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Why Norway Rocks | The Expeditioner Travel Site

Why Norway Rocks

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I’ve been proudly aware of my Norwegian-ism since my third grade family tree project. Apparently whoever greeted my great-grandfather at Ellis Island was in too much of a hurry to ask the spelling of my last name, so from that point on Jon Wigg has been Jon Wick — which has worked out fine for me.

Where was I going with this? I’m proud of my heritage, but in actuality, I have very little knowledge of my motherland outside of my grandfather’s Christmas tradition of baking a cinnamon bun-like pastry called Stullin. I’ve always felt a pull to visit the country I can’t seem to shake; perhaps nibbling on some lutefisk was the temptation, who knows?

Yes, that dream trip has pervaded my subconscious for some time now, so when I came across The Adventure Journal’s list of reasons why Norway rocks, the dream bubbled over and has resulted in this post (for now).

I don’t need to explain that a mere sixteen reasons why Norway kicks ass just doesn’t cut it. That’s obvious, but to save you a reprimand from the boss, I will condense the list into my top five choices that make me want to get on a plane. And admit it, the TPS Reports can wait.

1. “Allemannsretten” This literally translates to “all man’s rights” but in practice means the “right to access.”  You can camp where you want, as long as you’re 150 meters from an inhabited house and you exercise good judgment. Imagine that in America (yeah, right).
2. Norway has 50,000 islands and a coastline that stretches 51,700 miles. Oh, and by the way, as a result of the Gulf Stream, the water is relatively warm.
3. The ski season lasts from October through May. The summer season lasts from June through late September. That means there’s enough time to get your fill of each, no matter what you choose to do.
4. Norway is the cleanest and richest country in the world. And 20 percent of the entire population ski, tele, or snowboard. Yeah, this place has some things figured out.
5. Vikings.

By Jon Wick

TheExpeditioner

About the Author

Jon lives in Butte, Montana, spending most of his time on skis or bikes; sometimes both. He began travel writing while teaching in Korea and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Technical Communication at Montana Tech. Jon has begun writing his first book, The Story of Will, whose movie rights are still (very) available. Catch more of Jon at TheJonWickproject.wordpress.com. (@ExpedJon)

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