A cross-country trip of 1,500 miles in June from the western US to Minnesota does not equate with the

Restauration’s ocean journey of 5,300 miles from Norway to New York 200 years ago.

However, the trips hold parallels as both involved ventures into new territories and worldviews.

My destination was St. Olaf College where the Crossings and Connections Conference brought together Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans through direct interactions, as well as through a range of media forms - music, art, films, research presentations, publications, and on-site historical tours.

Multiple perspectives were represented, including those of the Indigenous peoples who were displaced by immigrants coming to the US and of immigrants settling in Norway today. A wide range of topics were explored, such as genealogy,  the complexity of personal and collective identities, and, of course, the history of Norwegian-Americans over the past 200 years.

Staying in the St. Olaf dorms added to the experience providing opportunities to speak with Norwegian scholars in the Norwegian language, as we walked around campus and toured the area. I was asked, “How did you learn Norwegian? Did you speak the language when you were growing up?” I had to answer, “No, not when I was growing up”, and explained that I had taken several Norwegian courses through MNCLP. Even though I live in the western US, I have been able to access Norwegian language learning opportunities through various Zoom connections.

Upon returning home I enrolled in the MNCLP Norwegian course focused on the story of the Restauration as told through the book, “Drømmen om Amerika,” by Toril Brekke (2010). My intent was to further my understanding of the Norwegian immigrant experience broadly and, more specifically, of those who came to the US on the Restauration. I knew that historical fiction could make a story come alive with fictional characters going through the challenges of daily life, while intertwining real historical events. Through the first third of the book, life conditions in Norway 200 years ago and the actual ocean voyage of a ship, much too small for the number of people it carried, have been portrayed. Brekke’s creative use of poetic language highlights both the physical and emotional journeys of the people involved. What lies ahead for these early immigrants, who pursue their dreams of life in America, is yet to be explored during the winter and spring MNCLP sessions.