We made it back to the states! After an early morning wake-up at 6:15 in Bergen, we had a bustling travel day, stopping in Copenhagen before finally getting back to Chicago, and bussing back to Decorah! After over 24 hours of travel, we are all happy to be home safe and sound, with our Paideia papers completed and turned in!

Over the last three weeks, our group has fallen in love with Norway, while also examining some of the greatest ethical questions facing the country in the 21st century. With a focus on sustainability, immigration and urbanization, we spent our time getting to know the cities that we traveled in (Oslo, Lillehammer, and Bergen) and made friends with the generous local populations wherever we went! It has been a real treat to spend the last few weeks with a new group of friends navigating a new country together.

Before we departed for Norway, we were all wringing our hands, nervous that we wouldn’t make any new friends on the trip. Those fears couldn’t be further from the truth! Our class made a great team during big class trips in Oslo, and it’s amazing how activities like sliding down the slopes of a Nordic skiing track will help you bond with new friends! Even though we hailed from many different majors, from accounting to communication studies, we became a close-knit group through our adventures in Norway.

On our flight from Copenhagen to Chicago, we were lucky to be a part of the inaugural flight for our airplane. Before departure on the brand new aircraft, there was a big ceremony, and we learned that many people on board our flight were specifically flying to celebrate the airplane! We flew in an A350 Airbus, which fittingly, is one of the most sustainable aircraft in the sky currently. The plane was 30% more fuel-efficient than the previous Airbus 350, and the entire aircraft was built with the environment in mind and is made to be a lighter, quieter version of older models. We were so lucky to fly on this plane, not only because of its clean and new interior but also because of the progress that it represents in global sustainability initiatives, something we have spent the last three weeks discussing.

Before we left Decorah, we all had big ideas about what Norway was like. Being at Luther, the idea of Norway is everywhere, from Water Street to Luther’s unique focus in Scandinavian studies. I think that this trip allowed us to see a new vision of modern Norway. A country that has big aspirations, but is still as complicated as any other place in the world. A country that lives with ethical tensions, from oil industry profits to immigration barriers. A country awash in breathtaking scenery, and a multicultural population. Our trip gave us all a new way to see Norway and helped us peel back our own perceptions of the country, and create our own opinions, through research, and everyday encounters. For this, we are all made better. Tusen Takk, Norway.

Some of our favorite memories:
1. Our Fjord cruise in Bergen that took us through breathtaking Fjords in Western Norway!
2. Our group near the waterfront area of 'Bryggen' in downtown Bergen, Norway.
3. The view from the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Ski Jump in Lillehammer, Norway.
4. Some of us capturing the last moments of sunlight at the Ski Jump in Lillehammer.
5. The Norwegian flag at the top of the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo, Norway.
6. The view from our plane coming home, on its first flight, from Copenhagen to Chicago (this was taken as we passed over Southern Greenland!)