This Norwegian Life: Alaskan follows Arctic interests to Oslo

by joey  |   

Rachel Koons, B.A. International Studies '14, focused on European and Arctic issues while at UAA. Now, she works in Oslo helping other expats adjust to life in Norway (Photo courtesy Rachel Koons).

Rachel Koons, B.A. International Studies '14, focused on European and Arctic issues while at UAA. Now, she works in Oslo helping other expats adjust to life in Norway (Photo courtesy Rachel Koons).

Financially speaking, the oil downturn has thrashed the economy. But socially, the people are the happiest around. Could it be all those mountains and fjords? The long summer days and aurora-splashed nights? P.S.: We're talking about Norway here.

In January 2015, Rachel Koons, B.A. International Studies, '14, moved from Alaska, one of the happiest states, to Norway, one of the happiest nations. She's now fluent in Norwegian and employed as a relocation specialist, helping other expats get settled in her adopted hometown of Oslo.

Obviously, she couldn't be happier about it.

Talking Arctic in Alaska

Her choice to move abroad didn't surprise Rachel's family in Ketchikan. She's always had an eye for the world Outside, even spending a year in high school on a Rotary-sponsored exchange to a small border town in northwest Thailand. Her year abroad solidified her focus on international relations, and she's pursued that interest ever since.

As an international studies major, she focused on Europe and the Arctic and studied abroad at University of Stirling, UAA's sister school in Scotland. Her deep Northern interest led her, in part, to Norway.

Of course Christian, her Norwegian boyfriend, was a strong selling point, too. They met on campus her sophomore year when he was studying abroad at UAA. They've been together ever since (Christian later graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from University of Stavanger, another school with strong ties to UAA thanks to the Kaare Birkeland USA Exchange Scholarship).

Rachel capitalized on her college years, assisting geography chair Dorn Van Dommelen on community engagement, stacking her transcript with Arctic-focused classes and tacking on minors in history and political science. As a senior, she interned with Institute of the North and coordinated international conferences on shipping routes and Arctic mining, plus arranged monthly teleconferences between Russians and Alaskans across the Bering Strait on issues like climate change and herding.

Meanwhile, she also volunteered with Alaska World Affairs Council, the group that brought the King of Norway to Anchorage. "If I ever wanted to hear him speak or meet him in person, it would have been in Alaska at that time," Rachel sighed. "Instead, I moved to Norway and walk by the palace every single day." (King Harald V, if you're reading this, she's still waiting to meet you.)

Nordic exposure

Rachel and Christian first met during her sophomore year, when he was studying abroad at UAA. Here they are on Constitution Day-Norway's national holiday, May 17-with their dog, Tarja (Photo courtesy of Rachel Koons).

Rachel's strong Arctic focus led her abroad after graduation. She first visited Christian in Norway while studying in Scotland, and many more trips followed. Eventually, she decided to move.

Rachel applied for a language-learning visa two weeks before Norway closed the door on that option. The visa required enrollment in a Norwegian language program, and Rachel made the most of the opportunity.

"It was an intensive yearlong course and, in the end, I had 600 hours of Norwegian," she said. "I'm not 100 percent fluent-people understand that I'm an American speaking Norwegian-but I definitely work in Norwegian and English on a daily basis."

Those language skills gave her a boost over other expats in a competitive job market. "Getting a job in Oslo is like winning the lottery," she said. Though she's fluent in two languages, so is nearly everyone else (Norwegians learn English from second grade onward). "Being a foreigner, it's really hard to compete with a Norwegian," she noted.

Rachel applied to a posted job as a relocation consultant, then fired off the same application to every similar company, whether they had posted jobs or not. That ambition paid off.

For an international studies major, her work as a relocation consultant is yet another excellent opportunity.

Riding in cars with expats

Various multinational companies maintain offices in Oslo, and they tap Rachel's company-Pytheas AS-for help relocating employees to Norway.

Rachel helps navigate the nitty-gritty details of Norwegian living. For example, it can take four weeks to open a bank account, which renters need to secure their deposit (unlike in the U.S., landlords don't take deposit checks at move-in. In fact, no one really uses checks at all. Or cash. Credit cards are practically required). It's a lot of setup, and Rachel helps ensure everything moves along.

But that's behind the scenes. Her main task is helping recently arrived expats find an apartment before their company-sponsored housing times out. It's like House Hunters International with a countdown clock.

On a daily basis, she's cruising the streets of Oslo with the city's recent arrivals. "It's a really broad range of clients," she said, citing oil exploration, construction, IT and advertising as a few of the fields she works with. The clients themselves are from Greece, Canada, Hungary and beyond.

With her gig, the world is on her doorstep (or, more accurately, in her passenger seat).

"I've met so many people from so many parts of the world," she said, noting how much she's learned about traffic in India and the job search in Spain from her clients. "You learn so many random things in those 15-minute car rides," she laughed.

Breakfast of Nordic champions

Rachel skiing this winter in Fauske, north of the Arctic Circle (Photo courtesy of Rachel Koons).

Rachel skiing this winter in Fauske, a small town north of the Arctic Circle (Photo courtesy of Rachel Koons).

Though she's far from Ketchikan, the lifestyle feels familiar in many ways. When weekends arrive, folks roll out of the city and off to their mountainside cabins. "The outdoor lifestyle is very much the same," she noted.

Of course there are differences, too. Pedestrians rule the streets instead of cars. Christmas lasts six days. Gas station hot dogs are surprisingly popular.

Speaking of food... "The weirdest thing for me moving here was breakfast," Rachel noted. Instead of cold cereal or a quick bagel, Norwegians go all out in the morning. A common breakfast includes fresh-baked bread from the neighborhood bakery, topped in smoked caviar or liver pâté. Holy mackerel!

BIG summer plans

After several years visiting Christian, Rachel is now happily adapting to Norway. She even blogs in Norwegian.

Next step: this August, she and Christian are getting married. The ceremony will include American touches and Norwegian traditions. They'll celebrate in both Norway and Alaska, and hope their families can attend both ceremonies. "There will be a lot more Alaskans in Norway," Rachel said of their late summer wedding.

According to the department website, UAA's international studies major "prepares students to be global citizens in an interdependent world." Rachel clearly exemplifies that spirit.

And gratulerer on your wedding!


Students interested in studying in Norway, Scotland and beyond can contact the Office of International & Intercultural Affairs. For specific interests in the Arctic, learn more about north2north at UAA and the many participating Northern universities.

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