a cat and a dog who refused to relieve themselves or eat for 16+ hours, the German Lufthansa personnel took our passports into their office and emerged from their throne of authority to declare they had split us into two flights, with me booked at 7 am on a Thursday flight that could not accept pets, plus Dominique, Kai, Ruby and JoJo on a 1:40 pm flight occupying the two remaining seats and two available in-cabin pet “allowances”. There was never a conversation of who should attend which flight, or why we had to be split. They also refused to compensate us in any way since it was the airport security’s fault we missed the flight, not the airline. Welcome to Germany.
Our heavy personal bags and carry-on were brutal in the long walks through the airport and we also realized that our carry-on weight may be challenged when we check in again, so we went ona wild goose chase looking for the DHL counter ostensibly in the terminal. No one knew where it was, but someone pointed to a separate building adjacent to the terminal that we trekked to outside the terminal. Thankfully, it was still open. We took out everything we didn’t need for the next week and stuffed two DHL boxes full. It included expensive electronics, so we were taking a gamble that all this would magically arrive from Germany to our new home that we had never yet seen. In all, we shipped 30 pounds of pet food, clothing, boots, and gear.
We booked a room using airport WiFi at the Intercity Hotel near the airport. To recover from the red-eye, I successfully fall asleep around 9 pm, wake up at 4:30 am, kiss my family goodbye, and take the first shuttle to my 7 am flight.
Shortly after arriving at the gate, Lufthansa announces that our flight has been delayed indefinitely due to climate activists who had cut through a fence and glued themselves to the runway with signs that read “OIL KILLS”.
Over a hundred flights were canceled, so I was pleased to hear them announce boarding only 2 hours delayed.
We originally planned for Thursday to be in Stavanger with plenty of time to print and copy documents for our 9 am Friday National Registry Appointment with the Servicesenter for utenlandske arbeidstakere (Service center for foreign workers) office to register ourselves, the first step in a long multi-month process to get our “Personal Numbers”, without which we can’t open a bank account, get broadband or Norway phone service, and countless other Norwegian exclusive services. With the flight delays, that extra time no longer exists.
We Travel Divided
I leave Frankfurt early the next morning and arrive in Oslo around 11 am Thursday and proceed to Avis. The Avis rep informs me that since we were more than 24 hours after our scheduled arrival, we forfeit our entire $1,000+ pre-paid 9 day reservation, not just the 1 day we missed. I had no choice but to book a new car on the spot for another $1,297. There was basically no inventory left at any of the reputable rental companies. Ouch.
Knowing that we will drive 8 hours into the night to arrive in Stavanger in the wee hours of the morning just before our 9 am appointment, I now must find any means I can to gather, fill out and print a laundry list of forms to identify ourselves, prove that Dominique, as an American Citizen, is married to me as a German Citizen, that Kai is our natural born child, that we are health insured, have adequate financial means, have gainful employment, and overall deserve Personal Numbers to become official residents who aren’t simply taking advantage of Norway’s generous social benefits.
I drive to the nearest town of Jessheim. The first copy shop is a bust. It no longer exists. The second one only copies photos. The third does not offer copy services. The library does, but it happens to be closed each Thursday. I’m starting to run out of time to get back to the airport before Dominique, Kai, Ruby and JoJo arrive. I decide that the only way to pull this off is to buy a multi-function printer, cable, paper and ink cartridges so we can print and copy in the hotel room. I find a chain called POWER at the Jessheim Storcenter that’s like a Best Buy, do some quick on the spot research and buy a Canon PIXMA and accessories.
Norway’s idea of a midsize SUV could almost have fit inside our American Pacifica van. How on earth will we fit all of our 6 giant suitcases, carry-on, not to mention 3 people, plus a newly acquired printer in this cute petite Suzuki SUV?
Suzuki S-Cross rental car in Oslo.
I unload my carry-on suitcase, and disperse its contents among the two other suitcases and car crevices. I unpack the printer, jettison all the bulky packaging and place the printer inside the carry-on both to protect it and in the hopes I may have time back at the Oslo airport to roll it near an outlet and do some printing in public.
I make it back from Jessheim to the Oslo airport just in time for their arrival. I give up the idea of printing. Instead, I find myself waiting a full hour just outside international arrivals while they meet with the Norwegian vet to verify our pet’s health paperwork, and wait for the four remaining suitcases to arrive in baggage claim a mere 25 meters away behind glass one-way security doors. Finally, I see familiar faces emerge from the one-way doors. We are all in Norway!
Dominique, Kai, Ruby and JoJo arrive in Oslo
After lots of shoving and experimenting, we barely manage to cram all of the suitcases into the Suzuki. Kai has about ¾ of a seat for our 8 hour drive from Oslo to Stavanger. Oslo is the only city where you can bring pets into the country.
Our entire lives crammed into an even smaller rental car.
It’s approaching 6 pm and now we embark on an 8 hour journey to Stavanger. We take the coastal route to spare Dominique motion sickness going through the slightly shorter mountain route.
At 3:00 am Friday, we arrive at the Clarion Hotel Energy in Stavanger.
We set an alarm for 7 am so we have time to set up the printer, copy and print out all of the necessary paperwork before our 9 am appointment. Setup, printing and copying goes smoothly. We even have 12 minutes to run down to “enjoy” the included gourmet Norwegian style breakfast that spans several food islands packed with every imaginable category of food.
How much of this amazing breakfast buffet can you enjoy in 12 minutes?
We soak in the sun and fresh air for a few moments.
On 3 hours sleep, we head to the Servicesenter for utenlandske arbeidstakere with 2 minutes to spare. I’m shockingly alert, running on pure euphoria and adrenaline.
Our amazing relocation expert, Cynthia Myrnes, is there waiting. Like a pro, at 9 am sharp when they open the doors, she beelines to the kiosk and gets us the 1st appointment. The process takes about 20 minutes.
Finally, after 3 full days of travel, we drive to our new home at Stubben 1, 4012 Stavanger.
Our only remaining agenda for DAY ONE in our new home is a place to sleep. We figure Kai can sleep on a couch the landlord left for us. We drive down to Forus where IKEA and all the big box stores are. We buy a mattress topper, 3 duvets, 5 pillows, sheets, pillow cases, duvet covers and a few other items.
The CreatorMaker Space happens to be across the street from the mattress store. Despite 3 hours of sleep, we can’t resist popping in. It has “mad scientist” written all over it. The one person there during July vacation season, Giorgio, lets us in and generously shows us around the many rooms, each specialized in a different type of creation: wood, metal, 3d printing, electronics, and more.
After setting up bedding and resting for a couple of hours, we’re eager to see the city. So we walk out of the house and explore. Our place is only a few blocks from the amazing cobblestone downtown and several parks.
We happen upon a concert at the docks just 7 or so minutes from our new home.
A summer concert at the harbor.
One of the main cobble stone streets in downtown near the harbor.
The green house was available to rent, but we were advised that it would be quite loud from night life, particularly during the summer.
The Curry Heaven restaurant across from the Oil Museum. Our first meal in Stavanger is delicious Pakistani curries on the harbor, just 650 meters from our new home.
10 minute walk from our home to The Curry Heavan and Oil Museum
The Oil Museum, across from The Curry Heaven
Some of the stunning views just a short 10 minute walk from our house.
When we shopped for the first time at our adorable little neighborhood grocery store called Joker, we were sad to see no organics. Dominique then researched our options, only to find out that all food in Norway must meet quality and ethical treatment of animal standards that actually exceeds USDA Organic requirements. But of course. All food in Norway is free of chemicals and treated humanely. It’s not just for the wealthy.
It was an utterly exhausting 3 days of travel with barely no sleep, but we could not be more elated at the stunning beauty of Stavanger, the many friendly people we’ve met, and our amazing home in the center of it all. I’ve walked 55 miles in the past week, have finally had a good night’s rest and look forward to many new adventures in Norway.
Two days after arriving, the three of us went down like dominoes with something resembling the flu or mild COVID. First Kai, then Dominique and finally me. Through sheer force of will and huge amounts of juice, vitamin C, zinc, I held it at bay long enough to make the 8 hour drive to Oslo to return the rental car, pick up Sophia, stay overnight, and then take the 8 hour train ride back to Stavanger with Sophia, just in time to celebrate her 24th birthday.
Sophia arrives 2 days after us.
Upon returning, I did finally crash for 36 hours and am just now feeling almost normal. We pulled off a 5 mile hike from our house to and along the Stavanger coast.
Sophia stays with us for a month now to explore this corner of the world we now call home.
Aug 5, 2024
Today, we walked to the 2nd closest Joker grocery that doubles as a post office to pick up our 30 pounds of DHL packages and walked home with them, ending the last loose end of our move. We had already registered our names with that very post office a few days ago and put the required full names of every occupant on our mailbox, hoping the lettering met some unspecified minimum font size and not yet knowing how packages arrive or whether they are delivered. Now we know. They come to your nearby grocery post office.
Aug 6, 2024
For our first real Norway adventure, Sophia, Kai and I go on a guided hike of the spectacular Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, one of the most famous landmarks in Norway. The 5 mile round-trip hike with 1,500+ feet of elevation change, is not for the unfit!
To get to Preikestolen from Stavanger, we drove through the 14.4 km Ryfylke Tunnel, currently the longest and deepest undersea road tunnel in the world with a curious blue expansion in the center designed to break the hypnotic effect of long tunnels.
August 7, 2024
Yet another beautiful evening of festivities on the harbor. Gotta soak in the sun before the long, dark, wet winter sets in.
Stavanger has lots of festivals!
Norwegian Navy P961 “Storm” Missile Torpedo boat (part of NATO JWC)
It’ll take some getting used to all the NATO Navy ships in Stavanger. There are frequently naval ships for a variety of NATO countries in this harbor because the NATO Joint Warfare Center (JWC) is here to train and educate NATO personnel. This Norwegian Navy P961 “Storm” Missile Torpedo boat in the above photo is parked right downtown by the harbor festivities.
R.I.P. JoJo
JoJo never recovered from the stress of the arduous trip and long delays in Frankfurt. His health declined rapidly in November. He died November 20, 2024.
JoJo loved Ruby’s toys and often used them as pillows.
I’ll keep adding my best photos to this Google Photos photo journal of our life in Norway. It’s a larger set than those in this initial journal.
- Michael, Dominique, Kai, Ruby & JoJo