{"id":2131,"date":"2026-03-16T18:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/?p=2131"},"modified":"2026-03-16T18:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:29:11","slug":"moved-small-city-maine-from-sweden-europe-community-2026-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/?p=2131","title":{"rendered":"Moving to Small US City Was Even Better Than Living in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\">\n<p>We spent New Year&#8217;s Eve wearing paper crowns at a cozy New England restaurant that felt like a living room. The owner stopped by our corner booth while he worked the room; our friends, who run their own bakery, slipped away to say hi to some regulars.<\/p>\n<div class=\"audio-player-container\">\n<div class=\"audio-player is-loading\" data-component-type=\"audio-player\" data-load-strategy=\"lazy\" data-audio-url=\"https:\/\/ai-audio.insider-prd.engineering\/post\/moved-small-city-maine-from-sweden-europe-community-2026-3\/narration.mp3\" data-track-view=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;ai_audio_narrator&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;subscription_experience&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\">\n                <button class=\"audio-player-toggle-button\" aria-label=\"Play audio\"><\/p>\n<p>\n                    <span class=\"audio-player-label label-md-strong\">Loading audio narration&#8230;<\/span>\n                  <\/p>\n<p>                <\/button>\n              <\/div><\/div>\n<p>My husband leaned over and said, &#8220;I love this.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The year before, we had been wall-to-wall at a roller-rink club in Brooklyn. Although we had a good time, sitting in that small-town restaurant \u2014 watching fireworks over the river \u2014 felt like exactly where we were meant to be.<\/p>\n<p>There was no line, cover fee, or wild countdown. The night that often disappoints simply didn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<p>This wasn&#8217;t where we thought we&#8217;d be on the last night of 2025. In June, we&#8217;d <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/moved-to-sweden-lifestyle-work-culture-changes-2025-9\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"noopener\">moved from New York to Sweden<\/a>, but just four months later, we found ourselves leaving for Maine.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"8a5f7b3f-5c7a-43f9-9c39-3f0be7d44da6\" data-toc-id=\"8a5f7b3f-5c7a-43f9-9c39-3f0be7d44da6\"><strong>We thought Sweden would be our new home, but circumstances made it temporary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/moved-to-sweden-from-the-us-culture-shock-2023-9\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"noopener\">Moving to Sweden<\/a> in June, I was following a simple idea: When things feel scary in America, the best course of action is to leave.<\/p>\n<p>For a while, it worked. Life felt gentler.<\/p>\n<p>We fell into a mellow rhythm, going to the beach, visiting the many well-maintained conservation areas \u2014 including some that go directly through cow pastures \u2014 and eating affordable, <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/reference\/how-to-eat-healthy-on-a-budget\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"noopener\">healthy food<\/a> from the grocery store.<\/p>\n<p>Although Sweden delivered in real ways, staying required logistical planning and more time than we had. Leaving didn&#8217;t feel like failure, but choosing something more permanent.<\/p>\n<p>Back in the US, we weren&#8217;t looking for another <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/least-favorite-us-cities-according-to-frequent-traveler\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"noopener\">major metropolitan area<\/a>, but a real community. That search led us to a small Maine city just south of Portland, where some of our friends were already living.<\/p>\n<p>With a population of under 23,000, it sounded like a great fit. Friends helped us secure an apartment before we even arrived.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"4d46efb3-e157-451c-87c5-b34d8464cbb3\" data-toc-id=\"4d46efb3-e157-451c-87c5-b34d8464cbb3\"><strong>The community here immediately felt unlike anywhere else<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"figure image-figure-image   \" data-type=\"img\" data-e2e-name=\"image-figure-image\" data-media-container=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n<div class=\"lazy-holder \" style=\"padding-top: calc(100% * 5773 \/ 8660)\">\n<p>              <meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/69b2d6474d65ec517529e531\"\/><br \/>\n              <img xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"lazy-image \" encoding=\"UTF-8\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" data-content-type=\"image\/jpeg\" srcs=\"{&quot;https:\/\/i.insider.com\/69b2d6474d65ec517529e531&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image\/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:8660,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:5773}}\" alt=\"A street with storefronts in Biddeford, Maine.\"\/>\n            <\/div>\n<p>              <span class=\"image-source-caption \"><figcaption class=\"image-caption headline-semibold\" data-e2e-name=\"image-caption\">\n                      I love how it feels to run into friends \u2014 and make new ones \u2014 wherever I go.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>              <span class=\"image-source headline-regular\" data-e2e-name=\"image-source\" itemprop=\"creditText\"><\/p>\n<p>              DenisTangneyJr\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>              <\/span><br \/>\n                    <\/figcaption><\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figure>\n<p>We had a rich community in New York, but our friends were more spread out around the city. As soon as we got to Maine, though, we realized we could walk almost anywhere: from our apartment to a friend&#8217;s place, the pharmacy, a grocery store, and the river.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, our city really feels like home. Now, our friends&#8217; bakery isn&#8217;t just a place to get delicious treats and coffee; it&#8217;s where we run into \u2014 or make \u2014 friends in line, and chat about how their winter is going.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve also seen the way Mainers support each other firsthand. When our moms came to visit, we took them for a coastal drive in our brand-new Volvo and slid straight into a ditch.<\/p>\n<p>We were inches from doing damage and bracing for a tow when a woman and her kids came outside and jumped in to help push us back onto the road.<\/p>\n<p>Within minutes, we were free. They waved while we drove off as if it were the most normal thing in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Our community shows up for people in larger-scale ways, too. When a major fire hit the Old Port this winter, destroying boats and fishing equipment, the owner of a local seafood restaurant started selling T-shirts, with proceeds going to the fishermen affected.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)&#8217;s <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/ice-has-ended-increased-enforcement-in-maine-susan-collins-2026-1\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"noopener\">enhanced presence in Maine<\/a>, residents responded immediately. Businesses put up &#8220;No ICE&#8221; posters, a hotline was established to provide help and resources, and crowds gathered downtown to protest the occupation.<\/p>\n<p>It reaffirmed what I already knew about Maine: When people here think their neighbors are at risk, they take action.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"cd650e5c-0b99-44f2-99bb-25b63744bdf3\" data-toc-id=\"cd650e5c-0b99-44f2-99bb-25b63744bdf3\"><strong>Maine is exactly what we needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"figure image-figure-image   \" data-type=\"img\" data-e2e-name=\"image-figure-image\" data-media-container=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n<div class=\"lazy-holder \" style=\"padding-top: calc(100% * 681 \/ 908)\">\n<p>              <meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/69b2d6864d65ec517529e543\"\/><br \/>\n              <img xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"lazy-image \" encoding=\"UTF-8\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" data-content-type=\"image\/png\" srcs=\"{&quot;https:\/\/i.insider.com\/69b2d6864d65ec517529e543&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:908,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:681}}\" alt=\"The writer and her husband wearing matching hats on a Maine beach.\"\/>\n            <\/div>\n<p>              <span class=\"image-source-caption \"><figcaption class=\"image-caption headline-semibold\" data-e2e-name=\"image-caption\">\n                      As much as we enjoyed living abroad, our community here has made this one of our best chapters yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>              <span class=\"image-source headline-regular\" data-e2e-name=\"image-source\" itemprop=\"creditText\"><\/p>\n<p>              Jennifer Henry<\/p>\n<p>              <\/span><br \/>\n                    <\/figcaption><\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figure>\n<p>One night, before grabbing cocktails, a group of our friends went to a live storytelling event in a small church.<\/p>\n<p>I was surrounded by new and familiar faces: A former theater kid in his 30s told a story about the state spelling bee. An 80-year-old talked about soapbox racing in Camden.<\/p>\n<p>My own creative work is taking shape here, too. I&#8217;m querying a novel, having found a steadier practice and supportive writing scene.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m glad I had the opportunity to live abroad, but I&#8217;m even happier that I landed in a <a target=\"_self\" class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/surprising-best-cities-to-visit-traveler-visited-50-states-2025-12\" data-track-click=\"{&quot;element_name&quot;:&quot;body_link&quot;,&quot;event&quot;:&quot;tout_click&quot;,&quot;index&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;,&quot;product_field&quot;:&quot;bi_value_unassigned&quot;}\" rel=\"noopener\">small US city<\/a> where people live year-round and expect to see each other for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Sitting in that booth on New Year&#8217;s Eve, I understood why people here claim this place, and why I&#8217;m excited to do the same.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>window.allScripts = window.allScripts || []; window.allScripts.push({ type: \"load\", script: \"%3Cscript%20id%3D%22meta-pixel-script%22%20%3E(()%3D%3E%7Bvar%20e%3D%7B69531()%7B!function()%7Bvar%20e%2Ct%2Cr%2Cn%2Co%2Ci%3Bfunction%20a()%7Bwindow.Fenrir%3F.cm%3F.usPrivacyApplies%26%26window.Fenrir%3F.cm%3F.isOptedOutOfAds%3Ffbq(%22dataProcessingOptions%22%2C%5B%22LDU%22%5D%2C0%2C0)%3Afbq(%22dataProcessingOptions%22%2C%5B%5D)%2Cfbq(%22init%22%2C%221988166924554892%22)%2Cfbq(%22track%22%2C%22PageView%22)%7Ddocument.querySelectorAll('iframe%5Bsrc*%3D%22jwplayer%22%5D').length%7C%7C(e%3Dwindow%2Ct%3Ddocument%2Cr%3D%22script%22%2Ce.fbq%7C%7C(n%3De.fbq%3Dfunction()%7Bn.callMethod%3Fn.callMethod.apply(n%2Carguments)%3An.queue.push(arguments)%7D%2Ce._fbq%7C%7C(e._fbq%3Dn)%2Cn.push%3Dn%2Cn.loaded%3D!0%2Cn.version%3D%222.0%22%2Cn.queue%3D%5B%5D%2C(o%3Dt.createElement(r)).async%3D!0%2Co.src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fconnect.facebook.net%2Fen_US%2Ffbevents.js%22%2C(i%3Dt.getElementsByTagName(r)%5B0%5D).parentNode.insertBefore(o%2Ci))%2Cwindow.Fenrir%3F.cm%3F.cmStarted%3Fa()%3AsetTimeout(a%2C1e3))%7D()%7D%7D%2Ct%3D%7B%7D%3Bfunction%20r(n)%7Bvar%20o%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3Bif(void%200!%3D%3Do)return%20o.exports%3Bvar%20i%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3D%7Bexports%3A%7B%7D%7D%3Breturn%20e%5Bn%5D(i%2Ci.exports%2Cr)%2Ci.exports%7Dr.m%3De%2Cr.c%3Dt%2Cr.o%3D(e%2Ct)%3D%3EObject.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(e%2Ct)%2C(()%3D%3E%7Br.S%3D%7B%7D%3Bvar%20e%3D%7B%7D%2Ct%3D%7B%7D%3Br.I%3D(n%2Co)%3D%3E%7Bo%7C%7C(o%3D%5B%5D)%3Bvar%20i%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3Bif(i%7C%7C(i%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3D%7B%7D)%2C!(o.indexOf(i)%3E%3D0))%7Bif(o.push(i)%2Ce%5Bn%5D)return%20e%5Bn%5D%3Br.o(r.S%2Cn)%7C%7C(r.S%5Bn%5D%3D%7B%7D)%3Br.S%5Bn%5D%3Bvar%20a%3D%5B%5D%3Breturn%20a.length%3Fe%5Bn%5D%3DPromise.all(a).then(()%3D%3Ee%5Bn%5D%3D1)%3Ae%5Bn%5D%3D1%7D%7D%7D)()%3Br(69531)%7D)()%3B%3C%2Fscript%3E\" });<\/script><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We spent New Year&#8217;s Eve wearing paper crowns at a cozy New England restaurant that felt like a living room. The owner stopped by our corner booth while he worked the room; our friends, who run their own bakery, slipped away to say hi to some regulars. Loading audio narration&#8230; My husband leaned over and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,204,717,720,718,722,721,456,716,719],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-finance","category-freelancer-le","category-maine","category-moving","category-moving-to-maine","category-new-england","category-real-estate","category-real-estate-2","category-sweden"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/owspakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}