Top-of-the-line experiences I’ve had as a parent

We left for Manchester Airport much sooner than we would have liked to, which ended up giving us more time to play eye-spy and seek advice from people within the terminal. My child’s confidence and cuteness acted as an icebreaker, and we interacted with way more people than I might have if I had traveled alone.

I tactically booked an airport hotel to take the sting off our first night in Bergen. But we each arrived stuffed with energy. Once the lights went out, she fell asleep almost immediately, while I lay awake. I used to be now the excited child, thrilled about our trip ahead.

The subsequent day we took the train into town center — and already I knew Norway was the proper alternative. The tunnels and the stunning topography were matched only by the people.

My daughter exudes a confidence that I hope she never loses. She gave “thumbs up” signs to locals on the platforms at every stop, at all times receiving a reciprocal gesture and smile in return. She quickly moved on to the two-handed love heart sign, which a young Norwegian couple mirrored back. With enough real hearts successfully melted, she returned to the coloring book that the hotel concierge had given her that morning.

From the efficiency of the train to the cleanliness of town streets, Norway jogged my memory of Japan.

Similarities to the “Land of the Rising Sun” continued throughout our trip: the funny beeps on road crossings, a prevalence of 7-Eleven convenience stores, the reserved yet kind people, subtle and mature fashion decisions, great customer support, tasty food and the unreserved kindness to children.

“Children come first in Norwegian culture,” a mother told me within the VilVite, a kid’s science museum in Bergen. We had been talking about how impressive the museum was for youngsters, how staff on every corner were keen to enhance the youngsters’s learning experience. Opened 17 years go, the museum looked brand latest. Exhibits recurrently change so local parents keep coming back.

As we spoke, my daughter played with other children, constructing cars out of Lego to check on a undulating picket track which eventually smashed them to smithereens.

Raising children in Norway is different from raising them in England. There is a monthly cap on child-care costs, which incentivizes each parents to work and boosts gender equality within the workforce. Children don’t start school until they’re six years old, which provides them more time within the family unit. The country’s low crime rate means it’s normal for youngsters to walk to high school or to the homes of other members of the family, alone — one other similarity to Japan.

Loose plans guided our trip, and I let my child cleared the path as much as possible. We ate pancakes by the harbor, laughing on the loud horns of the nearby cruise ships. We rode a funicular railway to the highest of Mount Fløyen, hiked to a lake and skimmed rocks along the water’s edge. We saw cairns along the best way, that are small piles of stones that sometimes mark a crucial spot. My daughter insisted on constructing her own, honoring one in all her favorite stuffed animals.

We spent the remainder of our short vacation exploring the cobbled streets and alleyways of the secure and quiet city, often taking photos of eclectic street art. Our ambling took us to a toy shop, parks, ice cream parlor, fire station and a big church with a practicing choir inside.

During our last night together, we sat on our hotel bed, I with a reindeer hotdog and my daughter with a box of leftover pizza. She watched kid’s shows on the tv, not caring that she couldn’t understand a word.

This was an unplanned and easy moment, and I’ll cherish this memory endlessly. We were each content and fulfilled from a day of father-daughter adventure with no responsibilities or thoughts of the long run.

Regardless of how spontaneous you could be, being a parent inevitably throws you right into a routine. Even “having fun” can entail unwritten stipulations, worrying and planning.

That is why one-on-one time to really enjoy our youngsters is essential — time after we ignore jobs, house responsibilities, bills and the rest that may weigh life down. Exploring latest territory, solving problems and having fun as a duo, miles from home, is the most effective experiences I’ve had as a parent.

I’m wondering if my little four-year-old will remember this trip when she grows up.

I do know I’ll. I’m already planning our next one.