Summer in Motion | Looking Forward
- mpeterson2970
- Jun 22
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Since celebrating Syttende Mai (17th of May) in Skånevik, I’ve been bouncing between house- and pet-sitting, volunteering for people I’ve connected with as I continue exploring different corners of Norway. What started as a practical way to structure my time here has grown into something much more meaningful. I’ve been fortunate to meet wonderful people across the country, and spending time with their sweet pets and homes, while exploring new corners of Norway, has meant more than I can put into words.
A few days after Syttende Mai, I took a bus across the country to Oslo, then traveled down to Son, where I watched Otto while his human traveled to Spain.
In early June, I took the ferry here to Bergen, but in between, I spent a week back in Skånevik, where I prepared for the first guests at the Airbnb I’m assisting with (which I mentioned in my last mixtape). It’s been rewarding to see it take shape, and it’s turning into a cozy spot. If you or someone you know are thinking about visiting Norway, it’s a lovely base for longer stays, whether traveling solo or as a pair (3-4 max, once I get back under the hood of the IKEA sofa bed) and is accessible by ferry to and from a number of points, including Bergen International Airport (Flesland) and Bergen.
We have officially entered peak travel season, and Bergen is abuzz!
Tourists everywhere, walking, biking, rolling around on those little electric scooters, hopping on trains, buses, boats, and electric shuttles. I have to admit, it’s fun to be in the middle of all this energy. I love finding a place to sit and people-watch, and hearing different languages as I walk through the city.
"There's corruption on the highest floor."
On Friday, I had the incredible timing of seeing Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts outside the Bergen Fortress, about a 4-minute walk from where I'm staying.
The Chrome Hearts, which includes guitarist Micah Nelson (Willie's son), bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo, and organist Spooner Oldham, are making a solid run on this tour, with upcoming stops including Glastonbury and London’s Hyde Park before heading back to North America.
This was my third time seeing Neil live, including twice in 2019 in Wisconsin (in Madison and at Farm Aid), and it’s always special, but seeing him here in Norway hit different.
Bergen was just the second stop on the current tour, which kicked off in Sweden two nights prior. The Cortez the Killer encore (it was Rockin' in the Free World in Sweden) was definitely a highlight, but one of the quieter surprises that stuck with me was Looking Forward, a song written by Neil but originally recorded with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It’s not one of his better-known tracks, but hearing it in this time and place affected me more than I expected, and I’ll admit the rain, which never really let up, helped mask my tears.
For my fellow music/Neil lovers, here's Looking Forward from the Sweden show and below is the full setlist from the Bergen show, also in Spotify playlist form (yes, I see the irony in sharing it on Spotify, but he’s back now). And here's the Copenhagen set on June 22.
Heart of Gold
Sugar Mountain
Be the Rain
When You Dance, I Can Really Love
Cinnamon Girl
Fuckin' Up
Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
The Needle and the Damage Done
Harvest Moon
Looking Forward
Sun Green
Love and Only Love
Like a Hurricane
Name of Love
Old Man
Encore:
Cortez the Killer
I have this small fantasy that I’ll somehow make it to Farm Aid in Minnesota this September to see him again (along with an incredible lineup), but for now, all plans need to stay within Norway. We’ll see...
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!" — Dolly Parton
Saturday welcomed both the summer solstice and the Pride parade here in Bergen. The weather was perfect, at 65°F (18°C), while at my cabin back in Wisconsin it hit 93°F (33°C). I woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows, and you could feel that we had officially crossed into summer.
After Friday’s rain-soaked concert, the sudden sun felt almost disorienting, but welcome.
I checked the Bergen Pride schedule and made my way down to Bryggen in the early afternoon, finding a spot along the parade route. The streets were packed, the skies were clear, and joy was everywhere. See the reel I pulled together from the parade here (IG).
It’s a good thing the sun was out so my sunglasses could cover the welling up (yes, again).
There are hard days in this journey I'm on, and plenty of them (July 9 will mark ten months of waiting for an answer on my residency application). And then, within 24 hours, you get moments that feel so full. Standing in a crowd, rain falling, listening to Neil Young. Then the next day, standing in the bright sun while a Pride parade rolls by, watching people show up fully as their authentic selves. Sometimes it’s a lot to hold, especially when held against the backdrop of everything happening in the world right now.
The swings can be overwhelming, but I want to feel it all — the highs, the lows, and everything in between.
In the middle of all this, I had a few unexpected notes land in my inbox last week. One came from someone in the U.S. who stumbled onto my Field Note about Moritz Rabinowitz and asked to join my mailing list. And I heard from someone here in Bergen who found my blog while searching for ideas for her own Norway blog (en español!). She wrote to say she appreciated the time and care I put into my writing, which was incredibly kind to hear. These small connections remind me why I keep putting things out there, even when I’m not always sure of myself or if anyone’s reading.
Currently Reading
Bossypants by Tina Fey, which I pulled from a little free library here in Bergen. A solid summer read. Funny, sharp, and easy to pick up between walks and coffee refills. And Open Socrates by Agnes Callard, which I’ve just started. Only a chapter in, but already intrigued.
Currently Listening
ABC National Radio, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s national public radio network, has been my go-to lately, toggled with the Y'allternative station on SiriusXM (thanks Robin!). I was recently moved by this NPR Wild Card with Rachel Martin episode with author Jason Reynolds on 'living restlessly, the value of crying (ahem), and the advice he got from LeVar Burton' as well as this clip of Nick Cave on hopefulness.
Looking Forward
July: On July 2, I’ll take the Fjord Line from Bergen to Stavanger for a few days for Crossings200, a celebration to mark 200 years since the first organized group of Norwegians left Stavanger aboard the Restauration to start a new life in North America.
Thanks to a serendipitous email from my friend Dee, who first helped me explore my Norwegian roots back in Wisconsin nearly a decade ago, we’ll be marking the 200th anniversary of this symbolic voyage together on July 4. I’ll share more after the trip, but for anyone interested, I’ve written a separate Field Note with more of the backstory, plus a way you can track the journey from Stavanger to New York when it departs on the 4th.
August: At the end of July, I’ll wrap up my time in Bergen (for now) and head back to Skånevik. In early August, I’ll head to Haugesund, where I’ll house- and Heiko (dog) -sit again. I realized recently that my timing will line up with the Sildajazz festival, and I hope to finally make it out to Utsira (an island I wrote about at the end of my last mixtape) for a night or two on either side of house- and dog-sitting.
Otherwise, aside from meeting up with some friends visiting from Wisconsin mid-month and turning 46 at the end of the month, I’ll mostly be in the garden in Skånevik throughout August, when I also plan to send my next update.
In the meantime, I’ll be here, walking, working, and dodging selfie sticks.
Marla
Looking forward,
All that I can see,
Is good things happening
to you and to me.
I'm not waiting,
For times to change.
I'm going to live,
Like a free-roamin' soul,
On the highway of our love.
Yesss, some of your followers we are here in the shadows! Although sometimes we don't realize how meaningful it can be for the person who writes to receive a comment... I for one will try to be more consistent.
Keep up the good work, Marla! 😊💪
I love that you saw Neil there. You are a grand adventurer my friend. We are hosting the artist Lissie at Pierce Hill on July 10th. I believe she is in Norway now.
Beautiful account, Marla. I love seeing and reading about all of your adventures and your insights on music and the emotional ups and downs of life. As you sojourn, you take us with you and we feel we're there somehow, with our friend in beautiful, sometimes moody Norway.
Love the blogs Marla! So interesting to read about your travels and adventures. It sure beats Wisconsin life!
Thank you for the small connection.