Have you ever been on a flight where the person next to you won’t stop talking, when all you want to do is plug into the airline entertainment system and cry over a bad movie? Well, a couple of weeks ago I was that person – the one who couldn’t shut up. Sorry, Liam!
I was returning from a blogging conference and the guy beside me had asked where my travels were taking me to next, so I told him about my plans for a road trip through Northern Norway. And he was like, cool, do you write a lot about Norway then? And I was like yes, well, um… and suddenly all the feelings came pouring out.
The environmentalist in me hates how many flights I hop on a month, when I could be having just as wonderful adventures at home in Norway.
And in fact, while I’m a huge believer in the power of travel to broaden our perspectives and help us better to understand the world, I also do believe that there can be such a thing as too much travel, where we almost become numb to experiences that could potentially change our lives were we to have them only once or twice a year. In other words, it might be better to spend a little more of my time exploring closer to home.
But this is a tricky one, because part of my job involves writing about my travels.
And – here’s the scary part to admit – when I think about why I first fell in love with blogging, it wasn’t from writing about places like Norway.
I first started blogging while traveling through Central Asia, and back then there wasn’t any helpful information about backpacking through the region – all I had to go on were Wikitravel pages telling me Tajikistan is unsafe for travel (it wasn’t). So I began to see blogging as a way to tell other travelers what a place is really like to visit, especially if you’re not some hardcore adventurer/Lonely Planet writer but just like, a normal person like me.
And then after I wrote about traveling solo through Iran and my inbox flooded with messages not from other travelers, but instead from Iranians who were happy to see a new perspective in the media, I realized that, being free from political or financial agendas, blogs offer an opportunity to challenge misconceptions we have about places, especially those that suffer harsh representations in traditional mass media.
And that sort of became my blog mission in a way.
I’ve aimed to highlight overlooked destinations, show people that even scaredy cats like me can go on “scary” trips (because they aren’t actually scary), and promote a new side of places we thought we knew. This might sound silly, but I began to see my blog posts as a teeny tiny way of giving back to the people and countries that have shown me such warm hospitality.
And when I see all the emails I get everyday from people wanting advice for their trips to Norway, or people wanting to tell me how they used my blog to plan their trips here, I see how strong a voice my blog can have. I’ve never written as much about a country as I have Norway, as I’ve never gotten to know a country this well before. I can see what an impact becoming an expert on a place can have. People are visiting the places in Norway I suggest, following my itineraries and staying in the hotels I recommend.
But if people really are going to listen to me, do I want the message they hear to be about visiting one of the richest countries in the world? Any economic boost from tourism won’t make life better for the people living here, and in fact it might make life worse for them, as Norwegians like their peace and quiet.
On top of that, while I have worked a bit with tourism boards here in Norway, they’ve never paid me for any campaigns. That might seem like a petty thing to bring up, but when I consider all the destinations that value my work enough to pay me to fly across the world I wonder why my home has never shown the same interest.
Now, I feel like I should clarify that I do pay for most of my trips myself, and I only go on paid campaigns to places I actually want to visit. You will NEVER see me in Dubai. However considering how much I’ve written about Norway and how many people reading my blog are particularly interested in Norway, I kind of wonder why I have to practically beg Norwegian tourist boards to let me work for them for free.
Of course it’s fine – I totally get that different destinations have different approaches to marketing, but part of me does think if I’m going to be promoting places for free wouldn’t I be better off showcasing destinations like Minsk, the Comoros, and Albania – in other words, places that could really benefit from more tourism?
And then when I’m really in life panic mode I think about how well I’ve gotten to know Norway, and how well I could get to know a place that actually needed tourists if I moved there.
But I don’t want to leave Norway. I love living here, and I am very aware of how absurdly lucky I am to get to call this place home and how ridiculous it is that I’m being so angsty about it. Is this the 30 year crisis I’ve heard so much about?
And another, more important but: there is something so special about this country, and I’m not just talking about the fjords. I can see why a trip to Norway leaves such a lasting impression on people, and part of me does feel like anything I can do to facilitate that is a good thing.
I keep thinking back to how I used to read Norwegian fashion blogs simply to catch small glimpses of Norway. This was before any blogs focusing on travel in Norway existed, and I was so eager to feel closer to my Norwegian roots. I remember I would always first look through a blogger’s archives to find their posts from May 17th, Norway’s Constitution Day, as they would often have the most photos of Norway’s countryside and cities. Reading those posts made me so happy.
And if you’d have asked me then whether or not future Silvia should be writing about Norway I’d have been like yes, duh, what’s up with the question mark? Because whoever you are, a trip to Norway is pretty much guaranteed to change your life for the better. Well, maybe unless you’re Swedish.
Ultimately what it comes down to is that while I’m used to writing blog posts for the destinations and people I visit, with Norway I’m writing for everyone else who wants to see the country. I’m probably not going to get any emails from Norwegians thanking me for saying nice things about the country, but I’ve sure gotten a lot from people planning trips here – and isn’t that the point of a travel blog anyway? Or at least it could be a point, if I let it.
And when I was talking through all my confusion over this with Dan, he pointed out that Norway is also misunderstood. I rolled my eyes hard – leave it to a white male to say that about the most privileged country in the world – but then I realized that he’s right.
I mean, how many people have tried to tell me that all Norwegians are depressed and the country has the highest suicide rate in the world? (It doesn’t – on every list I’ve seen Norway is far below the US in suicide rates.) In fact, I even unfairly judged Norway a few paragraphs ago when I said Norwegians don’t want more tourists here because they like their peace and quiet. It’s not really like that, it’s just – well, it’s just that Norwegians are like cats.
I’m still feeling really torn though. And while I suspect the answer is that I should continue doing both – writing about Norway and the rest of the world – it’s something I’m thinking particularly hard about right now because most of my summer travel plans will keep me in Norway. So like, you’ll be hearing a LOT about this place over the next months. And I hope that’s okay?
Camila @ Adventitious Violet says
I see what you mean, it’s a bit of a shame to not showcase the country you live while you jetset off to all these other places. I look forward to reading more about Norway on your blog! But I love the idea that you’ve been showcasing places that we know less about (love your Minsk post!) and hope you continue doing that too! God like you said, it’s like ‘continue doing both’ sorry for being unhelpful!
Silvia says
Haha no, I think that was my conclusion for a reason. I’ll just have to find a way to fit both in!
Ragnhild says
As a Norwegian I truly enjoy reading your blog! I’ve been living overseas for four years — until I decided to move to Svalbard last year — and I’ve definitely been missing the outdoors of Norway. Your blog inspires med to see more of my own country. It’s so easy to book a flight to a warmer place further south in Europe, but in my opinion nothing beats a hiking trip accompanied by goods friends (or a dog) and staying in a tent.
I can’t wait to read about your travels in Norway this summer!
If you ever plan to visit Longyearbyen, you are more than welcome to crash in my apartment. It’d be fun to go hiking with you as well 🙂
Silvia says
Oh that makes me so happy to hear! And I totally agree that nothing beats a hiking trip in Norway – even if when it’s cold and raining I want to think otherwise, haha. And I would love to visit you in Longyearbyen someday – I really want to make it up there!
Nynke says
I can see now why you feel torn! But I hope (selfishly, probably), that you will continue covering both Norway (and off-the-beaten-track places in Norway) and the rest of the world. I love Norway and reading about it, and some of the magic that your blog has for me definitely comes from Norway. At the same time, though, I love how you show me all of these cool places that would normally be outside my comfort zone! And new perspectives on places I know 🙂
Silvia says
Ah that’s really encouraging. It’s nice to think that people like both types of articles, so I can switch between Norway and other places a lot.
Dominique | dominiquetravels.com says
Of course that’s OK. I think most people that follow you like to read the experiences you have on your travels whether in Norway or some far-off place. The “quarter-life” crisis makes you question everything you’re doing, but you should ignore that. Go with your gut & do what feels good to you 🙂
Silvia says
Haha I think I’m more at a third life crisis by now – will they never stop?
Flavia says
they don’t stop.. I think Norway blogging is a differentiator for you so you should keep at it. (a) Norway is – I think – under explored – probably because of misconceptions and cost, and (b) you can see Norway with two lenses – the local and outsider.
Silvia says
That’s good to hear, thanks!
Godwin says
I love the idea that you’ve been showcasing places that we know less about (love your Minsk post!) and hope you continue doing that too! God like you said, it’s like ‘continue doing both’ sorry for being unhelpful!
Zoie @ Whisked Away By Words says
It’s interesting to read about your thoughts on travel blogging and the travel industry, since you’ve clearly had many years of experience with travel and making this your job. I also can really relate to your desire to write more about Norway because it’s part of your identity — I remember how happy I was this year when I finally found good, detailed English books about Hong Kong. I’m half-Cantonese, but I’ve never lived in Hong Kong, despite traveling there every summer of my life. It’s not like Hong Kong needs any more tourism, and it’s not the most unique place to write about… but I still love writing about my experience in Hong Kong because I feel like I’m exploring more of my identity and roots when I spend time in that place.
Personally, since I’ve started learning Norwegian, I’ve tried to follow many blogs about Norwegian culture and travel — but none of them resonated with me as much as your blog did, so I think you’re doing something right. 😊 I can’t wait to read more about your exploration or Norway!
Silvia says
Oooh I’m so touched that you’ve enjoyed my Norway posts that much! And yes, I feel so similar to how you feel about Hong Kong – it’s so interesting that we’ve had such similar experiences writing about such different places.
Bea says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. First of all, do continue writing about Norway! 🙂 But I understand your struggles. Actually, I think that while writing about places that are barely known and you visit them on a trip for the first time gives a fresh viewpoint. The impressions, the experiences are usually overwhelming and that comes through and inspires people to want to know more about those places – and maybe visit them, too. While a local’s perpective about their own country is quite different, it’s just as valuable. It’s a LOT of knowledge and insider tips and, well, just things you can’t hear from someone who doesn’t live there. The two kind of perspectives can make that beautiful balance – what we try to find in everything in our lives, I guess. 😀
I know it’s totally offtopic, but why never Dubai?
Silvia says
That’s so true – I think sometimes I forget that local advice can be so much more valuable (though sometimes I remember that and then I think I should move to a different country that needs more tourists, haha).
As for Dubai, this is totally personal but to me it just seems like a big shopping mall built on slavery. Of course I’ve visited other places with terrible human rights violations, but I just don’t see any appeal at all there. Dubai doesn’t have my kind of climate or attractions and I’d feel really guilty accepting money for a campaign promoting it.
Bea says
Thanks for your answer. It’s such a relief to me to hear from experienced travellers that there are places that are just not appealing to them at all. I know I’m not obliged to be interested in all the counties in the world – and I’m not -, but it makes me feel like a bad traveller sometimes.
I think it’s good that you consider the impact of your blog posts on the places you visit. And it’s completely understandable that you follow your heart on the other hand. Oh, that balance again… 😀
Coco says
I LOVE how thoughtful you are about the locations you cover and your impact as a travel blogger. To be honest I would still read your blog if you were writing about visiting gas stations in Arkansas just because I love your perspective on things. I love your Norway posts because they’re unique and very YOU but I also love all your content about off the beaten path destinations too.
Silvia says
That’s good to hear!
Tosh Bene says
You KNOW how much I love Norway, so yes…bring on ALL the posts!!! =)
Silvia says
Yesss!
Mai says
u r very cool
so much enjoying ur blog
am traveling to norway in July
i would LOVE to hike. for the first time. r there easy trails or only the montains ones i see?
we will go to Alesund and stay there, visit around places from there.
If u can, please let me know 🙂
thank u so much and keep going!
Silvia says
There are soooo many easy trails around Alesund. I would just ask at your accommodation or tourist information what are some nice trails nearby and they will help you out.