We butted heads when I was a teen, but travels with my dad have brought us closer than ever

Travelling with her father has allowed Jessica Furseth to truly get to know him as an adult – and discover just how similar they are

Jessica and her father have travelled all around the world, most recently to the Isle of Skye (Jessica Furseth)

When my father and I planned our Iceland trip, I picked my flight from London to coincide with his departure from Oslo, Norway – they were landing only an hour apart, and I assumed he’d be in the airport waiting for me. But as I exited baggage claim, I realised he wasn’t there.

In those pre-roaming days, I couldn’t just call him. Maybe in some families this would be cause for concern; but the thing about the Furseths is, we’re “a little bit special”, as my mother would say. Figuring I’d find him eventually, I got on the airport bus to Reykjavik and found the hotel – where my father was sitting in the lounge, casually reading the paper. He’d spent the time well, getting a recommendation for a restaurant serving unique local meats. Even though it was out of season, there was a chance we’d score some puffin.

My father and I never meet in the same place twice – our homes being the exception, but even that’s not very often. He lives across the country from where I grew up in Norway, meaning I can’t practically combine seeing both of my parents in one trip. I’ve lived in London for 20 years now, and after a decade of visits my father declared that a man can only see the British Museum so many times – so maybe we could meet somewhere else? I loved this idea, and immediately suggested we go to Istanbul.