Norwegian Thoughts

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT SOME FANTASTIC IMAGES FROM NORWAY ON THE PHOTO SITE

Well folks, my return to the United States is looming. I thought I should probably wrap up my Norwegian adventure.

As a preliminary confession, I've listened to "Norwegian Wood" by The Beatles about 50 times in the past few days. That's on top of a Beatles heavy playlist in London.

I did have these delusions of grandeur that I would go into the Norwegian wilds to find myself and my heritage. That was admittedly grandiose, and I probably said it more for shock value than anything else. But legitimately, I did want to get a better sense of where I came from. I think I can at least say I accomplished that.

I didn't visit any long lost family, like many of the Minnesotans I've met were doing. I apparently wasn't even close to my ancestral lands, which I guess lie up near Trondheim in the north. However, I did get to see what the Norwegian landscape is like, so I think I got a good idea of what emigrants must have faced 150 years ago, when they decided to sail across the ocean. Like I mentioned before, I'm amazed at the shock they must have felt upon reaching the Plains. So I can at least appreciate that, among any other existential things I picked up.

Anything else I'd mention would be kind of pointless. As a final point, I'm glad I came here, and I think I found what I was looking for, whatever that was. Plus I'm coming home with a badass Norwegian hat and a new jacket. Seriously, this is the most glorious knitted hat you'll ever see.

Hope any readers have enjoyed following my English/Belgian/Norwegian adventures, I had a good time writing about them. It's always nice to be in Europe, I'll look forward to coming back, but on the other hand, it's going to be extremely satisfying to be back in the land of the free. It'll be great to have resealable packages, Summit EPA, baseball, and slightly less socialist government again.

That, and I'd kill for an American breakfast.