visiting scandinavia 2023

I first started watching a show called Skam in 2020. We were into the thick of quarantine, and I saw a clip that reminded me of how popular it was in 2017. I had nothing better to do than binge a four-season show in four days, and that’s exactly what I did.

I became completely infatuated with the show. I was listening to the soundtrack, reading the scripts, and rewatching the seasons as though I’ve never seen it before. I’d skip episodes to get to my favorite ones sooner, and if I fell asleep during any of them, I’d have to start from the beginning.

Thus, was born my “Nordic problem.” I don’t even know how this name came to be, but it was what anyone close to me used to call this obsession with Norway brought on by this show. This obsession consisted of listening to Norwegian music, learning the language, and even trying to convince my family that we should take our next vacation to Norway (SIDE NOTE: didn’t work). With the countries similarities to Sweden, my obsession panned over a bit, too. I watched another show, this one taking place in Sweden, and even started to watch related movies.

So, yeah, maybe they were right to call this infatuation a “problem.” This problem was big enough that when I was deciding to transfer schools my freshman year, I looked into the study abroad programs offered at each school I was considering to see if there was any way I could even get close to these countries.

Shoutout my current school! I ended up transferring to this institution which offered a study abroad program between the countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. I attended informational sessions, did some research, and decided I was set on studying design in Scandinavia. You can see here the first batch of notes I took about this trip.

Skam is known by fans for its symbols and quotes. The time 21:21 has significant meaning, we saw a door reading “Be Kind. Always.”, but one that always stood out to me was a screen saying “Alt er love.” All is love. Everything is love. Watch:

This is a collection of clips that I gathered throughout the entire trip. From the time we first arrived at the airport, to the time we arrived for our final flight. The biggest subject I wanted to capture in this video is the influence that Scandinavian culture had on us. We learned that Norway likes to emphasize that no one is more special than anyone else; we learned about the togetherness that is brought on once anyone in this culture starts to get close to someone else; we learned how important

it is to watch your volume in public; we learned how much these countries appreciate the nature they live in. We learned about the sports that bring them together; we learned about the nightlife culture that only pops up on the weekend. However, this trip was more about learning. Again, we were so influenced by everything around us. There might be some you could notice in the video. By the end, I hardly have to mute any of the videos; we adapted to the quiet nature of Scandinavia. We start walking in a line on the sidewalk instead of side-by-side. We end up walking more often to our destinations than taking public transit. We even start dressing warmer, while stylish, by layering. We also were trying new foods and visiting new stores. It’s so interesting to see how cool these countries and their people seem that we were so deeply influenced by them.

Speaking of this influence, coming home, I continued to see how Scandinavian culture influences the U.S. I have a few examples for you to read about.

While studying design in Scandinavia, I learned a lot about the way that brands prefer for their designs to look simple. I’ve noticed how some of the art in Chicago is made super simple, as well as other U.S. brand logos.

When you think about it, we end up doing so many events outside without really being outside. It’s like we’re slowly trying to appreciate the outdoors the way Scandinavia does.

It also is apparently a huge thing to walk “correct” in Scandinavia; you treat the sidewalk as the street — walk on the right side, and don’t get in anyone’s way!! I never noticed how some people feel so strictly about walking this way.

Public transportation is huge in Europe in general. My friends love to scooter everywhere, reminding me of the major cycling culture in Denmark.

I personally was never one to enjoy the snow, but seeing the way my neighbors bring their kids outside to play in the snow encapsulates the expression “friluftsliv.” The expression friluftsliv was invented by the famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in the 1850s, who used the term to describe the value of spending time in remote locations for spiritual and physical wellbeing. Because of this, Norway is huge on outdoor kindergartens, libraries to borrow outdoor gear, and other ways of getting people involved in being outside, even when it is cold out.

And finally, we’ve been influenced by Scandinavia’s sense of togetherness. Everyone is so accepting. It’s so easy to come from a different culture and to be welcomed. It’s big in those countries to be brought together by sport or music, and in this image, my international friends were bonding over both.

I’ve also already started implementing Scandinavian culture in my life. I’ve been learning Norwegian for almost two years now,

I keep forcing my friends to spend time outside with me,

and I even go to a stylist to get a hair trend done known as the “Scandinavian hairline.” It might burn my forehead, but the whole point is to get as blonde as possible as close to my hairline as possible. I’ve been influenced!

This trip has changed my life beyond words. And not just because I finally got to fuel my “Nordic problem;” I’ve fallen in love with the mindset of Norway, the acceptance in Sweden, and the attitude of Denmark. They’ve influenced me, the city of Chicago, and even my friends who have never been. Can’t wait to go back in the Summer 😉