So Long, Sogndal

Today’s entry will be a little more reflective and less of a play-by-play structure, but I do want to acknowledge that we spent the early afternoon in the company of Bente, Trude, Erik, Jermund, Torvald, Sigrid, Therese, and Bjørn where we were, for the last time on this go around, wined and dined (coffeed and caked?) in grand fashion. As a token of our gratitude and a nod to his deep appreciation of photographic history, we set up a digital picture frame for Erik that will continually shuffle through his, and our, massive collection of photos so that he can enjoy them without needing to assemble his considerable collection of albums and scrapbooks when the mood strikes. We hope it brings him a fraction of the delight his friendship has given our family over many years.

(Note: most of the photos from this entry are an assortment of shots from the entire trip that never made it into the blog previously but seemed a shame not to share.)

Rereading the words I wrote the last time I left Sogndal, I understand two things: one, that I have a flair for the dramatic; and two, that it’s clear how significantly my life has changed as a result of having met these people and this place. There has been a different tone this second visit: last time, on my first time seeing Norway, wide-eyed astonishment became my default mode of existence. As a boy from Wisconsin, I had the wind knocked out of me by every change of scenery, each more unbelievable than the last. This isn’t to suggest that the sights here have lost their grandeur–indeed, the reality is anything but–however, there has been a palpable shift in my priorities as Sogndal has transformed from uncharted to well traversed territory. The frantic pressure to see as much as possible in as little time as possible loosened its grip on this return trip. Instead, I depart with gratitude that we were able to rekindle as many connections as we did–in addition to nurturing many notable new ones.

Practically speaking, this was not a radical departure from the weekly pattern of the 2019 excursion. On both of these trips, we struck a balance between sightseeing missions of our own and indoor time with family, and that is natural and expected. But, especially for me, the sharpest contrast is found in the meetings with family, which last time were more formal introductions but this time were comfortable reunions with known kin. I emphasize the word “comfortable” here. One piece that hasn’t changed one bit for me is my disbelief at how kind and welcoming everyone has been. As a millennial, I deeply understand how busy everyone’s life can be in contemporary times. Many family members here are now juggling new additions to their family, new and existing jobs, or even both. Not once–not once–have we been made to feel like impositions on anyone’s time, though I know the likely reality. I couldn’t begin to adequately thank everybody in Sogndal for the red carpet reception we’ve been offered since our arrival. To our many Foss relatives who have shown us your grace and hospitality: the only gift greater than feeling like family is indeed being your family. Fra mitt hjerte, mange tusen takk for alt.

Though my second great Sogndal adventure has come to a close, the spirit of adventure must endure for some days yet. Tomorrow, we will (weather willing…) board the same small plane that brought us here to return to Oslo, where we will enjoy four days of unadulterated tourism. Last time in Norway, we regrettably positioned our time in Oslo at the outset of the itinerary, and jet lag wreaked absolute havoc on most of our time in town. While we won’t battle that same demon this time, I do suspect we will need to make the necessary adjustments from small town to big city life, reacquainting ourselves with a stricter adherence to schedules and a quicker spring in the step. We have assembled a sizable wishlist of stops (including many coffee shops!), so I am eager to see how many–and hopefully not how few–we are able to pull off. See you soon, Oslo!