Tim Smith: Grace Goodsell goes to Norway

Grace Goodsell

Timothy M. Smith Award

Bergen, Norway

Summer 2025

This journey set my life on a new trajectory, leaving me deeply grateful for my present moment. This was my first international trip, and I couldn’t have imagined anything better, nor could I have been to Norway without this award. I love exploring, and this was more than an adventure—it was an experience, a source of knowledge, love, and joy. The beauty of Bergen was unmatched, even on the plane ride in, it was spectacular. What made it even more beautiful was how much everyone around me in Norway enjoyed it as well. It was an unspoken mutual feeling of recognition of the beauty around us all. It was calmer than anywhere I’d ever been, richer in detail and color. It felt surreal to be there, and I was grateful for every second. It was blissful to be surrounded by a full appreciation of what was surrounding not only me but everyone around me. The moment the plane landed in Norway, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. The plane ride included long curvy lakes met by mossy green grass that expanded further than the eye could see. Mountains upon mountains upon mountains. Some were covered in snow, some covered in lakes, and some covered with rocks. It was plentiful with diversity. There wasn’t a moment I wasn’t mesmerized by Norway.

            The main reason I wanted to go to Norway was for the philosophy they have called Friluftsliv. This roughly translates to “open air life.” This philosophy is embedded in the culture of Norway, where they want to appreciate and incorporate nature as part of their lifestyle. This shared cultural experience of wanting to enjoy the outdoors in everyday life is amazing. I am a huge nature person, and being outdoors is such a major part of my life. I wanted to be surrounded by people who shared a love for the outdoors and appreciated the spectacular beauties all around us. That philosophy did not disappoint. There wasn’t a moment of the day when the streets weren’t filled with people. Being indoors was not the norm, and it was beautiful. Bergen was half city and half mountains, so it was the best of both worlds to explore. When I hiked Mt. Floyen, the number of people running up the hill or just the amount of people and children hiking in general was amazing, a lot more than I’ve seen in the US. So many people appreciated the bodies they had, and exercising in nature was really refreshing to see. This trip taught me not to take the present moment for granted. Being in my own body and moving it along with nature felt so much more profound. The beauty of the fjords was also beyond incredible. What was amazing was that these tourist excursions weren’t just for tourists; a lot of the locals were just riding on the boats to see the fjords with you. The people in Norway didn’t take for granted the nature around them and the spectacular views they had. Every day, they opened their lives to nature. Friluftsliv was most definitely incorporated every single day into their lives, and now mine.

The food! I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Everything was incredibly fresh, the colors of the foods were more vibrant, and the taste, more flavorful. One of Norway’s main dishes is fish soup, so I went to a 100-year-old restaurant on top of one of the mountains (Mt. Ulriken) called Floirestauranten. I tried the fish soup there, and it was incredible! It was probably the best soup I have ever had in my life. The view of the entire city and surrounding mountains is an image that is still ingrained in my head. Sometimes the food intimidated me, but I tried everything I could, and I was surprised by how intense the flavors and textures were (in the best way possible). Everything was so fresh and tasted like it was picked out of the ground, off a tree, or taken out of the sea that day! I opted to buy the food I wanted to cook each day, and it was amazing and fun to cook local foods from all the surrounding stores. The selection was so vast, and all the fruits were incredible. They were a lot sweeter than the fruit in America. It was hard to come back!! Every restaurant I tried or cafe I stepped into, the smell was sweeter, the pastries were fresher, flakier, and sweeter. The entire experience was eye-opening for how much I take for granted when it comes to food. I have cooked more than I ever have coming back from this trip, and I have tried to buy more local and fresher food from farmers’ markets, and anywhere else I can find it. Norway made me recognize how simple life can be, especially if it is appreciated properly.

One thing I noticed about the behavior of other people was their expression of themselves. I loved how expressive people were. People everywhere express themselves and who they are, but in Norway, it was more visible everywhere. People dressed so eccentrically, people had their hair and any other part of them catered to how they felt. The expression was honestly inspiring. I’ve never been too expressive myself, but after my trip to Norway, I definitely noticed myself wearing more jeans and pants rather than my sweatshirts and sweatpants every day. It was so nice to see people be so authentically themselves; It’s something I lack, so it inspired me a lot. It was beautiful that people felt safe enough to be who they are. There was a collective consciousness surrounding mutual respect and mutual appreciation for one another and their differences. It was a feeling that makes you smile if you think about it. I have tried to find my sense of self more strongly than before. I wear clothes I feel good in, and I am myself. I no longer live to please people but to bring joy and kindness everywhere I go and exude my personality with great confidence. We only get one life, and I intend to enjoy every second. If I hadn’t explored Norway and seen others inspiring me through being themselves, I don’t think I would be where I am right now. One woman came up to me one night and struck up conversation; she said that Norwegians appreciate the little things foreigners bring to them. They like learning about other countries, seeing clothing styles, and how tourists learn to say thank you in Norwegian. We spoke for a while and that was one of the greatest conversations I have ever had. When that conversation ended, I said thank you in Norwegian and she smiled; I walked away. Experiences like this made me recognize how invaluable exploring and traveling really is. I will never see that woman again, and only saw her once, but she left an impact on me and my life. That’s a beautiful thing. Nothing could replicate what I have gained from this exploration in my life.

One of the best parts of the trip was the amount of sunlight in a day. Bergen never got completely dark; it was always partially light outside, and I loved it. The sky got slightly dark around 11 pm-12 am, and was bright again at 4 am -5 am. It allowed more time to explore the city and the surrounding nature, and allowed me to be outside at night longer. I stayed at an Airbnb so I could experience Bergen as locally as I could, and I sat outside every night until at least 12 in the morning! The peace from just sitting outside and hearing the birds until 12 am was something I could never have imagined; it was one of the most enjoyable feelings. I loved being able to walk to parks at 10 in the evening and just watch the sun get close to setting and then stay where it was. It was a different kind of peaceful experience. There was one night when I went to a local park, and there were people holding hands watching the sunset, a man taking a photo of the sun with his dog, and women running freely amongst the trees. That night is stuck in my head; it was overpowering, that one moment, it felt sacred. I felt safe constantly, and I was able to walk everywhere and explore at any time of the day. I am so privileged to have been able to experience that. I don’t think I would’ve explored as much as I did if I traveled somewhere where the sun set at 8 pm. Norway made all my dreams and aspirations for this trip come true.

This trip was life-changing for me. It made me push myself outside of my comfort zone and try my best to learn another language (although English was spoken there). I was shown another culture, which was beautiful, welcoming, and so different. I was able to experience things I would’ve never experienced before this trip. I will most definitely be traveling as much as I possibly can from now on. I love nature more than I ever thought I could after this trip. I am grateful to be on this Earth, and I am extremely grateful for this award, as it has wholeheartedly changed how I view where I am in this present moment. It was an experience I will never forget. Thank you so much for extending this award to me. I explored as much as my heart and soul could take. I honored this award as best I could and took advantage of every opportunity it gave me. It changed the course of my life. Again, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this trip meant to me.

With the most gratitude,

Grace Goodsell