My adult life has been restless. Between age 30 and 40 I moved eight or nine times between three countries on two continents, and visited dozens more, some for work (first as a travel writer and video producer, then as a diplomat) and some for fun. I haven’t kept count of the countries I’ve visited, but I’ve spent at least a little time in most major regions of the world. I enjoy both the initial excitement of “discovering” a place and the slower pleasure of building a life there.
Speaking the language makes these experiences much richer. I like to learn languages, especially to the point where I can read books (or even write books!) in them. My work in the Foreign Service led me to learn both Spanish and Norwegian to professional fluency. In the past, I’ve also learned German and Arabic to advanced beginner / low intermediate level, but have mostly forgotten them due to disuse. French is next on my list.
Like with most of the world, during the Covid-19 pandemic my international travels came abruptly to a halt. Fortunately, Norway has a lot of outdoors to explore… and I’m not actually sure I want to return to “normal.” My husband and I are both concerned about the climate, and the responsible thing might be to leave our jet-setting ways behind us.
