Lost in time while solo backpacking the Midnight Sun in Tsarmitunturi Wilderness Area Reading atop my first fjäll peak at Tsarmitunturi Many Finns celebrate the Juhannus or Midsummer holiday by going to a mökki (a small cottage), but I discovered Tsarmitunturi in a guidebook I received for Christmas that year. Tsarmitunturi is a 150 square kilometer Wilderness Area in the east part of Finnish Lapland. The guidebook recommended getting lost in time hiking without a phone or watch during the Midnight Sun when the sun never goes down. I had experience with long haul backpacking from Boy Scouts but never went on an adventure like this. I was alone, off the grid, and far outside my comfort zone. These are my takeaways from venturing into the wilderness. ...

As I am writing this, I am sitting at the home of composer Edvard Grieg, in the same place where he often sat to find inspiration for his music. As I look out on this specific inlet of the North Sea, I understand why he chose this spot. The calm waters and forested islands, accompanied by the intermittent chirps from an arrangement of birds immediately put my thoughts into a reflective mindset. I have been in Norway for the better part of two months, and it feels like it has been simultaneously only a week and an entire semester. Each day, packed with so many opportunities, passes by in the blink of an eye (and only ~6 hours of sunlight), while these busy days coalesce into weeks that feel like months. I seldom have time to sit and reflect just in my thoughts, so moments like this make me truly appreciate the experience and opportunity I have been given. ...

Hello! My name is Nate Beattie, and I am a Junior at Mizzou studying Computer Science and Music. I am currently spending the semester studying at the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway, and I also happen to be Alex’s brother. Much like Alex, I have a background in technology with software development experience and am passionate about sustainable development. This series will outline some of the highlights of my experiences while in Norway and beyond! ...

My name is Alex Beattie and over the past four years I have lived in three countries and have navigated the challenges of working and traveling during a global pandemic. Semester in Sweden The Linneaus University Campus Castle Seeing the Northern Lights for the first time On a cold winter day in early 2019, I traveled from St. Louis, Missouri to Växjö, Sweden to commence a semester study abroad program at Linneaus University. Returning to the U.S. that summer with a fresh mindset, I began to wonder if it was possible to continue my development in a global context. In Sweden, I brushed off emails from my university’s fellowship office encouraging me to apply for national grants and fellowships. ...