There's something curious about the way a place can welcome you - not just as a visitor, but as if you've always belonged there. That's how I felt  the moment I set foot in Norway. From the first breath of crisp air, scented faintly with pine and sea salt, to the quiet hum of life moving at a pace that felt natural, I  knew I had found a kind of home.  It wasn't just the landscapes, though they were nothing short of stunning.  The fjords stretched out like ancient arms, cradling villages that felt untouched  by time.  Mountains stood watch over sparkling waters, and even rain seemed to fall with purpose, nurturing a land so vibrantly alive.  But it was more than a feeling.  

In every small town, whether I was sipping coffee in a cozy café or wandering down cobble streets lined with wooden houses painted in reds and yellows, I felt at ease.  There was a familiarity in the quiet smiles of strangers, the gentle cadence of Norwegian conversations drifting past me, and the unspoken invitation to slow down and simply be.

Norway has a way of wrapping itself around you. It's nature is wild and untamed, yet it offers a deep sense of peace - a reminder that you are small, but you belong. Whether I was walking through a small village, standing on the edge of a fjord, or overlooking the Norwegian Sea from a rocky shoreline I felt it. I was centered here. 

The feeling of home isn't always about where you were born or where you've built your life. Sometimes, its a place that greets you like an old friend, where your heart beats a little slower and your mind feels clearer. That's what Norway gave me - a sense of belonging, a sense of home.

And even now, long after I've left, I know I'll always carry a piece of that feeling with me, like a soft echo calling me back to the land where I was, for a moment completely at home.