Living in another country. A dream for some and a reality for others. What is it like to emigrate and live as a vegetarian or vegan in a country other than the Netherlands? We go in search of the stories of entrepreneurs and women who eat vega(n) and decided to take the plunge and live abroad. What is their story?
Backpack Crazy: Claudia
Today the versatile Claudia. She is a yoga teacher, health coach, communications consultant and blogger for Backpackgek. She does all this from her new homeland of Norway. Read her story and tips for vega(n) eating in Oslo!
Who are you and how did you end up in Oslo, Norway?
Hi, I am Claudia and I have been living in Oslo, Norway for almost five years now. I am originally from the Amsterdam area and lived my last years in Holland in Amsterdam. I worked there at a big PR agency, but wasn’t really happy there. Traveling had been itching for me and my husband for a long time, so we decided to go all out, save very hard and finally quit everything so we could go on a world trip.
We traveled the world for a year (as vegetarians) and then decided to move to Norway. I am a yoga teacher, health coach, blogger and communications consultant. I work a lot with different startups and really enjoy mentoring people.
Why did you start eating vegetarian or vegan?
People always prefer to go out to dinner with us rather than invite us to their homes, because they often don’t know what to make for us
Meat was never my favorite part of the meal and when, around the age of 20, I started to learn more about animal suffering and the way meat is produced, it was quickly clear to me. Once I stopped eating meat, I also felt a lot more energetic. Later, when I studied for health coach in my spare time, I also learned a lot about the benefits for our health, and of course for the climate. This only made it easier to continue eating vegetarian.
What is it like to live in Oslo as a vegetarian?
Norway is a real meat and fish country, and being vegetarian is not yet well known here. So we are still sometimes looked at strangely. People always prefer to go out to dinner with us rather than invite us to their homes because they often don’t know what to make for us. Fortunately, things have changed a lot in recent years and there are now even vegan cafes in town. I think it will go much harder in the coming years and it will become more and more normal for people to choose a meatless meal.
What does it cost to eat healthy and varied food as a vegetarian in Norway?
Norway is an expensive country, but eating vegetarian is cheaper than eating meat or fish. So I think we spend less per month than the average household. I think I spend a total of about 500-700 euros per month. That may sound like a lot, but life is just pretty expensive here and we eat out quite often.
What tips do you have for other vegetarians and/or vegans to when they come to Oslo?
Fortunately, we have gained some nice veggie cafes lately and I always recommend people to go to the following places:
- Funky Fresh Foods – This is a super cozy cafe where they make food with love. Everything is vegan, so “safe” for everyone.
- Nord Vegan – this is a fairly new vegan café that is a good place to go for lunches and cakes.
- The Kasbah – this is a restaurant with a menu from the Middle East (think hummus, falafel, etc). Super cozy and very good food.
Also, Asian restaurants, such as Thai, Indian and Vietnamese spots, often have good options for vega travelers, and, of course, pizza always works.
What did you find most difficult about your emigration? And what did you like best?
I must honestly say that it was very easy. We both found work quickly, made new friends easily and embraced the new country quickly. I think what saved us is that we didn’t focus too much on negative things or differences, but always focus on the positive things.
Do you plan to return to the Netherlands someday?
I don’t think so… I enjoy life in Norway immensely and miss the nature and peace when I am in the Netherlands. I don’t know if we will always stay in Norway, because travel is always itchy and I would like to live in Asia for a while.
Has foreign countries changed your view of the Netherlands? How do you look at the Netherlands now?
Oh sure! I think all of our travels and moving to a new country have made me stop seeing our original norms and values from Holland as “ordinary” or “standard. Every country and its people have different customs and they are not necessarily crazy or different. That idea worked very liberating for me.
- Daisy in Sri Lanka
- Iemke in South Africa
- Stéphanie on Bali
- Edith in Spain
- Sabine in Colombia
- Claudia in Norway
- Aicha in Scotland
- Irene in Mexico
Be sure to check out www.backpackgek.nl if you want tips from me about Norway or follow me on Instagram(www.instagram.com/claudia.menger) for live updates. Visit Norway(www.visitnorway.com) also has good information.
Emigrating abroad is not something you do lightly. There is often a story behind this. A dream, love, work or other reasons. Do you enjoy telling your story and inspiring other people with it? Or do you know someone who should tell her story? I’d love to hear about it! Send an email to: info@vegantravellife.com
