MARLA GOES NORTH
Notes from a life between landscapes.
Marla Goes North is a collection of essays, field notes, and reflections written from Norway and beyond.
2026 marks two milestones for me: ten years since I first visited Norway through a monthlong stay with WWOOF Norway, and five years since I left full-time life in the United States.
Both experiences have reshaped my direction and the way I live.
Born and raised along the banks of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, I now find myself following my great-great-grandfather’s path in reverse. In 1861, he left his home in Marifjøra, located at the end of the longest fjord in Norway, for a new life in America.
Part field journal and part creative practice, this site explores what it means to be rooted in two landscapes. I write about place, migration, music, loss, nature, and the process of reclaiming my one wild and precious life.
Nord
Se oftere mot nord.
Gå mot vinden, du får rødere kinn.
Finn den ulendte stien. Hold den.
Den er kortere.
Nord er best.
Vinterens flammevirvel, sommernattens mirakel.
Gå mot vinden, klyv berg.
Se mot nord.
Oftere.
Det er langt dette landet.
Det meste er nord.
Rolf Jacobsen, 1907-1994
