Moving to Norway Episode 2 - The flight

Part 2 of the journey to Norway. I am moving to Bergen Norway to go to school. It is a huge change that impacts every facet of my life. This is my record of flying from Seattle to Bergen, and the challenges of moving to another country during a pandemic.
Music from Epidemic Sound
Tracks:
Vintergaten
Dance with You
Weather Any Storm
From the Cliffside
Timestamps
00:00 Cold open
00:09 Intro
00:30 Getting ready
02:12 Checking in
04:17 Flight to Amsterdam
05:52 Next stop Norway
07:38 The sorting hat
10:03 COVID testing
10:50 Mr. Grumpypants
11:36 The COVID hotel

[@MarkRowsey]

The way you can tell a personal story without it being a "vlog" is quite incredible! This seems like an amazing story and I look forward to the rest of this adventure.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thanks Mark. Some of these stories may end up a little less structured going forward, but I will try and keep them focused. And thanks for watching.

[@bobmalibaliyahmarley1551]

Welcome to our humble kingdom of Norway! As a Norwegian, I don't feel like I am ''going abroad'' when I visit Sweden or Denmark, it's more like visiting the home of a relative. It's slightly different, but very familiar.

[@SuperSkandale]

Not often I see a adult student let alone one that would move across the world to a country all the way up in the left corner :) I like it, it's cool. Fellow Norwegian citizen.

[@LaDixCommentaries]

Super fun to watch such a passionate and wholesome person move into my hometown! Welcome to Bergen, may it treat you wonderfully!

[@rebekkahthemeowster]

I am so glad I found these videos! I am a Registered Nurse who wants to go to Norway for my Masters degree. These videos are so helpful.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Best of luck!

[@fklr-369]

Norway will be my home one day or Sweden lol either way this will be the completion to my story I’m saving learning there how to and language. This video brings sweet tears to my eyes it’s as if I’m watching my own departure to Norway through another’s eyes. I hope you reunite with the wife ASAP other than that enjoy yourself my friend.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Good luck with your new adventure Drew. You are still one heck of a storyteller.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Between the two of us we have been at this for awhile. Thanks for watching and all the support over the years. I appreciate it!

[@Justafonso]

Just stumbled upon this yesterday, cause I LOVE Norway, and, suddenly, I'm hooked to this! Great storytelling style, good vibes and it has a pinch of TV style from the old days that I love. Keep them coming and have a great year in Norway 🙏

[@TheStoryGuide]

Honestly Alfonso, everything I do has the vibe of TV in the old days. That sort of storytelling is in my DNA. Of course, 4 decades of practice had baked it into me. Thanks for the comment. Life here is good.

[@crashalot63]

It is actually weird to watch your first encounter with Scandinavia, when it is so familiar but through your camera so strange. Norway has a lot of restrictions for travelers during this pandemic and that has payed off. It has been difficult for all the Swedes working in Norway and Norwegians living in Sweden. I can’t wait to follow the rest of your adventure. Take care and stay safe!

[@TheStoryGuide]

The good part of this experience is very few of the challenges were unexpected. I had the paperwork I needed, and I had organized things so I was able to navigate the process. There is no reason to expect Norway's procedures for entry during the time of COVID to be smooth. But the lack of a centralized resource to ensure you have what you need creates insecurity. As an individual on the receiving end of the bureaucracy, I could not help but feel I was being hazed a little bit. Almost like there was the lingering question, "How much do you really want this?" That said, I really wanted it and I have sat in my quarantine hotel for a week now, looking forward to starting the real process of assimilating. I am very excited to see what the future holds. Thanks again for your feedback. It is always welcome.

[@SebHaarfagre]

@@TheStoryGuide Norway can be a beuraucratic nightmare, but everything else is fantastic :) And apparently it does pay off in the end. I wish more people remembered to be polite even more often but I can also only imagine all the stress that the ones _working_ on these things during a _pandemic_ have to go through

[@designwall8169]

This is really awesome. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@yogini9123]

Such a good narrator you are. I could listen to you all long. Best wishes to you and your wife!

[@harryvose6675]

I'll keep it short, this was absolutely superb!

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thank you very much. I am never sure if a story like this will resonate.

[@ekn1535]

I have been living on the road form early university days until this day and I DO know how it is hard to travel with all your stuff. It is hard and tiring when you are alone (I know :D) which is extra hard in covid stituation. I have lived 4 different country in europe so I didnt have so many thing (well I couldnt). It is really refreshing to see someone who is older than me experiencing the same things most of the students have been through!! It is way too realistic with the paper work and stuff. So brave of you! You are doing great, gratz!! I am waiting for your videos now!

[@minifoodies9448]

Have a nice day thank so much for bringing me along friend 👍 I appreciated and I hope there so on 💗

[@lifeitself4377]

Thank you for sharing your experience and journey. I enjoyed it.

[@Sitestory]

What an ordeal! Looking forward to the next episode.

[@stephanie8809]

I'm excited for this series! Thank you for sharing! I came to Norway last year right before the restrictions and got "stuck" -- now I live here officially! So it's really interesting to watch travels during this time! I hope you have a lot of fun and learn a lot (:

[@TheStoryGuide]

Goodness, I can think of worse places to be "stuck". :) Each day I grow more excited about my new life here. Thanks for watching.

[@lindagromkomd]

Drew, what fun! You are a great storyteller. I'm hooked. Linda

[@MrQzetsky]

Comming in two years later, and seeing the interaction between you and the checker at the airport. You gave her an answer of the first section of her question, not wierd because the lack of sleep. But we often talk slow here ;) She was stress free and you pumped up, I found it quite funny... "Are you married "yes" to someone here?"

[@ExtrangHero]

Hi there! It's a treat to watch your journey.. I will also be going to Bergen (for work), hopefully soon.. Maybe in late February 2024, if things go as planned and the Visa is issued on time :) Your videos certainly gives a lot of insights on how things are in Bergen.. Keep up the good work! Will surely be watching more of your videos!

[@eshagodghate4734]

Loved the vlog, you filmed the whole progress and it’s really informative for the one’s who wants to travel to Norway in near future.

[@silentdeath7847]

Hope you will enjoy Bergen ☺ i live here and i have enjoyed every day, even thru covid this have been a great place to live. Going to spend the rest of my life in Bergen ❤

[@paulcowie7854]

Great videos really well presented. I'm from England, have great Norwegian friends in Bergen and travel there once or twice a year efer since 2000 so know it pretty well. Norwegians are quiet and laid back, but once accepted as a friend you are real friends for life. Also hope you took appropriate clothing/ brolly as it rains !!!! As they say there is no such thing as bad weather only incorrect clothing. Hope you settle well and have a fantastic year.

[@karstenstormiversen4837]

Velkommen til Bergen. Welcome to Bergen. Good luck with your new life in one of the most adorable citys in norway. I was born in Trondheim and moved to Bergen in 1994 and still love my adopted hometown. If you love great nature you are gonna have a great time here. Best wishes from Fana.

[@miketomas8564]

Oh! Happy- Belated Birthday!!

[@Digg311]

This is a lot of fun. Thanks for taking us with you.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thank you Rich. I really appreciate hearing the feedback from you. That means a lot. It is a bit of a challenge to capture moments when hauling 5 bags through an airport. Not a lot of film-style match-cuts available. But it is good practice.

[@helenaduarte9546]

Loved your videos, keep going !

[@tshansen]

Welcome to Bergen 🇳🇴🎥 Great narrative and really nice to watch.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thanks for the welcome. It is a great town. And thanks for the kind feedback on the story. It is appreciated.

[@mari97216]

So glad I found your channel. You make such great videos. Im only on my 3 video but excited to check them all out. You got unlucky that covid hit when you were moving here, it for sure made the process more difficult.

[@Leizlcebuanavlogs2]

You are amazing sir, a good story teller, how i wish i can do mine ❤❤❤

[@kanhaiya91]

Just happened to see the first two today Prof. It's incredible how well you were able to document these moments and the sheer amount of effort that might have gone in self shooting with all the camera placements and angles (not to mention, during an emotional time!) For instance, finally entering the hotel room in Bergen and setting the camera inside to capture that and going in again a second time :D Also, so wonderfully put on the "What's home?" bit. I always used to think Mumbai is my forever home but it all changed when I moved to Seattle for Comm Lead. Thankfully, your class in my first quarter absolutely made me affirm my choice of having moved to the other side of the world. Can't wait to see the rest of the videos!

[@TheStoryGuide]

What a treat to hear from you. Thank you so much for checking in. And I especially appreciate your kind words about the videos. The good part of the process is I can do the sequencing in my sleep, so thinking of where to put a camera to best tell the story is how I am wired. But the scripting is a bit more of a challenge for me. Trying to make these work on a universal level and not just as "home movies" is a constant struggle. I am so pleased you have found "home" in Seattle. In my lifetime there have been many "homes" but what matters to me most are the communities I build in each of those homes. Be well, keep in touch. I hope you have a great 2022.

[@alexb5165]

its like documentary, I like your videos

[@klmklm8570]

Good luck! My husband and I were to move to Trondheim but at last moment the company changed its offer. We often feel sad for that. I hope you enjoy this new life in Norway.

[@TheStoryGuide]

As you can see, our journey here is one of persistence. It has not been easy, and I expect many more challenges ahead. But a move like this forces you out of your comfort zone and helps you see the world in a new light through the wisdom gained during the experience. I write this as a note of encouragement. Dream big, perhaps you will find an even better opportunity. Be it Trondheim, or any of the other great places here in Norway. And remember to appreciate the journey. Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting.

[@buss8009]

Hi. This was so nicely filmed. I'm from Norway, and I've been to Seattle about 14 times. I have family in Spokane and have taken the same trip between Seattle and Amsterdam as you, only to take a plane to Oslo afterwords. I live in a small town with about 56000 people. (Skien) It's about 1hour 45 minutes south of Oslo. I wish you all the best in your stay in Norway, although you gonna live on the west coast... It's usually get's more rain, but you lived in Seattle, so you may not think it will be that bad! Hope you'll have a great stay in Norway.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thank you for welcoming me here! I came here expecting the rain, and while Seattle is wet, I am pretty sure it is nothing like the average 300 overcast days in Bergen. I know I will learn a lot, and each day my love for life in Norway will grow a little more. Thank you for the comment!

[@ArcticNorthAdventures]

Interesting journey, I did not traveled since I visited South Africa back in 2019 January it was basically just few weeks before everything was closed down in that time. glad Norway opened up again and I hope it stays like that. But the brand marks of the covid 19 I bet it will still follow us for the next few years during traveling

[@ChristianHaugland74]

welcome to Bergen. hope all goes well.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Well thank you. So far, so good. And thank you for watching.

[@fjesarn]

Vitamin D supplements are very much recommended during the winter months. Helps with everything, from sleep to general mood and energy :)

[@cornstalks4122]

So strange to be able to look into my parents' livingroom window from your flight!

[@TechInspected]

All that tiring legwork and you still took the time to set up all those shots. Sleeping shots. Jumping into bed shot. Establishing shots. I could barely even take one photo of a Landmark and my family or usual tour group would be telling me to hurry up lol. When it was before pandemic, that is.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thanks for noticing. I think sequencing is part of my DNA since I have spent a huge part of my life editing video. I hate it when get lazy and box myself in a corner. It just takes a moment to move the camera. That is as long at the security guards are not barking at me. And my family is used to me running ahead to set the shot so they don't have to wait. And thanks for the feedback. I appreciate that you took the time to comment.

[@hoenircanute]

Anything u need good human! I do want to visit USA one day.

[@fklr-369]

I need more update my friends keep it up

[@thunderbird7780]

Welcome to Bergen. There will be no rain this week, so I hope you're able to enjoy it :-) Atleast get the time for a walk in the mountains. If you have any questions about Bergen or the surronding area I'm glad to help.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thank you for the offer! I do my best to get outside for a walk each day. Now that I am out quarantine it is easier to explore the hikes above my home. One reason I came here is the nature and the sunshine is an unexpected gift.

[@m4rt_]

Fun fact, the king of Norway in a 2016 speech defined "Norwegians" as anyone who calls Norway home. At least that is how I understood it. Translated snippet of the speech by NRK: "Home is where the heart is. That cannot always be placed within country boarders. Norwegians are young and old, tall and short, able-bodied and wheelchair users. An increasing number are more than one hundred years old. Norwegians are rich, poor and in between. Norwegians like football and handball. They climb mountains and they sail, while others prefer the couch. Some have good self-esteem, while others struggle to believe they are good enough as they are. Norwegians work in shops, in hospitals, on oil-platforms. Norwegians work for us all to be safe. They work to keep the country clean of garbage, and search for new solutions for a green future. Norwegians cultivate the soil and are fishing. Norwegians research and teach. Norwegians are engaged youth and experienced old. Norwegians are single, divorced, families with children and old married couples. Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys - - and girls and boys who love each other. Norwegians believe in God, Allah, everything and nothing. Norwegians like Grieg, Kygo, Hellbillies (Norwegian country rock band) - - and Kari Bremnes (Norwegian singer). In other words: You are Norway. We are Norway."

[@m4rt_]

I didn't even know that Bergen was the capital of Norway at a time in history.... and I'm born and raised in Norway. (after looking on Wikipedia, Bergen was the capital of Norway from 1217 to 1314)

[@changelingpovs]

Good luck on your journey! It's not looking great for Bergen right now, but let's cross our fingers for good news during the press conference on Friday anyway. I heard some rumors about the government wanting to open up in September, so I'm hoping you can be reunited with your wife sooner rather than later. I know I'm just a stranger but if you happen to need some help/have some questions answered about Norway, I'd be happy to at least try to help. Granted, I live in Oslo, and don't know very much about Bergen-specific things.

[@TheStoryGuide]

That is very kind. Thank you for the generous offer. I have so much to learn, but I think that is why I started this adventure. Coming from a nation that has not done the best job of managing the virus, the restrictions in Bergen are not a problem for me. I am happy to follow the rules. And you never know, someday I might reach out for your insights if I struggle with a nuanced part of this new culture. New to me, at least. Thank you for watching and thanks for reaching out.

[@Interceptor]

At 9:22, the police woman's full question was "Are you married to someone here?". Probably your sleep deprivation kicking in, but you answered it affirmatively half-way through her sentence, which is likely what set the stage for the next 10 minutes of confusion and scramble. Ah well, such things happen, and you got through it in the end. Welcome to Bergen. 🥰

[@rhyacinthlevrini6577]

As I too am interested in moving to Norway, I found your videos extremely informative. I realize the Covid restrictions have changed and changing every day, is the 10 stay at a Covid hotel at your expense? When I went to Tromsø for two weeks in March 2022, I had the documentation but did not neet to quaranteen. This may change when I go again. Thank you for sharing.

[@bear1054]

Your voice reminds me of that guy that was the voice of national geographic with wild animals documentraries!

[@TheStoryGuide]

Ha ha! Perhaps in the next video I should include a scene describing the neighbor's cat as he moves across the lawn. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment.

[@ericnvdal1459]

Bringing a compute to Norway? Coals to Newcastle. One of the few things that is cheaper in Norway.

[@EmilioExploring]

Great job on this moving videos! Are you shooting in 24fps?

[@TheStoryGuide]

Yes, I have a bunch of different cameras but everything is set to 23.976. The few sources that are not in that framerate I modify to match. At least when I remember to check. :)

[@Jordan-hz1wr]

This is fun to watch. What a journey! I would have such a hard time leaving my wife. I know you did. If I may ask, what degree would somebody that is already working for Microsoft be going back to school to get?

[@TheStoryGuide]

Working for Microsoft is an incredible opportunity. There is a very real philosophy within the company that each of us should never stop learning. I am interested in potential applications of AI and Machine learning in video production. It is straight research, and the company is supporting me in exploring what might, and might not, work. To be honest, being with Microsoft has never been the destination, it is instead the scaffolding to face new intellectual challenges. It may sound sappy but I really do feel fortunate that I get to work for a company that I believe in. And I also feel fortunate that I have a life partner who understands why these opportunities are worth exploring. Plus, living in Norway rocks. Probably a longer explanation than you wanted, but I hope it help frame my motivation. Thank you for watching and dropping me a note.

[@Norwaynumber1]

Do you have a production team behind you? cause these videos are really professionally made! But more importantly welcome to Norway!

[@TheStoryGuide]

Well thank you. Nope, just me in a quarantine hotel trying to make sense of what I shot on the fly. I am looking forward to seeing more of Norway than just the four walls of this Scandic.

[@Norwaynumber1]

@@TheStoryGuide haha understandable ! Well good work with the editing and how you speak and act in front of the camera! Hopefully your wife will join you soon, and the both of you can have a great new adventure together:)

[@Slabbelabben]

You were practicing social distancing on the buss? Looks like any ol' Norwegian buss ride to me. 😜

[@TheStoryGuide]

So true. Ha ha! Thanks for watching

[@Luredreier]

0:10 The old city bridge of Trondheim. =)

[@TheStoryGuide]

Good catch. Nothing like flying your drone in a snowstorm. :) Thanks for watching.

[@Luredreier]

@@TheStoryGuide Snowstorm?

[@TheStoryGuide]

If you look closely at that shot of the bridge I shot it during a rather sudden snowstorm.

[@Luredreier]

@@TheStoryGuide I'm hardly seeing any wind nor snow. I don't want to seem offensive nor belittle your experience. But to me a snow storm is white horizontal lines caused by the wind blowing a heavy snowfall sideways. It's the kind of weathr where you genuinely worry about the wind picking up your car a bit and pushing it off the road and where you can't see the front of the car because of snow (not fog). Essentially it would have been impossible for your drone to hover or fly steadily like that, and you wouldn't have seen the people walking there at all. Here's a example in the low side in terms of snowfall, but that got the wind: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnvIeop_h911erM When there's more snow people usually don't actually film. Here's another and perhaps better example. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXSxcoyKrtWpn9U Trondheim is thankfully pretty sheltered, we rarely have true snowstorms there. Good video about it, nice music. :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3ytqp5pmZiCn6M The Norwegian word for "snowstorm" is "snøstorm" by the way. So now you can search up a lot more videos of it if you want. ;-)

[@Luredreier]

@@TheStoryGuide Just looked up the word... Apparently there's no fixed definition of the word since there's different definitions in use in different parts of the country. People down south in places like Oslo might have a different definition then people in northern Norway. Possibly why I'm reacting so much to the use of the word... (I've lived up north too by the way). So the word "storm" on its own means winds of between 20 m/s and 32 m/s. Apparently some definitions of "snøstorm" qualifies less wind, but cares more about visibility, about 400 meters visibility or lower caused by heavy snowfall. I think that's roughly what I'm thinking of when I think about the word, although I tend to think more about even shorter range visibility then that caused by snowdrift when driving on the roads etc. I have so many memories of there being so much snow that there was no way to even see the road markers sticking out of the snow nor the headlights of the car ahead of us and the front of the car going in and out of view because of the snow. It's kind of scary to be honest...

[@annaconda78]

Omg well we as neighbours here in Sweden did not ever have this covid procedure just omg 😱 I’m sorry for you , but hey Norway is a lovely country but… I love Sweden more 👋🏻😊🇸🇪

[@marcussrensen5805]

Welcome to Norway

[@TheStoryGuide]

I did, in fact I even applied, but they rejected me. I figure a school is like a long-term relationship. For whatever reason, they didn't think my work would be a good fit, and that worked out great because UiB did. I ended up in the best place for me.

[@eckligt]

Velkommen til Bergen! This bodes well for the rest of the series, which I will watch with interest. One thing that concerns me is inclusion in your video of unredacted travel documents, lease contracts, app screenshots with QR codes etc, as seen at 6:38. Like you, I also work in the software industry, and I think we should hold ourselves to an extra high standard when it comes to infosec and opsec. A social security number, an email, a physical address, a date of birth, of yourself or of innocent third persons, can slip through, and I would not bet that there are no bots scraping KZbin for such things. Meanwhile, QR codes and obscure numerical codes in test results might be easily resolved to some equally sensitive information. While on that subject, it's probably also good to inform an avid videographer such as yourself that in Norway it is illegal to publish photos of others without their consent, with some exceptions for photos of crowds or if it has definite public interest. It's actually part of our copyright law, so there is legal recognition that your likeness is part of your "intellectual property". On the other hand, jaywalking is legal in Norway, so you lose some freedom and win some freedom.

[@TheStoryGuide]

If you look closely... they are redacted... Either with bogus numbers, identifying info cloned away in photoshop or blurred. Even tracked a blur on the personal details in the letter when I am waiting in line to talk with the immigration officer. I completely share your concern and agree. I spent the time using my graphics tools to clean things up as I wanted to share the documents without exposing myself or my family. I may have missed something, but I was really careful to comb through everything ahead of time. In some ways I am flattered that you didn't notice they were redacted, as I take it to mean I did a good job of keeping the redaction from being the focus of the shot. Thank you for taking the time to share. As I said, I completely agree, so much so that I spent hours cleaning up the shots before publishing. :)

[@TheForceHungerGames]

Nice historical material. Hahaha.

[@AGz_MaGIXz]

The lady asked "Are you married to someone here?" and you responded "yeah".

[@thorien]

That baggage claim is notorious for being slow so hearing the "we dont have time for that" is kinda hillarious to me as a Norwegian.

[@paltrax]

me: moving to norway you say? StoryGuide: bergen me: so the best city awsome.

[@jeffhulett4194]

What are you going to be studying?

[@TheStoryGuide]

I want to look at the intersection of AI and online video. Not sure what I will discover. But I guess that is why we do research. Thanks for watching and for commenting.

[@catsandcrows8880]

"The unwashed Americans"... that made me laugh out loud. Thank all higher powers it's over with the Covid restrictions! Hope your stay has been ok in Norway.

[@bar10dr]

Sorry you had such a bad time getting here :(

[@TheAccidentalViking]

You answered her question wrong. She thought you were married to a Norwegian. Hilarious. I live in Norway. You've only just touched on the Kafkaesque bureaucracy here. I moved here in 2002 from New Zealand. There have been living nightmares.

[@cheesedemon88]

I’m all for continuing education all trough one’s life, but I think I’d feel weird, as a well established middle aged adult with a well paying job, competing for an affordable education spot, against young people trying to start their lives in this shitty economy.

[@TheStoryGuide]

Fair point. I think it depends on what I do with the education. I am guessing your assumption is I complete my education and then wind down my career. My expectation is I will be working, inventing and creating until I am dead. A large part of that equation is giving back as a teacher and mentor. I have had the privilege to teach in a university setting for over a quarter of a century, and the work I am doing now helps me to insure that what I share is not only relevant, but also challenging for my students. I was not given a place at UiB, I earned it. But to your point, I feel it is my responsibility to honor the opportunity by working with my peers to push the envelopes of our knowledge and ensure others build on what we learn. I am genuinely appreciative of the comment. It is something I considered carefully before embarking on this journey. Thanks for watching.

[@stianandreassen3903]

First video you seemed super nice, this one... not so much. Traveling 30 hrs is a pin, but come on. you're traveling during a pandemic, to a country that does not share your language and is offering you free university. hopefully its just a result of you being grumpy while editing. Not a good look though, jeez

[@TheStoryGuide]

Thanks for the feedback. I am what I am, and at times I get frustrated when there are inefficiencies and unwarranted challenges. I think any transition to a new culture involves adjusting personal expectations about expected interactions. I can't change the culture, but the culture can change me. In the spirit of Alexis de Tocqueville, perhaps what I learn will impact others. Or not. Again, thanks for the comments.

[@jonmathisen6871]

He should try the other way, being a visitor to the US from Europe (or anywhere else). The efficiency at US airports would make Flesland seem like the Gold Standard, even in normal times.

[@user-xn2hf9re8r]

free education or not you paid for it in the travel costs etc. This makes no sense + what course is so specific that you have to go to Norway.