In 1987, my husband and I embarked on a life-changing adventure. Just six weeks after our wedding, we packed our bags and moved to Oslo, Norway, ready to start our life together in a completely new setting.

The move was bittersweet. It meant leaving behind the comfort of our families, the warmth of lifelong friendships, and, for me, a fulfilling job with colleagues I genuinely enjoyed. Ahead lay the challenge of building a new life in a society that was unfamiliar in language, culture, and way of life.

We landed in Oslo on a snowy New Year’s Eve—a magical yet daunting beginning. Back then, Oslo wasn’t the multicultural city it is today. There was just one store where we could find the spices I needed for Indian cooking and a single Indian restaurant we’d heard of. Our connections to Indian culture were limited to a handful of families we met at church on Sundays.

Our plan was simple: stay for a couple of years, save enough money, and return to India to buy our own home. Back then, owning property in India was a significant challenge—home loans were scarce, and salaries were modest. It’s incredible how much has changed since those days. Today, with India’s economic growth, better salaries, and easier access to home loans, such dreams are far more attainable.

Thinking back, it was surreal. Just weeks earlier, we had been surrounded by the joyful chaos of our wedding celebrations, surrounded by family and friends. Now, we were standing together in the middle of a snowy city, about to carve out our future.