THE LONG RETURN
The Long Return is a collection of essays, field notes, and reflections written from Norway and beyond.
More than a century and a half after my great-great-grandfather left Norway for America, I now find myself tracing the journey in reverse, building a life in the country he once left behind.
In 2026, several timelines meet. It has been ten years since my first visit to Norway, five years since I left full-time life in the United States, and nearly two years since I applied for residency in Norway.
Part field journal and part personal practice, this site explores place, belonging, wonder, and the long process of finding one's way home.
I write about Norway and the U.S. Midwest, migration and family history, music, nature, grief, and the stories that connect us across distance and time.
About Me →
Notes from a life between landscapes.
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ― Mary Oliver
I was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and grew up in Retreat, a small farming community along the Mississippi River near where Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa meet.
My childhood followed the rhythms of the land. Summers meant work in tobacco fields and long days outside. I spent my time fishing, picking berries, camping, catching fireflies, riding horses, building fires and forts, and getting lost in books and maps.
I was a first-generation college student and earned a degree in Human Ecology from the University of Wisconsin. For nearly two decades, I worked in public education in Madison.
I also spent time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The work was varied and often hands-on, ranging from rebuilding projects and volunteer coordination to community outreach and hosting groups from across the country.
In 2020, the pandemic and political unrest disrupted many of the assumptions I had about stability and direction. Like many people, I slowed down and took stock.
In 2021, I resigned from a 20-year career, sold my car, downsized my life by 90%, and set out on a new path.
Today I live in a small village on Norway's west coast, between Bergen and Stavanger, while I await a decision on my residency application. I am learning the language, forging new connections, and finding my footing in a landscape that feels both familiar and new.
Along the way, I have become increasingly interested in the things that help people feel rooted: community, shared history, music, place, and the stories people carry across generations.
These are the threads I find myself returning to again and again.
I am still that wild, curious country kid, following interesting roads, asking questions, and seeing where they lead.
The Long Return is a record of this process.
 Tobacco: The Family Crop | De Soto, WI |  Rebuilding houses | Biloxi, Mississippi |  De Soto, WI |
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 2008 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project | Mississippi, USA |  Feral farm girl | De Soto, WI |