Returning to Norway after eleven years in France
Episode 39 · 1h 20min
At 19, Silje (@norskmedsilje) leaves Bergen to spend a year in Montpellier. She ends up staying in France for more than a decade.
Watch in your language. English audio and multilingual subtitles are available on YouTube. If needed, choose Settings → Audio track → English. Turn on captions under Subtitles/CC. The original audio podcast is in French.
In this conversation
The Norwegian teacher shares her experience of France from the inside: mealtimes, friendships, paperwork, work and parenting. She also looks back on returning to Norway, where she encountered an unexpected loneliness and the same difficulties many newcomers face when trying to make friends in Oslo.
We also talk about learning Norwegian as an adult: the fear of making mistakes, the instinct to switch back to English, and the feelings we sometimes attach to the language of the country we live in.
A funny, personal and thoughtful conversation about France, Norway, identity and belonging.
Topics in this episode
Language & cultures · Moving & settling in · Couples & family