**I’m a 30-Year-Old American Living in Norway: 5 Reasons I’m Much Happier**

There’s a joke in Norway that people move here for two reasons: a job or love. I’m in the latter group. I met my Norwegian partner during my international Master’s program in Migration and Intercultural Relations.

I chose to pursue my master’s in Europe after a post-college gap year in 2016. Part of the reason was affordability—two years of my Master’s degree in Europe cost less than one year of my Bachelor’s in the U.S.

I also liked the idea of living in a place where you can accidentally cross the border to another country without even realizing it!

While love initially brought me to Norway, living in Oslo for the past two years has revealed many more reasons to stay. My days are filled with exploring, ice bathing, falling on skis, taking cabin trips, and hiking under the “midnight sun.”