I cannot believe it has been a week since I last posted. A lot has happened. A LOT.
We went on a cruise for my brother’s wedding… and I will have a whole separate travel advisor post on that one because man did I learn some things. Things I never thought I would have to say to clients but now absolutely will. Stay tuned for that one.
But I know some of you are on the edge of your seat waiting for a trip update. So here is where we are…
Plane Tickets ✅ We leave Saturday May 23rd. Oslo via Amsterdam. It is booked. It is real. I still cannot fully believe it.
The Car 🚗 We have a quote from Carmax to sell our beloved minivan back to them. From there we will have a rental car for 9 days while the money settles and we can purchase our car in Norway. Adam has been deep in research mode and we are looking at Skodas and VW wagons. Our friend in Norway will help us buy and insure a car there and drive it to the airport on the 23rd when she leaves for her own trip to Turkey. We pick it up from the carpark and drive to her house in Arendal.
Yes. Arendal.
The real life home of Elsa and Anna actually exists and we are going there first. 🏔️
Poppy 🐾 Her vet appointment is set for the Monday before we leave to get all of her paperwork in order. I have already emailed the Norwegian authorities with our flight information to document her arrival.
The Kids 🎉 This weekend we are having a party in the park. It is doubling as Gavin’s 13th birthday celebration and a neighborhood get together so everyone can say see ya later.
Technology 📱 We have purchased iPads for all three kids loaded with Qustodio so we can manage screen time and content. They have keyboards and pencils ready for schoolwork. I preinstalled IXL… Epic… Duolingo… and yes… Roblox. Balance is everything.
School 📚 We are officially registered as a homeschool family. Withdrawal emails have been sent for the 2026-2027 school year. If and when we come back they can reenroll. Simple as that.
The House 🏡 Inspection and appraisal are done. Closing is set for the 19th but we are asking to push it to the 20th or 21st to buy ourselves a few extra days in the house before hotel life begins. We will see!
Cell Phones 📲 When we arrive in Norway we will pick up a SIM card — Norwegian SIMs work across all of Europe which is perfect. We are keeping our US Visible numbers so we can still text and receive calls over wifi.
Mail 📬 We have an iPostal1 address so all mail and mailing addresses stay in Kansas. We are officially moving from Shawnee to Overland Park on paper.
Medical 💊 We have seen the doctors and dentists. Prescriptions refilled. We are ready.
Work 💻 Adam has not planned to take a single day off during the transition. Which is so entirely him. His clients and coworkers are apparently now playing a real life game of Where’s Waldo based on whatever background appears on his next Teams call. And my work… I am caught up with all current clients traveling this month and next. A few new clients in progress but with the internet and video calls everything continues as normal from wherever we happen to be.
One Thing That Really Stings 💔
I have to be honest about one thing that did not work out and it seriously makes me sad and a bit Grumpy.
I had to cancel my attendance to our Favorite Grамpy Travels annual convention.
Every year we all get together in Orlando… meet directly with suppliers… go on ship tours… bond… eat… karaoke… get inspired and motivated and reminded of why we love this industry so much. It is one of my absolute favorite events of the year.
The timing is May 15th through the 19th. No matter how hard I tried I could not make it work with our closing date and everything else happening in those final days. So I had to cancel.
I will miss my fellow advisors more than I can say. We see each other once or twice a year if we are lucky and those connections… those friendships… those industry professionals who have become some of my favorite humans… you know who you are.
Next year. I promise. 💙
I have no idea what I am missing. But I think we have a pretty good start.
T minus 16 days. 🌍🐾
Q: How do you get a SIM card for traveling across Europe? A: We are purchasing a Norwegian SIM card when we arrive which works across all of Europe — no need to swap cards in every country. We are also keeping our US Visible phone numbers active over wifi so family and clients back home can still reach us seamlessly. The combination of a European SIM and wifi calling covers everything we need.
Q: How do you buy a car in Norway as an American? A: We are doing it with the help of a trusted Norwegian friend who will handle the purchase and insurance on our behalf. The car — we are looking at Skodas and VW wagons — will be driven to the Oslo airport on our arrival day and waiting for us in the carpark. From there we drive directly to Arendal. Having a local contact makes the whole process significantly more manageable.
Q: Is Arendal Norway really the inspiration for Frozen? A: Arendal is widely referenced as one of the inspirations for the kingdom of Arendal in Frozen and the connection to Norwegian culture and landscape throughout the film is undeniable. Whether or not it is the official inspiration we are absolutely choosing to believe it fully and our kids are here for it.
Q: How do you handle mail and addresses when traveling long term internationally? A: We use iPostal1 which gives us a permanent US mailing address that handles all incoming mail digitally. We can view scan forward or shred mail from anywhere in the world. Our licenses and official documents are updated to this address so everything stays current and organized regardless of where we physically are.
Q: How do you manage your kids screen time while world schooling? A: We use Qustodio which gives us full control over screen time limits content filtering and app usage across all devices. The kids have educational apps preinstalled — IXL Epic and Duolingo — alongside their favorites like Roblox. The boundaries are clear and the balance feels right. School first then fun.
More from Norway
Now that we have actually been there, here is everything we know about Norway — read our complete Norway guide for the full picture.
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One day at a time and one task at a time. The countdown period is full of logistics but also full of emotional processing that most people underestimate. Give yourself permission to feel complicated things. Not every day needs to feel like excitement.
Paperwork. Vet visits. Sorting belongings. Canceling subscriptions. Changing addresses. Finding storage. Saying goodbyes. The to-do list is endless and the emotional weight of each item is different. It is more like closing one life than just taking a trip.
The same way you manage it from home: with a schedule, clear expectations with clients and employers, and communication. The preparation period for travel is often the best test of whether your remote work setup actually works on the road.
How long it takes. How much you have accumulated without noticing. How many people respond with genuine admiration rather than judgment. How the kids handle it differently than you expected. And how the decision gets more real and more right as the date gets closer.
Every family who has done it says yes. The preparation period is genuinely hard. The logistics are real. But the life on the other side, the time together, the experiences, and the perspective it gives your kids are consistently described as the best decision the family ever made.
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