Getting settled at Stanford

Bonjour guys! The first ten days in the US have been super hectic—exciting but a little overwhelming. After tackling the jet lag (not fun), our first mission was to find an apartment near Stanford University. Spoiler alert: that’s easier said than done. The Bay Area’s reputation for sky-high rents is no exaggeration. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to make it here without the generous support of the Norwegian Research Council alongside the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global grant. Huge thanks to both!

Sure, I could’ve gone the “cheap” route—living in a shared house with 10 other overworked academics (and even that’s not exactly cheap at $1500/month). But, let’s be real, I’ve outgrown that phase. Having my own place is way more practical, especially for when my wife and family visit.

After checking out about ten apartments, we finally found “the one” in Downtown Palo Alto. It’s cozy, just a short bike ride to Stanford, and surprisingly affordable compared to the other options we saw. One week after landing, we had the keys in hand. I’d say we deserve a solid pat on the back for that—go team!

Of course, that was just the beginning of the endless to-do list. We opened a US bank account, wired the deposit and rent from my Norwegian account, and bought two bikes (farewell, rental car). Now we’re biking around—a fun twist in the land of cars. GL HF (good luck, have fun), right?

Next up: internet, a US phone number, a Social Security number, health insurance, and more. Send help! 😅 Take care, and I’ll catch you in the next update. Cheers! 🚴‍♂️

Caption: Picture of Stanford’s campus. It is so beautiful here!