Message from your editor: Embracing winter with a new energy!

Winter Adventure

Image: Colourbox
New Year’s is a time for setting goals and moving forward with a new energy.

Dear readers and friends,

There’s no doubt about it: winter is here, and in many parts of the country, it came with a blast during the Christmas holidays. And while it may have caused many of you some inconvenience, we hope that holiday season was a wonderful and memorable time for you.

Here at The Norwegian American, we’re embracing winter with a new energy, as we send you our first edition of the new year. It’s a true winter adventure, as we explore the world of winter sports, including ski jumping and its history. With the Snowflake Ski Club in Westby, Wis., celebrating its 100th anniversary, it seemed like an appropriate focus. Ski jumping, after all, is a sport that Norwegians brought with them to North America, and it to a large extent symbolizes what Norway and Norwegian America are all about: focus, determination, and courage to go beyond the ordinary.

Yes, we are jumping into the new year with a leap of faith, as we embrace our values in a time of increasing challenges all around us. I would be the first to say that 2022 was a difficult year in many ways, but that does not quell our enthusiasm for all the possibilities that lie ahead in 2023.

A new look for the new year

To celebrate this sense of a fresh start and renewal, here at The Norwegian American, we are rolling out our new logo.

This new logo is symbolic of the changes and improvements that the paper has undergone over the past few years and our collaboration with Norway House. In our new logo, blue waves blend together, symbolic of the water connecting North America and Norway, and its clean, modern look serves as an expression of our mission to connect you to contemporary Norway, with the color blue that is so strongly associated with the Nordic landscape and the surrounding sea.

The spirit of winter sports

I want to say a few more words about the sports coverage in our newspaper. We are very lucky to have Michael Kleiner, both business and sports editor, serving as our sports expert. Michael follows the Norwegian sports scene in close detail to provide us with professional, exciting content not easily accessible to an English-speaking audience.

Yet, I hear from many of the women who read our paper that they choose to skip over the sports section. Of course, everyone has their own personal interests, but I urge you all to have a look at our special sports coverage. There is much to take in from the world of sports, even if you are not an athlete or a sports buff per se. As I mentioned earlier, there are stories of commitment and perseverance to inspire us, and for me, it is especially inspiring to read about the accomplishments of young Norwegian women athletes. In this issue, you can read about handball champions, and then, there is the amazing story of the invincible Therese Johaug. You can also read about family sports activities in Voss, Norway, and more.

Setting new goals

Traditionally, New Year’s is time for setting new goals, and here at The Norwegian American, we have been putting together our plans for 2023. Our overall editorial calendar for the year is in place, with a number of special themed issues for you to enjoy. Next month, you can look forward to our ever-popular travel issue, followed by a special focus on Stavanger in March. This is only part of what’s coming up.

We are also working to enhance our digital experience, not only to bring you more, but to reach out to a larger audience. Yes, increasing our subscriber numbers is one of our goals for 2023, and I am happy to report that we are on a good trajectory if we look at the numbers from 2022. We have also brought on a new advertising and marketing manager, Khaleb Baker, to better serve our clients and help us spread the word—welcome, Khaleb—and we are working more closely with our colleagues at Norway House for a broader outreach. All of our community partners play such a vital role in helping us network, as do you, our readers.

Many of us on the team are also setting new personal goals for the new year, too, including working on our Norwegian language skills. No matter what level of proficiency you have, there is always something to be done. In my own case, I’ve signed up for bundled newspaper subscription that gives me access to 100s of publications to read, all part of my goal to find better content for you.

If you don’t know any Norwegian at all, this is a great time to get started, and our partner David Nikel of the Life in Norway blog offers some great tips on how to do just that. And don’t forget that our newspaper is always a great resource for improving your Norwegian language skills. There is every reason to believe that you will succeed if you really put your mind to it. You can take inspiration from contributor Seline Shenoy’s advice how to set New Year’s resolutions and stick with them for success.

Here at The Norwegian American, we are fortunate to be part of such a vibrant community, and we look forward to continuing our adventure with you throughout the year. On behalf of our entire team, I wish you a very happy New Year, full of good health and success—and, yes, many hours of happy reading!

This article originally appeared in the January 2023 issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.