28 Things I Learned in Norway

My family and I traveled through Norway for a few weeks this spring. I spent one of our final evenings in Bergen journaling on the patio of our flat and watching the sun set over Damsgårdsundet. The following is a list I wrote that evening of 28 things that my time in Norway had taught me.

I instantly fell in love with this beautiful street in Oslo that stretches from the National Theatre to the Norwegian Royal Palace. Photo by Alina Shchurova on Unsplash

1. Children, and especially the parents of young children, should not be treated as second-class citizens.
2. I am not man enough for Norwegian beer.
3. Beautiful, clean, and well-maintained cities do exist.
4. I really want a pair of reinforced pants.
5. Mixed-use districts (commercial/residential/business) are awesome when executed well.
6. Norwegians no longer drink mead — at least not as much as some forms of popular media would have one believe.
7. Having a comfortable and inviting home is very important to my mental well-being.
8. Having a clean home is very important to my mental well-being.
9. I like having my own duvet on the bed.
10. I would rather deal with European and Asian tourists than southerners on vacation at the Gulf Coast.
11. Even though I profess quality over quantity, I still need to raise my bar for quality.
12. Beer tastes better when my kids aren’t around.
13. Beer tastes best when consumed while sitting, thinking, and journaling.
14. Coffee, likewise, tastes best when my kids aren’t around.
15. My oldest daughter desperately needs an outdoor space (and climate?) that allows her to get out her high-energy play.
16. Never do inside that which could be done outside. Unless being inside is simply more comfy and that is what you really want.
17. It may have been premature to have thought that I would have enjoyed life so much in Ireland (my family nearly moved to Northern Ireland in 2018). I suspect now that I would be much happier in Norway — at least during the portions of the year that would allow my nuts to thaw…
18. The lack of insects has been a greater contributor to my happiness and mental health than I would have thought possible.
19. Very few things, if any, have a neutral impact on one’s psyche. If it doesn’t feed your soul, then it drains your battery. Sometimes both?…Kids? Yes, definitely sometimes both.
20. Never let the lack of a good beer/whiskey/coffee prevent you from taking advantage of a peaceful or happy moment when it appears.
21. And definitely never let work do the same.
22. Embrace the hygge moments when they happen, where they happen, and how they happen.
23. 1 layover is the most you should ever have, especially when flying with kids.
24. I might rather take a boat across the Atlantic than fly.
25. Generational wealth is okay. Inherited cabins, small bits of land, etc.
26. Even if you live in a very nice city, you will still want to escape to a cabin from time to time.
27. Even in my early 30's, my body no longer heals itself as quickly and easily as it once did, and a good night’s sleep no longer cures all my ills.
28. My body is not performing as well as I want it to, and that means its time for me to invest more effort into my sleep, nutrition, and exercise.

The Aurlandsfjord is stunning. Hidden in the left side of this this photo is a playground and greenspace that sits on the water, so this spot was a hit with my entire family. Photo by Gautam Arora on Unsplash