US Worker Leaves World's Most Livable City

Paige Madison moved from the United States to Copenhagen, a city frequently ranked as the world's most livable. She accepted a job in January 2021 to help design a new national museum. While the city is known for high happiness scores, Madison struggled to adapt to the local lifestyle.

Key challenges included the extreme weather conditions, a high cost of living, and difficulties integrating into established social circles. Despite taking language classes and participating in local activities, she felt isolated. After nearly two years, she secured a job back in the US and left before experiencing a third winter.

Paige Madison moved from Vermont to Copenhagen in January 2021 for what she described as a "dream job." The opportunity involved helping design a new national museum filled with dinosaur skeletons and natural wonders. The decision was heavily influenced by the city's reputation; the Economist Intelligence Unit had recently ranked Copenhagen as the number one most livable city, while the World Happiness Report named Denmark the second-happiest country globally.

Madison arrived with high expectations, envisioning a "cobblestone paradise" of candy-colored houses and vast bike lanes. However, the reality of the move hit fast. She found that the city's reputation did not immediately match her personal experience, leading to a period of adjustment that ultimately proved insurmountable.

The winter weather proved to be a significant hurdle. Despite growing up in Vermont and being accustomed to cold winters, Madison found Copenhagen different. In January, the sun would rise after 8:30 a.m. and set around 3:30 p.m., providing about two hours less sunlight than she was used to. The days were often gloomy, with frequent rain creating a layer of gray clouds that she described as an "oppressive, immovable blanket."

Financially, the city was more expensive than anticipated. While her salary seemed high initially, the cost of living in Copenhagen was significantly higher than in Vermont. Simple luxuries like coffee and pastries felt unaffordable. The city frequently appears on lists of the world's most expensive cities, a fact that became apparent to Madison shortly after her arrival.

Summer brought a different set of challenges. The short winter days were replaced by over 17 hours of sunlight. This near-constant light wreaked havoc on her sleep schedule, making it difficult to find a healthy balance.

Despite her best efforts, Madison struggled to adapt to Danish society. She spent her first year taking language classes, exploring street art, and embracing football culture. However, she found barriers everywhere. Although she speaks three languages, mastering Danish proved difficult. This language gap made it hard to keep up with conversations that inevitably slipped away from English.

Establishing a social circle was also difficult. Colleagues were pleasant but already had established groups. Attempts to meet people at live music events were hampered by the local smoking culture, which she did not enjoy. Furthermore, many of the city's livability perks, such as generous maternity leave and childcare, were of no use to her as she did not have children.

At work, the situation deteriorated. Although employees in Denmark are entitled to five weeks of vacation, Madison felt unable to take advantage of this due to her museum project being behind schedule. She felt pressured to work more, and her dream job slowly turned into a nightmare.

By her second winter, the combination of work pressure, isolation, and the dark weather took a toll. Madison found herself biking to work in the dark and leaving in the dark. She continued running at sunrise hoping to recapture the initial sense of possibility, but instead felt she was chasing something that would never come.

During a morning run in early summer, she realized she was done trying to make it work. She secured a job in the United States and gave her notice. Just before autumn turned into another winter, she packed her life into two suitcases. On her walk to the metro, the rain soaked her luggage, serving as a fitting goodbye.

Looking back, Madison noted that independence has its limits. She realized that community, balance, and a sense of belonging matter more to her than she had realized. She concluded that if she were to live abroad again, she would need to ensure those elements were present.