Relocating to Denmark?

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Ask them, mate!

Can't imagine much worse than working in a bar, but it's something many people enjoy doing overseas.

According to an Australian mate of mine, doing the overseas trip thing is like a rite of passage thing over there, since Australia is so geographically isolated. A lot of them go to the Far East, some to the US and Canada, and yep, plenty of them end up in Earl's Court in London serving pints to other Aussies.

I loved Australia when I visited. That was 18 years ago though, going to have to make sure I get over there again soon.

 

[theNoseBleedKid]

According to an Australian mate of mine, doing the overseas trip thing is like a rite of passage

Spot on

 

[James Hart]

I have always enjoyed reading your posts. I hope you let us know your decision and if you get to Europe...you'll have to send us an OP-ED piece of your findings...

Thanks, and I will surely share as I always have

Would you be buying a house out there? The prices are out of this world compared to the US. (It appears that housing-especially flats are much smaller. Updating to "American Standards" to live as you do here is probably going to cost you big time though.

I have lived in a one bedroom one bath bungalow for the last 10+ years. I can do small, it's the multifamily/apartment life I'm not looking forward to.

Best of luck to you James!

Thanks!

You will be a foreigner.
In America we're very used to moving around our states.
But in a small European country like Denmark, I don't think it will be what you think it will be.

I'm a transplanted Benny living at the Jersey Shore... I'm use to being the outsider and observant enough to integrate quickly.

Are you speaking from experience or just opinion as an internet dwelling American (not that there is anything wrong with that... it's all I am at this moment and I appreciate all opinions).

Living in Europe is excellent. Be aware of the risk of never wanting to leave. We left Canada for a two year family adventure. We've been gone for 12 years with no plans to return. This is home now for our adult children.

Awesome and inspiring! What line of business are you in and how hard was it to settle in Sweden.

Basically, if you have a job and pay tax, you´re more then welcome.

that's an assumption I hope is true.

Hey James, Danish resident here. Alas, Denmark is not void of hate or prejudice (no country inhabited by the human animal is). Depends on where you go, though, and where and how you look at the big picture.

Thanks for the reply and that seems to be a universal.

First of all, let me apologise for the generalisations I'm about to make - but they are necessary to keep things short. You're welcome to PM me and get an expanded, more nuanced version.

I think I might just PM you with some things.

You'd probably wanna go to one of the "bigger" cities. You cited Aarhus, and there's Copenhagen (where I live) and few other places. Smaller towns and the sticks tend to be less forthcoming to strangers. Not saying "don't go there to work", since I know several foreigners who've earned prominent places in small local communities - but it's a potential obstacle you won't encounter to the same degree in the cities.

Makes sense

That said, the general city dweller's perception of "an American" is probably that of a tourist yelling loudly, saying the wrong things. But that should work to your advantage, actually, since you won't be like the average bumbag-wearing backpacker or cruise guest. Danes like when you make an effort to understand and respect the culture, so even small gestures in that direction will help you.

cool, I'm already started on the language and I've been reading on the history.

The IT business is everywhere, but I know there's a lot of competition, not only with regards to skill level but also to how many hours you are willing to work. But you probably know that from over there. Dunno how it works in US but here your employer can't slave you around - overtime is your choice.

I work weekends and 10 hour days now... for 3 year prior to that I was working the midnight shift, weekends doing 10 hour days. I have no issue working. I have only commented on the PR I've been reading that all states 37 hour work weeks

Good luck Jim. I'm envious (wifey too). Spent 3 weeks at the Univ. of Oslo in '93 and absolutely loved it and the people. Traveled through Sweden and Denmark on the night train enroute to Krefeld, Germany. Again...envious.

Thanks... my nerve may hold us back in the end, but the want it there

 

[bmc]

Awesome and inspiring! What line of business are you in and how hard was it to settle in Sweden.

I'm in Switzerland, not Sweden.

I work for an international association.

Settling here was easy. The local language in this end of Switzerland is French (the other languages are German, Italian and Rumansch). I learned French as a child, so integrating was real easy for us.

Life in Europe is magical and as great as you are imagining it. Great foods, cultures, languages and diversity. Lots to fall in love with. You'll learn alot about yourself and about your home country. Evtually, you will find yourself looking at your home country from a very different perspective. We all do.

I hope it all comes together for you. The Danes are just great. Copenhagen is a beautiful city, especially in the summer with the long long days. The countryside is wonderful. Sweden is just across the bridge. Oslo is a 4-5 drive up the coast. We love Norway. Drove there last summer, all the way to Bergen. Downside is the 80km/hr speed limit. A mjor let down after driving on German roads...not there's a must do experience.

Do it James. When you're 80 years old in your rocking chair, would you rather be saying, "damn, that was a fine experieince" or would you rather be saying "damn...I wish I went and lived abroad for a while."

 

[James Hart]

I'm in Switzerland, not Sweden.

Doh! There is my american showing Sorry, I quoted and replied to a lot of posts WHILE attempting to drink my morning coffee.

Thanks for the encouragement... if I had no ties, I would go right now. The biggest wait will be our pets. We had 2 dogs (10 and 14) as well as a couple cats (8 to 18). Children would be easier to relocate with

Another thing we are wrestling with is that we own a pair of little houses here at the NJ shore and are just about to move into the bigger one (60% bigger but still small by USA standards). Do we ride out our years in our little piece of the USA or jump into the unknown? Like I think I mentioned, we both wish we had the nerve to do it 15 years back. Another part of that is we relocated to KY for a few months and in a way came back to NJ with our tails tucked between our legs after giving up too quickly (honestly we had no real plan, and NJ was safe).

This is going to be a hard choice for sure!!!

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Doh! There is my american showing Sorry, I quoted and replied to a lot of posts WHILE attempting to drink my morning coffee.

Thanks for the encouragement... if I had no ties, I would go right now. The biggest wait will be our pets. We had 2 dogs (10 and 14) as well as a couple cats (8 to 18). Children would be easier to relocate with

Another thing we are wrestling with is that we own a pair of little houses here at the NJ shore and are just about to move into the bigger one (60% bigger but still small by USA standards). Do we ride out our years in our little piece of the USA or jump into the unknown? Like I think I mentioned, we both wish we had the nerve to do it 15 years back. Another part of that is we relocated to KY for a few months and in a way came back to NJ with our tails tucked between our legs after giving up too quickly (honestly we had no real plan, and NJ was safe).

This is going to be a hard choice for sure!!!

Denmark is part of the PETS scheme (pet passports) - basically, take your pet to the vet and get their rabies vaccination done, then get them to take a titre test. This is then sent off to the USDA, and six months after this is done, you get your pet re-tested, then your vet can arrange for an USDA travel certificate to be issued. Once you have that, there'll be some paperwork to fill in for the other end, you'll have to get airline-worthy carriers, and then you just check your pets onto the plane, and pick them up at the other end, no quarantine or anything.

A logistically easier (but longer and more expensive) way would be to take the Queen Mary (cruise ship) from New York - the tickets are a bit more expensive than plane tickets, but pets travel with you for very little surcharge (you'll still have to do the pet passport thing though), you can take unlimited luggage and you get a week's worth of royal treatment, all inclusive. The Queen Mary docks at Southampton in the UK, but you can arrange to drive yourselves to Harwich (hire a van at the ferry terminal if you've got a lot of stuff) take the ferry to Holland and drive the rest of the way from there. Very nice road trip, if you're up for it.

I think you should keep one of the houses in NJ, sell the other. That way you've still got a base to come back to should it all go wrong or if you get too homesick. If, like BMC, you love it and decide not to move back, then think about selling the other house.

 

[bmc]

Thanks for the encouragement... if I had no ties, I would go right now. The biggest wait will be our pets. We had 2 dogs (10 and 14) as well as a couple cats (8 to 18). Children would be easier to relocate with

Definitely a consideration. We lost our 13 year old Lab on Tuesday morning. We have been stationary in many ways because of his age.

In terms of age to go abroad, we left when I was 40 and our daughters were 8 and 10. Ballsy move, I guess, to leave Calgary for an uncertain life in the Middle East.

In retrospect, I wish we had done it sooner. We LOVED Bahrain. Loved our time in the Gulf. Never felt safer. Moving to Europe made the whole adventure even better. The quality of life. Career wise it was excellent. Music wise, it was outstanding in both Bahrain and here in Switzerland.

Being away from our families back home has been the toughest part. You miss birthdays, anniversaries, bbq's. That's not hard for the first couple of years, but as you watch family age, it's always hard.

Still...no regrets. Not one. It enabled me to offer opportunities to my girls that I would never have been able to give them if we stayed. Just the life experience, the cultural awareness, travel opportunities have expanded their world far more than if we stayed.

If we were to skype, I tell you all of the pros and cons of it. Still....I think it's such a great life experience to pursue.

 

[bmc]

Read this article. It sums up so much of what I have learned and believe and understand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-...rned-from_b_673264.html?ref=fb&src=sp#s131316

 

[bassrique]

What are the firearms laws in Denmark?

 

[James Hart]

Denmark is part of the PETS scheme (pet passports) - basically, take your pet to the vet and get their rabies vaccination done, then get them to take a titre test. This is then sent off to the USDA, and six months after this is done, you get your pet re-tested, then your vet can arrange for an USDA travel certificate to be issued. Once you have that, there'll be some paperwork to fill in for the other end, you'll have to get airline-worthy carriers, and then you just check your pets onto the plane, and pick them up at the other end, no quarantine or anything.

I thought so by my research... I will not make the move while the dogs are still with me, but the 2 younger cats might just come for the trek. Thanks for confirming what I had researched on that topic!

A logistically easier (but longer and more expensive) way would be to take the Queen Mary (cruise ship) from New York - the tickets are a bit more expensive than plane tickets, but pets travel with you for very little surcharge (you'll still have to do the pet passport thing though), you can take unlimited luggage and you get a week's worth of royal treatment, all inclusive. The Queen Mary docks at Southampton in the UK, but you can arrange to drive yourselves to Harwich (hire a van at the ferry terminal if you've got a lot of stuff) take the ferry to Holland and drive the rest of the way from there. Very nice road trip, if you're up for it.

That is without a doubt the tentative plan

I think you should keep one of the houses in NJ, sell the other. That way you've still got a base to come back to should it all go wrong or if you get too homesick. If, like BMC, you love it and decide not to move back, then think about selling the other house.

They are 2 small 50+ year old summer shacks on the same 100'x100' lot. There is no way to separate them. I will have my in-laws manage there rental for a while if we don't sell them as part of the move.

Definitely a consideration. We lost our 13 year old Lab on Tuesday morning. We have been stationary in many ways because of his age.

Sorry for your loss... it's always rough.

In terms of age to go abroad, we left when I was 40 and our daughters were 8 and 10. Ballsy move, I guess, to leave Calgary for an uncertain life in the Middle East.

As stated we have no kids... I'm 42 and the wife is 35.

Being away from our families back home has been the toughest part. You miss birthdays, anniversaries, bbq's. That's not hard for the first couple of years, but as you watch family age, it's always hard.

As is it now, I got tired of being the maintainer of the connection to my folks and sister (no one else from my family has ever reached out to me in anyway directly)... so I stopped calling them. Funny thing is, other than a couple holiday cards, I've not heard a peep from them in almost 2 years now

The wife dislikes her family to the point she is STILL mad I moved her back to NJ 14 years ago. I know it'll be rough, but we are mostly without ties here.

If we were to skype, I tell you all of the pros and cons of it. Still....I think it's such a great life experience to pursue.

I think I have a headset with a mic... maybe I'll install it this weekend I'll be keeping my Vonage NJ numbers no matter where I go... so the family we leave will have an easy way to hear our voices.

Read this article. It sums up so much of what I have learned and believe and understand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-...rned-from_b_673264.html?ref=fb&src=sp#s131316

Being a Secular Humanist but not a World traveler... most of those have been my assumption / opinion Cool article.

 

[James Hart]

What are the firearms laws in Denmark?

they are a no go... and knives that are fixed or lock blade are illegal to carry. Even Leatherman type tools break that law

Basically an under 2.5" blade none locking pocket knife is about all that is allowed.

 

[bassrique]

they are a no go... and knives that are fixed or lock blade are illegal to carry. Even Leatherman type tools break that law

Basically an under 2.5" blade none locking pocket knife is about all that is allowed.

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Someone should PM MarloweDK so he can participate in this thread.

 

[James Hart]

Someone should PM MarloweDK so he can participate in this thread.

I never put the DK and his location together... I just sent him a PM.

 

[middlebit]

You can carry these tools if they serve an actual purpose, say if you're working outdoors, going fishing, hunting or other similar activities. I carry a multitool in my bass case, and because I can demonstrate its function, I'm allowed to.

No, carrying knives in public places such as city streets, educational institutions, shopping areas and night clubs etc. is not allowed. Too bad huh

 

[bmc]

Not sure why anyone would want to live in a city where packing a weapon is a good idea.

 

[James Hart]

Not sure why anyone would want to live in a city where packing a weapon is a good idea.

So true... but the times have made a handy person's trusty knife and or multitool considered weapons

 

[middlebit]

So true... but the times have made a handy person's trusty knife and or multitool considered weapons

There was recently a case where a young man was pulled over by the cops (or something like that) and had his car searched. They found a couple of plastic box cutters and - seriously- charged the guy with possesion of an illegal weapon! He explained that he used the knives at work, opening boxes, but the prosecutor wanted to make an example of him. The case went to court and luckily these BS charges were dismissed. The irony is that this guy was/is planning to be a cop - had he received a sentence and gotten a stain on his record, his application for the academy would've been rejected!

 

[bassguppy]

In what's called the "Nordic model" (the mixed economic system used in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Denmark), your taxes pay for high-quality universal healthcare, university education, excellent state schools (as good as, if not better than, most private schools in other countries) and comprehensive social security, among other things. The main downsides are high VAT (roughly equivalent to US sales tax) and high fuel prices (although not as high as some in Europe). The Nordic countries are also well known for their strong property rights, their low barriers to free trade and their high standard of living.

I agree with you, taxation isn't the issue. It's whether you get value for money for what you pay, and in those countries, you most definitely do.

I most definitely think you are putting yourself in serious danger with the USA Internet Police.

Remember, when in public keep saying...USA, USA, USA!!!

 

[bassrique]

You can carry these tools if they serve an actual purpose, say if you're working outdoors, going fishing, hunting or other similar activities. I carry a multitool in my bass case, and because I can demonstrate its function, I'm allowed to.

No, carrying knives in public places such as city streets, educational institutions, shopping areas and night clubs etc. is not allowed. Too bad huh

I use my EDC knife or multi-tool quite frequently. One doesn't know the exact reason for the use of a blade until the need arises. Opening up modern plastic packaging is likely the #1 use. Just the other day at a hospital a nurse was having trouble with way too much tape on a g-tube, so I just used my blade's tip in a careful way to solve the problem.

Carrying more than a folding knife may be a good idea provided one knows what one is doing and isn't chemically altered. Millions of us legally carry [CCW permit] over on this side of the Atlantic and have the capacity to be prepared for troubles w/out much of a downside. Oh wait, this isn't a firearms thread.

------------------------

Still no MarloweDK? Perhaps a YouTube PM might work?

What's the deal with Danish Frikadeller? I think it's meatballs with cabbage in white sauce on the side. IIRC, I had it years ago and liked it.

 

[MarloweDk]

Basically you have the right info on Denmark, but feel free to ask me specific questions.
cheers