We left America to live in a remote farmhouse in Norway, but it wasn’t as picturesque as we expected

When Charles and Rachel Post first visited Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands in 2019, they thought of the trip as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience.

But the couple fell in love with the far-flung destination, so much so, that in 2022, they decided to sell their home in America and move there full time.

They bought a charming farmhouse with a beautiful garden, which was just steps away from a beach.

But living in such a sparsely populated island came with a slew of difficulties and was ultimately much harder than they expected.

Now, four-and-a-half years on from the move, the couple is preparing to leave the secluded island and return to the United States.

The young couple told the Daily Mail that after visiting the archipelago on vacation in 2019, they were enthralled by its picturesque beauty, explaining that it looked like a ‘green screen’ it was so stunning.

At first, they ‘tucked’ the memory away, thinking it was a one-off trip, but when they returned back to their newly-purchased ‘dream’ home in Montana, they started to feel like something was missing.

‘I just remember thinking, “Is this the last driveway we’re ever going to walk down?”‘ Charles recalled. ‘Like, is this it? Is this our [forever] house? It felt so intense.’

After some more serious discussions, the two decided to take the leap and move abroad.

With the help of immigration lawyers, Charles, 38, who works as an ecologist and consultant, and Rachel, 34, who has her own art design business, Rachel Pohl Art, were able to obtain skilled worker visas.

They packed up and moved to the sparsely populated Lofoten Islands in 2022, returning to the place that had inspired them nearly three years prior.

Charles and Rachel temporarily rented a tiny cabin in the area, but were in search of something that felt more permanent. 

By a stroke of luck – and extreme vigilance – they were able to find their dream home after it popped up one day on Finn, which Charles described as Norway’s version of Zillow.

Something out of a storybook, the 1,800sq ft farmhouse has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large, airy, open kitchen.

It also boasts plenty of outdoor space as it sits on 2.9 acres of land; it is surrounded by protected farmland, and located on a bird sanctuary. 

‘Some of the best trailheads are just out the door. We have a turquoise fjord just a hundred feet [away] and a surf out the other side of the house,’ Charles gushed.

 

Charles explained that he and his wife bought the home in nearly perfect condition, only adding some ‘minor’ upgrades like a heat pump and new kitchen appliances; the couple also later built a sauna on the property that holds up to eight people. 

Even so, he admitted that ‘living in an old farmhouse’ takes ‘a lot of love.’ 

‘Whether that’s painting it every summer or tending to the garden – I love gardening, we have a huge, beautiful garden, and it’s a privilege to be able to continue caring for this garden,’ he said.

‘We’ve put a lot of time into just maintaining the garden, planting trees, planting more flowers, more berries. We probably have 65 bushes of berries… you can just go outside and pick breakfast.’

While it certainly comes with its pluses, after nearly five years of living on the island, the couple is now ready to come home.

Charles told the Daily Mail that it wasn’t just one thing that drew them to want to move back to Montana – it was a bunch of things that added up over time.

He explained that even just small, everyday things like trying to open up a bank account or call a taxi were hard to navigate at first.

‘Moving to Norway, I guess it was surprising to us, you realize how much energy and bandwidth you’re allocating to those little things,’ he said.

‘You don’t understand the language, you don’t understand the cultural norms. You have no context.’

He explained that things that take 20 seconds in America could take an hour or even a week in Lofoten because of all those differences.

The couple also shared that at times, they felt like ‘outsiders,’ especially because Norway is a small country.

‘It really does feel a little bit like you’re very much the outsider coming into this tightly-knit country,’ Charles said. 

‘It means you’re more obvious you’re not from that group, and integrating is just a bigger thing.

‘We’ve found that it’s a bit of a slower go to build connections and deeper friendships,’ he added, noting that they did ultimately find great community in Norway.

In addition, they said that their decision to return to the US stemmed from them wanting to be closer to their aging parents and other family members before they have children.

And despite the hard parts, Charles vowed that they have no regrets about making the move. 

‘We’ve had the best time, our home is amazing, our community is amazing, it’s been everything we’ve hope for and more,’ he said.

The process has made them more appreciative of America, including the small things they may have taken for granted before. 

‘What a privilege to be able to see my parents, or see my best friend, or go to the place where we got engaged… it’s so easy to take that stuff for granted when it’s at your fingertips,’ Charles added. 

Now, they’re in search of the next tenants to sell their home to before they move back to the States at the end of October. 

‘I think the main thing for us, when we decided to sell, we promised our neighbors that we’d try to find people who would see this house for what it is and want to love this house and be a part of this little village and community,’ he said.

The couple’s house has been listed by agent Lars Jakob Aarak and Håvard Nilsen of Privatmegleren Park in Oslo for just under $1.2 million, and they are still looking for that perfect buyer.

‘[Even though we’re leaving we’re] so pleased just to be able to have that perspective and vantage point to realize what is really valuable, what matters most to [us],’ Charles concluded.