Nordic Wisdom-Field Notes: Returning with a New Perspective

On the first night of our trip, three older gentlemen gathered on a houseboat docked outside our hotel room. Despite the wind and moisture in the air, they stayed outside enjoying one another’s company. They sang, shared a beverage, and moved into deep conversation. Saturday night became Sunday morning, and they were still together around 3 a.m.

Listening and observing, I found myself thinking about the space they were making for connection. I couldn’t know their histories or what that evening meant to each of them, but the scene stayed with me. When had I last allowed that much unhurried time simply to enjoy the company of others?

It was the beginning of a reflection that continued throughout our travels through Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Taking in the cultures and environments gave me room to consider how we spend our time, what we prioritize, and how our everyday surroundings shape our wellbeing.

It also gave me space to ask questions about my own life: Where is my career taking me? What kind of work do I want to pursue next? And what do I want Compass of Awareness to become?

Stepping outside my usual routines helped me see those questions more clearly. I returned with a renewed desire to develop Compass of Awareness into a platform for research, education, and exploration—connecting lived experience with evidence and practical approaches to wellness.

That direction pairs well with my recent appointment as an affiliate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Human Ecology’s Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies. I see an opportunity to deepen my inquiry into how our environments, relationships, and communities shape resilience and wellbeing.

This trip also became the starting point for a new collection of field notes.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll explore Nordic wisdom through personal experiences, cultural practices, and the questions recorded in my travel reflections. We’ll consider making room for rest, finding balance, spending time outdoors, and protecting opportunities for meaningful connection.

My notes touch on concepts including hygge, fika, lagom, and friluftsliv. As the series unfolds, I’ll connect these ideas with specific moments from the journey and examine what research can help us understand about their relevance to wellness. These countries each have their own histories and ways of living; part of the work will be paying attention to those differences.

Building on this summer’s Operating in the Grey series on the Compass of Awareness blog , these entries will begin with observation and reflection. Each will offer a question to consider or a small practice to explore in your own life.

I keep returning to those gentlemen on the houseboat. Their evening prompted a question I carried home: Am I making enough room for the relationships and experiences that sustain me?

In the weeks ahead, these field notes will explore Nordic wisdom through experiences from the journey, research, and reflections on how we care for ourselves and our communities.