Margo Meyer



Margo is an American researcher, translator, and writer with a PhD in French from the University of California, Berkeley. She lived in Norway for five years, during which time she established a successful copyediting and translation business. Her work for both individual clients and institutions covers a wide range of disciplines. She now lives, works, and enjoys the sunshine in southern France.

Margo's cultural tip

It can be hard to meet new people and make connections in Norway, especially if you are used to cultures where people are a bit more welcoming, or even curious about foreigners. Look for opportunities to engage with people and be persistent. Even the most reserved of Norwegians is usually happy to strike up a conversation if you compliment their dog at the dog park or on the terrace of a café!

Memorable travel experience

While living in Oslo I made the requisite trip up north to Tromsø with my husband and a friend to try and catch a glimpse of the northern lights. We decided to go on a bus tour rather than drive around on our own and our strategy paid off in more ways than one. Not only did we see the lights, we were able to fully enjoy them. As we lay on our backs on the shore of a lake watching looking up at the sky we knew that the tour company would take pictures that would then be made available to us so we could enjoy just being there. We saw so many of our fellow travelers busy fiddling with cameras or posing for pictures with the lights rather than actually looking at them! It was a good reminder that travel is really about being present and sometimes our best memories are those that we didn’t even capture on camera.

Culture Smart! guide(s):

Norway