Kevin(29)

After studying mining engineering at TU Delft, I worked three years at an engineering firm in Breda. Good work, but boring. I wanted adventure, something big. When I saw a vacancy at LKAB in Kiruna — the world's largest underground iron mine — I knew this was it. Two months later I was above the Arctic Circle.

Kiruna is a town that's literally being relocated. Mining beneath the city causes subsidence, so the entire center is being moved three kilometers east. It's surreal — buildings are placed on trucks and transported. As an engineer, it's fascinating to witness this up close.

Registration at Skatteverket went quickly because LKAB as a major employer facilitates everything. I had my personnummer within three weeks. Folkbokföring in Kiruna also means you're automatically enrolled with Norrbottens county council for healthcare. The dentist here is cheaper than in the Netherlands.

The climate is extreme. In December there's no daylight — just a few hours of twilight around midday. In June the sun doesn't set. The first polar winter was tough, but the Swedes have a word for the coziness that protects you against it: mys. Candles, warm blankets, glögg and pepparkakor.

What I didn't expect: the nature is overwhelming. The northern lights regularly dance above my head, I cross-country ski through endless forests, and in summer I hike the Kungsleden — Sweden's most famous hiking trail. Sami culture is very much alive here; I've learned to herd reindeer with a local Sami family.

LKAB pays well and offers a supplement for living in Norrland. Rent is dirt cheap compared to the Randstad — 5,500 SEK for a spacious one-bedroom apartment. The a-kassa (unemployment insurance) is voluntary but smart to have. My tip: if you love nature and adventure and can handle the cold, Norrland is Europe's best-kept secret.