Mixtape 1: Feb 6, 2025

Local aquaculture (salmon) on my regular walking route

When I started this blog in 2021, I envisioned long, reflective posts about my journey. But sometimes, those updates feel overwhelming—especially when I dive into more personal topics.

This past week, two things sparked a different idea and a shift in my approach. First, I heard an interview with the artist Doechii, who said that when she was asked to create a mixtape instead of an album, she felt freer—less pressure, more creativity. That stuck with me.

Then, I received a newsletter from someone I follow on Substack. In it, he shared a quick life update and a few things that were inspiring him—books, music, art. It felt simple and natural, like catching up with a friend.

That’s the energy I want to bring here. ✨

So, I’m introducing Marla’s Mixtapes—a monthly-ish, politics-free post with a brief life update and a handful of recommendations: things I’m reading, listening to, or thinking about. It’s also part of my effort to step away from social media and connect in a more intentional way.

I hope this makes my blog feel more like an ongoing conversation rather than a highlight reel. And if you have thoughts, suggestions, or recommendations of your own, I’d love to hear them.

Welcome to my first mixtape.

On my way to the village center (where a handful of shops are located - including a 5th generation bakery).

Since I'm not allowed to work for a Norwegian employer while I'm waiting for an answer to my residency application, I've started to voluntarily pet and house sit! I was in Bergen for two weeks in December watching two cats for an American-Italian couple who traveled to Italy for the holidays. They've asked me back and in two weeks, I'll return to their house in Bergen while they travel to the states for a few weeks.

In early April, I'll go to Haugesund, a city here on the west coast, to dog and house sit while the owners travel to Ireland, then in May I'll go to a town called Son, just south of Oslo, to watch another dog and an apartment while the owner travels to Spain. I've already scoped out a local café/farm shop there that I think I'll love.

With the flexibility of my remote U.S.-based job and love for exploring new places, this has been the perfect way to stay engaged (and hang out with furry friends) while I wait. As much as I love being grounded in this little village, I need a balance of both.

Here in Skånevik, I've been focused on work. My employer, a sports psychiatrist based in Scottsdale, AZ, is in New Orleans for Super Bowl-related events this week, so it's been really fun to assist with some of those pieces. I've also been doing a lot of garden planning, Airbnb prepping, bird watching, fire building, hiking, reading and have just recently become involved with a local volunteer group (my first 'shift' is this weekend).

The sun has returned to the village, which has been an exciting shift (there was even a 'SolFest' party at the hotel). For a few months in the depths of winter, the sun doesn’t rise above the mountains ('polar night', but not as extreme here as in the far north)—so its return is truly worth celebrating! I wonder how the villagers may have marked this event in the past, when they were even more in touch with and closer to nature. ☀️

BOOKS

I just finished the book Hunger by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun. Hamsun’s writing fascinates me and his style in Hunger feels so different from Growth of the Soil, which is his best known work and was the only book I brought with me to Norway, though I've since built up a small library here. Hamsun has a controversial legacy in Norway (he was a Nazi sympathizer and wrote a eulogy for Hitler), but is considered to be "one of the most influential and innovative literary stylists of the past hundred years".

Next I’m diving into a more recent Norwegian Nobel Prize winner in Literature: Jon Fosse, who was awarded the honor in 2023 (Hamsun in 1920). I look forward to sharing my thoughts once I'm finished.

Check out more of my book recs here.

Next up on my reading list: Melancholy by Norwegian author Jon Fosse. The subject of the book, Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig (1830–1902) actually lived here in Skånevik for some time.

MUSIC

I have to admit, I wasn’t very familiar with Doechii before the Grammys, but I’ve been learning and listening and she's such a breath of fresh air. If nothing else, take four minutes to watch her Grammy acceptance speech (and here's her Grammy performance).

I often swap music recommendations with a friend in St. Paul, Minnesota, and lately he's promised to dive further into Kevin Morby while I explore more music by Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield, Morby's partner). Otherwise, The Past Is Still Alive, an album by Hurray for the Riff Raff, has been on heavy rotation and I've been mixing the SiriusXM Lithium station (Grunge and 90's Alternative Rock) in with my usual station rotation: Beatles (Mondays), Grateful Dead (Wednesdays), Willie's Roadhouse (Fridays) and Chris Stapleton (weekends).

There are a number of artists I like who have tour stops in Norway this year, so I'm trying to choose one or two to attend. A handful are Sharon van Etten, Ryan Adams, Alanis Morissette, Sturgill Simpson, Nick Cave, Lord Huron and Brandi Carlile (with Wisconsin's own SistaStrings!). Most acts with a Norway tour stop go to Oslo, on the other side of the country (but just a 50-minute plane ride away), and some are in Bergen and other places.

Music will also come here to Skånevik in early July! When I speak with other Norwegians about where I'm living, they are often aware of the Skånevik Blues Festival (website is in Norwegian, but you can see past festival posters/lineups).

The Blues Festival began in 1997 (Chuck Berry played it in 2000!) and this year the headliner will be American guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Gary Moore, a Northern Irish musician, played the festival in 2002. After his passing in 2011 (whoa - on February 6, I just learned when looking up his year of death), the village installed a metal statue as a tribute to him.

It's located on a small island that's visible from the village center.

Can you see the statue dedicated to Gary Moore? 🎸

ART

I've been fascinated by Odd Nerdrum, a Norwegian figurative painter and controversial figure in Norway (apparently I'm drawn to those...), known for his anti-modernist stance.

David Bowie bought Nerdrum's oil on canvas painting Dawn in 1990. While visiting Oslo the following year, Bowie organised an hour-long meeting with Nerdrum, during which he asked Nerdrum to tell him as much as possible about his worldview and the symbols behind the painting. It was sold at auction in 2016, after Bowie's death.

Dawn by Odd Nerdrum

Lihkku Beivviin! February 6 is Sámi National Day, a communal day for celebrating the culture and heritage of the Sámi, the indigenous people of the high north regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Learn more in my blog post dedicated to the Sámi.

The Sámi are known for reindeer herding, music and food, as well as their traditional Sámi handicraft, duodji.

My own recent work of art and accomplishment - stacking this entire wood pile. ;)

LEARN A NORWEGIAN WORD

The Norwegian word for raccoon is 'vaskebjørn', which literally means 'washing bear'. Cute, right? Here's how to pronounce it. Now for the good or bad news, depending on your opinion of them—raccoons aren’t native to Norway, and there’s no wild raccoon population here. The species is considered invasive in Europe, and Norway has strict regulations to prevent their spread.

INSPIRATION

• Squirrel Sarah is a travel writer from Germany whose partner is from Wyoming. Her stunning photos and thought-provoking captions make her journey one worth following (IG link). She shares a philosophy on life that resonates with me, and offers a candid look at the challenges of travel what it's like to be in a long-distance, age-gap relationship. Right now, they're traveling in Thailand!

• Wrestling with the notion of perfection—and what might happen if we let it go.

'The Illusion of Failure' by Suleika Jaouad.

Thanks for reading—I’d love to hear what you’re watching, reading, or thinking about these days. More than anything, I hope you’re taking care of yourself in these uncertain times. <3

Marla