A few months ago St. Pete resident and former writer for I Love The Burg, Norris Comer, took off on the adventure of a lifetime to Norway. Norris came across the rare opportunity to compete on a popular reality television show, Alt For Norge.

On the show several contestants of Norweigan descent who have never traveled to the country compete in a variety of challenges that represent life in an older Norway. Each week a competitor is eliminated until just one contestant remains.

The winner is given the opportunity to meet their relatives that live in the country. We had the pleasure of speaking with Norris about his experience abroad, how St. Pete prepared him for the adventure and how it is adjusting back to the grind back home. 

Norris will screen episodes of Alt For Norge at Eckerd College located 4200 54th Ave S. Screenings of episodes 1 and 2 will take place Tuesday, September 16, from 7-9:30pm. Free to attend! 

*Video by TV Norge

* * * * * *

How did you discover Alt For Norge?

My folks saw an article about a previous competitor in the local paper (in Oregon). The only prerequisites to apply were to be an American of Norwegian decent who has never been to Norway before. I didn’t have anything to lose, so why not?

Did your experiences in St. Pete prepare you for the show?

Definitely! I live on a sailboat and being comfortable at sea helped a few times. I also had to clean a torsk (cod) in a challenge, so the fishing I’ve done in Florida was good preparation. However, Burg living didn’t help much with skiing… luckily, I was raised by Minnesotans.

*Video by TV Norge

What's changed for you since finishing the competition?

Well, the premise of the show is to get us relatively ignorant but eager to learn Americans of Norwegian decent in touch with our roots. The challenges are mostly cultural and the grand prize is a reunion with our estranged, Norwegian relatives (whom we’ve never met).

Realizing that I am the sum of hundreds, if not thousands, of lives, each with its own tragedies and triumphs, was a humbling epiphany. I learned I come from a proud line of landless, farming/fishing peasants who had a strong connection with the sea. No wonder I live on a boat!

The only experiences I can compare my Alt for Norge adventure with are the journeys my Jewish friends have taken to Israel. I didn’t expect it to be quite so powerful, but it was.

Now that you're back in the Burg, what are your plans?

I plan to keep living the good life on my sailboat while scheming the next horizon chasing adventure. I work at Eckerd College now as the coordinator of the Writers in Paradise conference and am working on my own writing projects, a trollmance that I took with me to Norway and another about my stint as a commercial Alaskan fisherman.

Has your time in Norway influenced your writing?

My trollmance, Beyond the Bridge of Stone, draws heavily from troll stories I heard as a kid. The whole trip was one big research opportunity and I was in heaven! I learned more about what trolls are like as well as good Norwegian swears for the troll protagonist to use.

How is it adjusting back to life in St. Pete?

Adjusting back to life in the good ole Burg is a relief, to be honest. There’s nothing like waking up in the marina and biking to work under a fiery sunrise and flocks of emerald parakeets. I’m living the good life here… I love the Burg!