Let me share a funny story to start. I lived in a small Midwestern city surrounded by cornfields for one year as I taught at a nearby university. Finding a hairdresser was difficult for a black woman, but I finally spoke to another black female professor and found a young white woman who had a black child and had learned about black hair. One day at her shop, we talked about where we would love to go if we had the chance and the money. I said that I always wanted to see Norway, fascinated with the Vikings’ adventures I had read as a child. I wanted to see the place’s beauty and vintage Viking ships.
She looked confused and asked me if my ancestors were from Norway, and I responded that I didn’t think so. I just loved the thought of sailing down the fjords and seeing this place of sheer beauty, especially in the cold winter. Then, somewhat embarrassed by her confusion, I asked her where she would go, and she responded, “I would like to go to Africa.” After a few seconds of stunned silence, I said, “There is something wrong with this picture.” And we both laughed for a few minutes at the absurdity of the moment.
That the black woman wanted to see a land of white people and the white woman wanted to visit a land of black people was unique to us both. I don’t know if she ever made it to Africa, but my heart still longs to see Norway and experience the Northern Lights in all their beauty, if I am lucky. I still want to board a tall ship and sail down the fjords from Oslo to Bergen. I want to visit ship museums and walk the gunwales of ancient craft built so solidly that the Vikings conquered so much of Europe. It is a fascinating story of courage and daring that captures a little black girl’s fancy.
So, if I won two free plane tickets, I would be off to Norway, and while there, I would add Denmark and Sweden. Reliving the voyage of the Vikings wouldn’t bring me the emotional pain of thinking about the Middle Passage journey of my ancestors from our native land, sweet Africa.
Help from Heaven 
Africa and Europe. We are planning a trip to Africa, Lord willing, next year.
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I would love to see Africa, but my immune system was compromised by colon cancer, and I fear the shots and contracting malaria. It is probably an unreasonable fear.
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How I loved this story of life, Regina! I too long to see Norway and Denmark – as my grandfathers both came to America from Norway and Denmark respectively, I have been living there vicariously through Norwegian literature and Scandi TV! I have my dream trip planned and have corresponded with a few companies I would feel comfortable helping me solo it through my “homelands”. For such geographically small countries – especially Norway – there is such a vast diversity of landscapes to see – and the history – the Stave churches fascinate me along with the Viking lore.
Africa has always been a bit of an enigma to me. So vast and we only seem to hear about it nowadays when conflict arises – so my perspective, I fear, is very biased. A dear friend of mine recently landed a dream trip to Kenya through her work as a photojournalist on an assignment. She had never been – and was thoroughly enchanted by the people and all the amazing animals and life she saw. Unfortunately, she and her traveling mate had to be abruptly evacuated when riots began and their hosts feared they would be targeted as US citizens. It saddens me that I can only ever know a small part of that continent’s story.
I hope you get to Norway and Denmark.
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