Hei hei! Welcome to my Journey to Norway! My name is Julia Radtke. I grew up in a small town called Northfield, Minnesota, and in many ways, my life as a young person in Minnesota is the reason I am living in Norway today. Minnesota is famously known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” (though it actually has more than 11,800). When I was young, my family and I enjoyed fishing, swimming and waterskiing together. I learned to love all the wildlife on the lakes-- majestic birds, colorful fish and playful frogs-- and it inspired me to someday learn as much as I could about biology: the study of life.
Another important part of growing up in Minnesota was my connection to my Norwegian ancestors. Almost 200 years ago, my ancestors came to the prairie of Minnesota to start a new life on a farm, but they weren’t alone! To escape the difficult climate and poor soil conditions, thousands of Norwegians came to the United States in the 1800s. Many of them came to Minnesota, probably because the land was healthy and inexpensive for farming. My family and community still celebrate our Norwegian heritage today by eating traditional holiday food, wearing beautiful handmade wool sweaters and celebrating the 17th of May, which is Norwegian Independence Day!
