velkommen til
MARLA GOES NORTH
“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: 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 later built a career in public education in Madison. In between, I spent time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast supporting post–Hurricane Katrina recovery.
The COVID-19 pandemic and broader upheaval in the U.S. sparked a period of reflection and ultimately led me to leave the States and 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.
Velkommen til Marla Goes North.
 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 |