Jake's final thoughts

Our course in Norway was an amazing look at a country shaped as much by ice and physical processes as people and the cultures they left behind. Quite unlike anything I had ever done before, this class forced me to experience a country from a geographer's perspective rather than just a traveler's. It is one thing to learn about frost heaving in a classroom and another thing entirely to see it firsthand as we are walking next to a glacier.

My favorite aspect was most definitely our visit to Svalbard (like everyone else, it seems). Traveling above the Arctic Circle - where the sun never sets and the time on the clock doesn't carry as much meaning - was an unbelievable opportunity. Just thinking about how far I was from the North Pole makes me shake my head in amazement. The geology of Svalbard was strange and alien-like yet provided a perfect example of almost all the features we had discussed.

Not only was the geology of Norway unique, but the long history of Norse and Christian traditions in the country made the cultural aspects of the course great. Holding a working, 1,000 year old church lock definitely gives one a sense of just how long people have been settled in the country. The mixing of natural processes and human impacts gives the country amazing diversity and beauty.

Hopefully one day, I will be able to return Norway and see how the landscapes have changed in the time that's passed. This was certainly an amazing opportunity and one I will not soon forget.

Jake