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MARLA GOES NORTH
Stories from a quiet life between worlds
This space gathers the threads of my life and experiences into one place. It is part travelogue, part journal, and part creative experiment. Here you’ll find Mixtapes, sent seasonally to subscribers, sharing reflections and updates from my life in Norway woven with books, music, and ideas I’m exploring; Field Notes, snapshots of people, places, and stories that offer a closer look at Norwegian culture; Journeys, stories from the road that capture the movement, mood, and meaning of exploring new places; and Life Stories, personal essays that trace the longer arcs of my journey.
Marla Goes North began as a record of my departure from full-time U.S. life in 2021. It continues to evolve as I do, becoming a space to explore belonging, curiosity, and community, and to carve out calm in the midst of all the noise.
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ― Mary Oliver
I was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1979 and grew up in Retreat, a small farming community along the Mississippi River. My childhood followed the rhythms of the land, with days spent fishing, camping, building snow forts, riding horses, and working in tobacco fields.
As a first-generation college student, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Human Ecology and went on to work in public education in Madison for nearly two decades. In between, I spent time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast supporting post–Hurricane Katrina recovery.
The COVID-19 pandemic and broader upheaval in the United States sparked a period of reflection that eventually led me to return to the home of my ancestors.
I now live in a small village on the west coast of Norway, where I work remotely, write, and explore. My days are shaped by the seasons, the sea, and a growing sense of belonging that continues to unfold in this new chapter of life.
Velkommen til Marla Goes North.