TRAVEL MEMOIRS

Norway Taught Me the Secret to a Life Well Lived

The fjords were stunning — but the real gift was seeing my ordinary life with new eyes

Our boat docked in the town of Ålesund on the west coast of Norway. Photo taken by the author from the perspective of Aksla mountain.

No one ever told me a vacation could bring me happiness. Not really. But I booked a cruise along Norway’s west coast like it might. Like maybe the fjords could bring me inner peace, just long enough to catch a breath I’d been holding for far too long.

I packed my bags with lists, double-checked maps, scheduled every minute. Told myself this was an escape. But if I’m honest, I wasn’t escaping. I was holding on. Clinging to control like a lifeline. Afraid that if I loosened my grip, everything, who I was, the career I’d built, would unravel.

Slowing down was such a simple idea. An attractive one, certainly. But it also felt impossible. And then there was the fact that once the boat left the harbor, I’d be cut off from the world. No Wi-Fi or phone signal. Nothing. I’d be in the middle of the ocean with no notifications to check. No messages to answer.

Just endless water and the sky above.