First few weeks in Norway

July 25-August 9

TLDR:

I haven't seen a living beaver yet, but I will hopefully see this week
Self care is an evolving process
I had a wonderful week exploring the Greenhouse Center for Environmental Humanities’ library in Stavanger, Norway
I went to a hunting festival is Elverum, Norway and talked to a lot of politicians + hunters about wolves
Next week I head to Bø, Norway where I’ll be staying at a beaver themed campground for about a month before heading to Scotland for the International Beaver Symposium (I’m looking for someone in Edinburgh who I can leave some stuff with for a few weeks)

The first two weeks of my travels have been joyful and challenging. I arrived in Stavanger, Norway the morning of July 25th, and spent the day exploring the city and checking out the oil museum (it was awesome).

Wandering between fairytale houses in a city celebrating its 900 year anniversary, I was immediately in love with the power to choose how I spent my time, without any responsibilities beyond personal growth and learning about a topic I’m so passionate about. Two weeks later, the novelty of this freedom has not worn off–there are moments nearly every day where I’m hit by a wave of intense gratitude for this opportunity–but it has shifted and is challenging to motivate myself some days. I knew this lack of structure would be the hardest part of the fellowship for me and I remember thinking about all of the ways I could track my habits, set goals, and keep myself accountable. Instead, I’ve taken a different approach by letting things develop organically. Each day is a new day where I can build habits like journaling, practicing the Ukulele my friend Tyler and I painted, and more recently jumping in a freezing river each morning (this one usually requires about an hour of procrastination). Being alone and camping for a year is going to be hard, but so far I’m proud of the ways I’ve taken care of myself and am making the most out of this experience.

My home for the next year

Anyways, I spent my first week in Stavanger, camping on a lake near the center of the city with huge swans. I spent my days at the Greenhouse Center for Environmental Humanities at the beautiful University of Stavanger. Dr. Dolly Jørgensen, environmental historian and director of the center, was kind enough to let me browse their library. I read lots about how the meanings of beavers have changed over time, the motivations behind rewilding, and how emotions drive conservation.

After Stavanger, I had a few days unplanned. The part of Norway I was in did not have any beavers, so instead I decided to explore the surrounding fjords and forests. I spent a few days camping nearby, enjoying views of mossy paradise and the ocean. I found lots of chanterelles (thanks Charlotte for the recommendation!), and listened to some audio books. I then took a ferry to the end of Lysefjord, a beautiful Fjord worth googling! I spent a night at the end of it, taking in the rainy views. The town was built at the end of the Fjord, in between the towering rock walls. As it rained, water poured down hundreds of feet across the cliff faces, forming innumerable waterfalls. It was wet and wonderful.

At the beginning of the next week, I took a long series of buses and trains to Elverum, near the border with Sweden. This area is known for its forestry, and actually has beavers! Unfortunately, I did not see any living beavers, during my time there–although I did see their bites. Beyond looking to explore a different ecosystem, I went to Elverum for the Nordic Hunting and Fishing Days. This annual event is hosted by the local forestry museum and attracts 30,000 people each year with dozens of booths.

My goal was to chat with some beaver hunters, ideally one from Finland, who would be willing to take me hunting in November. Finding hunters was easy, finding hunters who would go beaver hunting in November was harder. Most people I spoke with hunt beaver in the early spring when all the other animals are out of season. I was, however, able to find a few folks from the Elverum area who would be willing to take me hunting in the fall! Anyways, I ended up spending most of my time talking with politicians and people handing out leaflets about wolf policy, which seemed to be the most potent environmental issue in the region. There's a lot of similarities between beavers and wolves–beyond the fact that one eats the other–and I’m working on a little reflection I’ll send in the next few weeks.

For now, that's all I got! I wrote this on the train to Bø, Norway right now, arriving late. I’ll be in Bø for five weeks, and I’m looking forward to staying put and finally having time to settle into a routine. Luckily, I’m staying at a beaver-themed campsite (and I hear they have a beaver costume…I hope they let me wear it :). That’s all for now….I’ll be sending more updates and newsletters as I can. I hate squarespace so much. I’m hoping to do more writing and start making a video or two in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

First few weeks in Norway

Fun Stuff

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Fun Stuff 🦫