I was recently featured on the St. Olaf website for being a recipient of a 2025–2026 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Norway. I first received a Fulbright in 2006–2007 for masters-level study in Norway, an opportunity that changed my life, since it allowed me to develop my Norwegian language skills and knowledge of Scandinavian literary history. The paper I developed during my year there served as my writing sample for graduate school, so it directly facilitated the next step (graduate admissions) that eventually lead me to my career at the Norwegian department at St. Olaf. The mission of Fulbright is particularly meaningful for me, since I firmly believe in the power of cross-cultural exchange for promoting knowledge and peace. It will be interesting to find out how my experience this year differs from my first time as a Fulbrighter. Rather than a masters student on my own, I’m now a more experienced researcher with my family in tow, and I’ve built a number of meaningful relationships with Norwegian colleagues over the years. One new experience will be the opportunity to guest lecture in a course on “Energy Narratives,” so I will get to experience the classroom from a different angle this time around.