Walk and Talk Coaching & Human Connection in the Nature of Bergen, Norway
A personal story that deepened my coaching – by Caroline Pinter
Last week, during a trip to Bergen, Norway, I experienced how a simple, silent gesture could spark something deeply human — connection. A moment on a hiking trail reminded me of why I believe so strongly in Walk and Talk coaching, especially for expats navigating life in the Netherlands.
A Wall of Stones – and an Unexpected Lesson
After enjoying the beautiful Bergen bay area from the top of the Fløibanen, we took the hiking trail down. Half way down we noticed a long stone wall and on top were a large number of piles of stones carefully stacked. Not randomly tossed, not part of the wall’s original structure – people had placed them there, intentionally.
There was no sign, no hashtag, no guided experience. Just a quiet, spontaneous form of creative participation — passed on from one hiker to the next. A single stack had clearly inspired others to add their own, until the entire wall had become a kind of collaborative artwork..
I stood there for a while, completely still. I felt… something.
Something soft, but strong. A sense of connection, even though I didn’t know a single person who had placed a stone. Each stack felt like a whisper: “I was here too.”
And not only “I was here,” but “I saw what you created. I respected it.
And we added …Building something of our own.” We selected 4 stones, in different shape and sizes and created our own addition to this men made art on this wall in Bergen, Noway.
It was such a gentle yet powerful expression of human connection — happening without words, without expectation, and without ever having met one another. A shared moment.
Later that evening, I found myself thinking about that wall again. About how a single act – small, quiet, honest – can inspire others to follow.
And then I smiled, because I realized:
This is exactly how coaching works.
Especially Walk and Talk coaching.
We don’t begin with grand plans or big declarations. We begin by showing up, observing, and offering something small – a question, a pause, a shared silence. And slowly, something meaningful takes shape. Piece by piece.
That wall of stones, in Bergen Norway, became more than just a travel memory — it became a quiet teacher. A reminder that even the smallest, most sincere gestures — when done with presence — can spark connection, creativity, and change.
Coaching in Nature Works in Exactly the Same Way
As an Expat Coach and Walk and Talk coach, I often see how people begin to reconnect with themselves simply by walking. The natural world helps us slow down, create space, and find a new sense of clarity.
That stone wall in Bergen became a living metaphor for the process of coaching: Sometimes, we don’t need grand actions or big words. We just need to take one small step – and trust that something meaningful will follow.