What I Don't Want To Lose About Norwegian Life

After living in Norway for more than a decade, there are certain things about Norwegian life that have become so ordinary to me that I barely notice them anymore.

That is, until I stop and think about them.

When you first move somewhere new, you notice everything. The food is different. The seasons feel different and in the case of Norway, more pronounced. People have different routines and expectations. Even the small things, like what you do on a Sunday afternoon or what you wear when you go outside, can feel unfamiliar and strange.

Then, gradually, those differences become your new normal.

You stop thinking about them as Norwegian things. They simply become the way you live.

Lately, I've found myself thinking about which parts of Norwegian life have become so important to me that I don't want to lose them. Not the souvenirs or the Scandinavian furniture or my treasured rosemaling but the habits and attitudes that have quietly shaped the way I live.

There are rather a lot of them.

The habit of going outside

Perhaps the biggest one is the Norwegian relationship with the outdoors.

Going outside here doesn't have to be an event. You don't need to be going hiking in the mountains or spending the day skiing. You can simply put on your shoes and go for a walk.

The weather doesn't always have to be perfect either.

Rain, cold, wind and snow are not reasons to stay indoors. You dress for them and get on with it.

That has changed me.

I don't want to become someone who looks out of the window, decides the weather isn't perfect and spends the whole day inside. I want going outside to remain an ordinary part of my life, whatever the weather happens to be doing.

Letting the seasons shape the year

Before living in Norway, I don't think I paid nearly as much attention to the seasons.

Of course I noticed whether it was summer or winter, but I didn't necessarily allow the seasons to influence the rhythm of my life.

Living here has taught me to do that.

Summer is for being outside as much as possible. Autumn brings cooking, gathering and those first cosy evenings. Winter encourages a slower pace, warm food, candles and time indoors. Then spring arrives and suddenly everyone seems to wake up again.

I like having these natural changes in the year.

They give life a rhythm without us having to manufacture one.

I want to keep noticing what season I'm in, rather than trying to make every month feel the same.

Being comfortable with a simpler weekend

Norwegian weekends have taught me that a weekend doesn't have to be packed to be worthwhile.

There can be a walk, some good food, a trip outside and plenty of time at home.

There isn't always a need to fill every spare hour with activities.

I've come to appreciate that enormously.

Some of my favourite weekends have been the ones where nothing particularly exciting happened. We went outside, cooked something nice, perhaps had friends or family over, and simply had time to breathe.

That feels like something worth protecting.

Making ordinary things feel special

One of the things I love about Nordic living is the way ordinary pleasures are taken seriously.

A cup of coffee, a warm jumper, a candle on a dark afternoon. A meal shared around the table and a walk before dinner.

None of these things is particularly remarkable, but together they can make an ordinary day feel good.

I think we sometimes make life unnecessarily complicated by believing that we need something bigger to look forward to.

Norwegian life has taught me to find pleasure in the small things. I'd very much like to keep that.

Dressing for the life you actually live

This might sound like a small thing, but living in Norway has completely changed my attitude towards clothing. I have learned to value clothes that allow me to live. That is warm wool, good boots, waterproof layers and decent (practical) coat.

Clothes don't have to be precious (all the time). They need to work.

There is something wonderfully practical about being dressed appropriately for the weather and then simply getting on with your day.

I've become much less interested in looking perfect and much more interested in being comfortable enough to go outside. That is a lesson I don't want to forget.

Making the home a place to live

Norwegian homes have also influenced my idea of what a home should be.

I don't want a home that looks beautiful but makes everyone afraid to touch anything. I want somewhere warm and comfortable, where people can sit around the kitchen table, where boots can be left by the door and where a blanket can be pulled over your knees on a cold evening.

A home should support the life happening inside it.

It doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to feel like somewhere you want to be.

Being content with enough

Perhaps the biggest lesson of all is the idea that enough can actually be enough. Lagom, if you like. There will always be something else we could buy, somewhere else we could go or something else we could achieve. But there is also a great deal of contentment to be found in having what you need and enjoying it properly.

A warm home with good food and people you love. Time outdoors and a little space to yourself. Something interesting to read and a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Those things can sound almost too simple, but perhaps simple is the point. It is hygge itself.

What I want to carry forward

The longer I live in Norway, the more I realise that the things I value most aren't necessarily Norwegian objects or traditions. They are ways of living. Going outside, following the seasons. Making time for people. Keeping life simple and being comfortable with quiet. Finding pleasure in ordinary things and creating a home that supports everyday life.

Those lessons have become part of me without my really noticing it happening.

And perhaps that's the wonderful thing about living somewhere different. You don't have to take everything with you. You simply keep the things that have made your life better.

There are many things I love about Norwegian life, and I'm sure I'll continue discovering more.

But these are the things I don't want to lose. Because ultimately, I don't think Nordic living is about where you live.

It's about how you choose to live there.