Insights from my World Travels
For today's edition, brevity is indeed the soul of wit. Our departure from Norway beckons, and so too do the responsibilities that accompany it. My suitcases were full when I arrived a month ago, so a Herculean challenge awaits. I am readily accepting thoughts and good wishes for the upcoming customs process. Side note: I …
Though it was a treat to begin our morning with a hotel-provided breakfast, I quickly discovered, as I ventured to the nearby coffee shop, an obstacle that would follow us throughout the day: nearly everything in the city is closed on Sundays with the exception of most restaurants and some tourist attractions. So our itinerary …
An early start this morning saw us exchange fond farewells with Bjørg and Hege as we boarded an express boat from Lavik to Bergen. (An express boat is essentially the equivalent of a maritime bus, carrying passengers to an ultimate destination while also stopping occasionally at other ports to drop off and pick up passengers.) …
When speaking about the fjords, I would normally suggest the order of the nouns in the title ought to be flipped; few sights are capable of relegating the view across the water to second place. But Bjørg's epic garden might be one such giant slayer. Only a truly passionate horticulturalist could love living here--and Bjørg …
After three and a half weeks of making memories in Sogndal, it was time for a tearful goodbye this morning. If I am honest, I managed to contain the waterworks, but it wasn't for lack of sentimentality. (My parents were not so restrained.) But, as I strolled through the Fosshaugene Campus to grab one last …
To summarize my time in Sogndal feels like an attempt to define the undefinable, to measure the immeasurable. I spent the last hour reading over each entry I've written during my time here, and it is difficult both to explain the impact this pilgrimage has had and will continue to have on my life, and …
The knowledge that today was the last full day we would be in possession of our rental car quickly brought the reality of our impending departure from Sogndal to the forefront. A full reflection will take more time than I have to offer tonight, but I do hope to take some time to process this …
During our time in Norway, I've already scaled mountains in more ways than I anticipated I would. I have hiked (well, almost to the top). I have driven up on roads both public and restricted. Had I the stamina (and the necessary hardware) to bike up a mountain, I certainly would have tried that, too. …
On account of the forceful return to temperate conditions, I have the privilege of writing tonight's entry from the lawn of our apartment. Viewing the stars in Sogndal is a gift for me; the city lights to which I am accustomed often limit much of the sky's impact. I used to lay myself in my …
There are days you remember, and then there are days you know you could never forget. The realization dawns on you at some special moment, or after a sequence of profound events; the feeling simply overtakes you. I was lucky to have such a day today. If I ramble, know that I am mentally spent, …
Where the Waterfalls Mean Home 