HAPPY: Frida Østbye (tv) and Madeléne Stensrud have chosen somewhat alternative lifestyles in Bali and Costa Rica. Photo: Private
Frida Østbye (23) and Madeléne Stensrud (22) have created their own jobs on the other side of the world.
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Frida Østbye (23) and Madeléne Stensrud (22) have left life in Norway to create their own businesses abroad. Østbye, a former bank employee, moved to Bali and started a company that produces content for local businesses. Stensrud moved to Costa Rica after watching a YouTube video about a girl who sold everything she owned and moved to Hawaii. Both value the freedom they have gained through these job opportunities and prefer this life to a more traditional working life in Norway. Show more
– This can’t be all?
Frida Østbye (23) asked herself that question when she finished her education at 21 and was working in a bank. With a bachelor’s degree and a permanent job, yes, then it was just a matter of getting a house and a husband, then?
– But I’m only 21 years old?! The A4 life didn’t feel right, says Østbye to VG over the phone from Bali.
A LITTLE NORWEGIAN: Living a little outside the norm is something Frida Østbye feels suits her perfectly. She has always wanted “more” than the usual A4 life. Photo: Private
Because Frida’s life was to take a completely different turn. She decided to work as a flight attendant at Norwegian for a year to do something new. When she spent winter leave in Sri Lanka with her Swedish friend Lovisa, a whole new world opened up for them.
IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA: Colleagues Lovisa Kjellerstedt and Frida Østbye make a living filming and photographing for clients. They often use themselves in the cliffs. Photo: Private
– We saw people working from their laptops and making money from all sorts of things, says Østbye enthusiastically.
It became the cornerstone of the idea the girls were to develop later.
– You are taught to work for some, to having to be in one place 47 weeks a year. I thought there must be another solution.
And the solution was to set up a separate company and move to Bali.
Surrounded by temptations
Now Frida and Lovisa are colleagues and produce content for local businesses that they can use on their social media channels. They manage their everyday lives entirely by themselves, a freedom Frida has longed for for a long time.
– I wanted to be my own boss and have financial freedom. But the view of wealth has changed a lot. What I do every day and the people around me make me feel rich, instead of it being a money focus, she says.
SOCIALLY: Frida Østbye believes you have to be social to thrive in a place like Bali. In this way, she has also gained new customers. Photo: Private
Life now consists of daily exercise, beach visits, coffee breaks and social life.
– You have to hold yourself back a bit. We live in a tropical country where something happens every day, so you have to prioritize work as well, says Frida and chuckles.
Local workforce
Over the course of eight months, the girls have built up a company they can live off of, but it hasn’t always been easy.
– There were several times I thought “Now I’m going home”.
THE ISLAND LIFE: There is hard work behind the life Frida lives in Bali. Photo: Private
The challenge of finding customers in a completely unknown place felt difficult, but now the company has regular customers and has brought three local Indonesians to the team.
– Being able to create creative jobs for the locals down here is really fun, says Frida.
Wanted a minimalist life
For TikToker Madeléne Stensrud (22) from Uvdal, the decision to move to Costa Rica was not accidental. She had what she describes as an epiphany through a YouTube video.
– I saw a girl who sold everything she owned and moved to Hawaii in the middle of the jungle. I loved that idea, says Stensrud.
Selling all assets was not written down on the “to-do” list, but the 22-year-old still got to live with a sense of freedom.
– I just wanted to travel. For me, it would have been completely wild to just go to Oslo, she says, laughing.
MOVED FROM HOME: Madeléne Stensrud needed something new, and decided to travel to Costa Rica. Photo: Private
But the 22-year-old left more than just 200 kilometers behind him. She moved all the way to Costa Rica. A choice she hardly regrets.
– I didn’t want to be a typical tourist, but rather settle down and get to know the locals, says Stensrud.
Shall create memories
One evening at the local bar, a new friendship was formed. Madeléne and Costa Rican Rafael (20) moved in together. Together they dreamed big dreams – and a surfing retreat was created.
– We got such a good response from people who were interested and just started planning, she says.
COLLEAGUES: Madeléne and Rafael have organized a surfing retreat together, an activity that was well liked by the Norwegian. Photo: Private
The fact that Rafael is both local and a certified surf instructor got the wheels turning quite quickly. From a thought in April to a fully booked event of the stack in August.
– I am very excited, and really hope that we can make this one of the best experiences of your life.
Live the dream life
Surrounded by palm trees, a day of surfing, a foster dog and a business partner, Madeléne feels she is exactly where she should be – for this time.
– When I’ve lived in the village, there haven’t been that many people I can relate to. There are several people here who are a bit like me. I am very grateful for that, she says.
ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE: Madeléne calls herself a “free spirit” and loves that no two days are the same in Costa Rica. Photo: Private
She believes it is important to follow your heart and do what is right for yourself and no one else.
– I have much more I want to do with life. But this has made me trust myself. I feel like I can do anything now to be honest.
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Published: 13.08.23 at 21:57
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2023-08-13 19:57:37
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