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THE ACCOMPANYING PARTNER We are all familiar with the charms and challenges of building a new life in a foreign country. But what is it really like, and especially for the accompanying partner? PHOTOGRAPHS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY / ZANE HARTMANE
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IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to capture all the strategies that accompanying partners have employed to get settled in Denmark. However, a recent project, What Is A Spouse?, by Spouse Community Aarhus, sheds light on the diversity of accompanying partners and their strategies for making a new life in Aarhus. This issue they share strategies from four accompanying partners that may be useful to you:
CREATE Irena moved to Denmark in 2015 to be with her Danish husband and quickly found her self feeling ‘in-between’ and yearning for social engagement. She started the Creative Women’s Club, which brought crafters and artists together, arranging exhibitions and workshops around the city. Irena is now all done with her Danish courses and is a fulltime student. She continues to enjoy her social network and volunteers with different local organisations to stay involved in the community. She advises newcomers to take it easy and find a network to be a part of, or create one of their own.
IRENA unexpected with a smile and open arms.”
TAKE A DIP Lisa, an anesthesiologist moved to Aarhus in March 2016 and one of her first steps was to start learning Danish. She applied for jobs at hospitals across the region and was offered a three-month unpaid internship. She was initially disappointed by the offer because she had five years experience but quickly saw it as a way to get her
LISA foot in the door. She learnt about the government’s løntilskud programme, which offered a boost. That internship eventually led to a position where she is now finishing her specialisation. She credits clubs, especially the Viking Club, and social events with helping her adjust to her new life. Lisa thinks we have to take the difficult first step of reaching out to people and will find that they are surprisingly willing to help. THE-INTL
We offer a wide range of events, seminars and online activities that help internationals get settled in Denmark.
REIMAGINE Juliana, a Brazilian actress, moved to Aarhus in 2017 with her Argentinian husband. One of her first strategies was to connect with the different international groups around the city, which helped her to quickly establish her social network. After a couple months in Aarhus, she started running theatre workshops and has since written a play, which she has performed twice at a local theatre. She encourages newcomers to go out and try different events, which will help them meet wonderful people and settle in their new life.
KEEP AN OPEN MIND Andres accompanied his girlfriend to Denmark in mid-2017. He had difficulty finding a job as an industrial engineer and decided to take the opportunity to try something new, teaching Spanish language and culture at a business college. However, he was keen on continuing his career as an engineer and has since decided to pursue his masters in Mechanical Engineering. He advises newcomers “to find a way that works for you to connect with the society and welcome the
FEBRUARY 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
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INSPIRATION IN THE DIVERSITY There are as many expats as there are approaches to finding a footing in Denmark. As we navigate the charms and challenges of building a new life here, we can draw inspiration from the diversity of experiences that exists among us. Whether we decide to create something new, reimagine the process, take a ‘dip’ in our professional grade or in the sea, or find some other way entirely, we can all agree that we need to keep an open mind. Ultimately, we find the way that works for us. Spouse Community Aarhus tries to create an engaging and inclusive community for spouses (accompanying partners) from across the globe, and helps to empower and inspire new and long-term spouses as they find their way. We hope you can tap into similar resources in your city.
Learn more at internationalcommunity.dk or follow us on Facebook @InternationalCommunityAarhus and Instagram @internationalcommunityaarhus. www.erhvervaarhus.dk www.international community.dk