Team member Joseph wants to pack a bag and head east – and very north! I asked him to talk about where he wants to go next, and why!
Joseph: Daraius, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to Norway next year.I’ve had a crush on Norway for as long as I can remember. The jagged landscape speaks to me.
I get a rush from pictures of echoing fjords and unsettlingly high cliffs (search YouTube for Trolltunga or Preikestolen and tell me your palms don’t sweat!).
I’ve been delaying the trip, but I stumbled across something that finally provoked me to begin making plans.
The YouTube Video That Broke the Camel’s Back
There are 2 things I’m wary of when finding travel inspiration:
- While drone video is often the absolute most stunning on-site footage, it’s also a vantage point I’ll never see with my own eyes. For some reason, every location becomes magical when you’re above the treetops. I savor the videos, but try to dismiss them so I’m not disappointed.
- Music is very powerful, and can invigorate a mediocre destination video. The right musical backdrop can make a dumpster fire look appealing. When I’m YouTubing a location, I try extra hard to remember Lindsey Stirling won’t be following me around.
A prime example of these things is Erik Conover’s video about his recent trip to Norway.
Two things in particular grab me by the collar in this video:
1. Midnight Sun
During the summer months, the Arctic Circle does NOT get dark. The sun drops, but refuses to completely disappear. It instead travels lazily along the horizon, and climbs back up a few hours later.
From the videos I’ve watched, the midnight sun is basically a really long sunset, depending on your latitude situation. And I’m all about sunsets.
If nothing else, I’d certainly visit the Arctic Circle to enjoy a prolonged sunset. A few hours of orange sky and a bottle of red zin is the ideal evening. 🙂
2. Atlantic Ocean Road
One of my favorite things about San Francisco is driving the 7-mile San Mateo Bridge across the bay. It’s really unnerving, and it feels like you’re in the middle of the ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean Road is smaller than the San Mateo Bridge, but looks infinitely more terrifying. It consists of 8 bridges, which are pummeled with large waves during storms.
Even if I don’t get to drive through a storm, the windy curvy roller coaster nature of the road will still be an experience!
How to Get There
Flying to Norway with miles & points is simple enough. But I don’t think I’ll use them!
That’s because Norwegian Air publishes absurdly cheap flights to Norway from lots of US cities, like Boston, Denver, Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, and Seattle. And they frequently have sales, which can drop the price of a flight to Norway (and beyond) to ~$200 round-trip!
Norwegian Air is a low-cost airline, so I’ll have to pay extra for bags, seat assignments, etc. But I can’t justify spending airline miles for a flight I can reserve for under $300 all-in. I’ll buy my ticket with cash, and road trip to the closest Norwegian flight (or use a few points to fly there). And I’ll use the Norwegian Air trick to get the flight for an additional 20% off.
Note: If you have any suggestions or advice for an upcoming trip to Norway, or if you think there’s another Scandinavian country that does it better, I’m willing to hear you out!Bottom Line
Team member Joseph has been wanting to visit Norway for a long time. And a recent video from Erik Conover inspired him to begin planning the trip!
I like the idea that we may all be a YouTube video away from dropping our procrastination and fulfilling our travel bucket list. How do y’all find your travel inspiration?