Hello again and for the last time for quite some while,
To those of you who don't know by now, I am home! These last two months have been rather slow. I've spent the majority of my time either searching for a job or acting as dog sitter for my roommate's dog. But, as it so happens, I did end up finding a job as a bow technician at Scheels which means I'm no longer best friends with our bull dog. Little did I know when applying, that the modern compound bow is far more complicated than I had ever imagined. But, I am making very, very, slow progress.
I am mostly fully acclimated to life once again here in good old USA. I must admit, there was a bit of "culture shock", if you will, when I arrived back in Chicago. My ears weren't used to the same small talk I had heard for almost 20 full years of my life. I was greeted by a sea of "like"s, "umm"s and a multitude of other filler words spaced apart by the chatter of daily life. To be completely honest, I think I may be more home sick for Norway than I was for home. I'm sure I'm not the first, nor will I be the last to long for days filled with travel, new friends, and extremely over priced food.
This blog is, unfortunately, a bit more bland than the rest. My travels are over and I haven't got the room necessary to add over 300 photos. So to anyone out there interested in seeing or hearing more, I invite you to simply text me, email me, send me mail by bird, or contact me however you please. Lord knows I'll talk your ear off.
Here's a nice picture to really tie this boring blog all together. :)
I hope that you've all enjoyed and I hope you'll check out my blog once I begin student teaching!
This blog will be my second to last blog. I plan to write another when I arrive home and in that blog you will be able to see a review of the past year. Along with that, you'll be able to see what I did during the 9 days following this entry (which I will also briefly preview today).
I want to start this entry be giving a brief look at my most recent travels, then I would like to give, as I said, a preview of what I'll be doing over the next week and I'd like to spend the final section sharing my thanks to all of you and many others. Let's get rollin'!
I was recently in the small city of Lillehammer here in Norway over Easter break. I had originally planned to go to a somewhat famous cliff called Trolltunga. Unfortunately, the cliff is inaccessible before mid June. So instead of heading to Trolltunga, a group of friends and I headed to Lillehammer in hopes of finding some nice trail hiking.
I traveled to Lillehammer with 9 others. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was even better than I expected. Although the tourist information wasn't extremely helpful, we were able to find a nice route that led us up one of the small mountains in the area. Overall, the trip was a great time! Hope you enjoy the pictures below!
Here's me being 'adventurous' This was probably right before I fell into the water
Don't worry, I hadn't fallen in at this point either
Here's a view of Lillehammer's surrounding mountains
Serious time
Now, lets move on to what I did over t7he 17th of May! As many of you Midwesterners know, the 17th of May is Norway's constitutional day.I celebrated with some friends and it was a grand ol' time as they say. The plan was to have a "Norwegian champagne breakfast" which includes waffles with fruits and, obviously, champagne. I did in fact have champagne, but I chose to enjoy it after breakfast. During the day, some friends and I headed to the city to catch the parade here in Oslo. The city was extremely full during the 17th and we had plenty to see. Supposedly the city shoots blanks from the canons mounted atop the Akerhus castle but I didn't get a chance to witness it. Here are just a few photos from the 17th.
Here's a picture of the street heading down from the royal palace. It was impossible to move effectively throughout the city
Here is the set up from our breakfast. We made Crepes with fruits, cream, powdered sugar and chocolate sprinkles
Not to shabby, huh Mom?
Now that the 17th of May is over, I have two exams to study hard for (don't worry mom, I'm still a student here). I will soon head to Rome, Italy on the 24th of May and stay through the 27th. For those who don't know yet, I return home the 31st of May, so I'm sure I'll be frantically trying to tie up any loose ends before I leave Oslo. And there you have it. This is the end! Well, not quite yet...but its getting closer and closer!
Now, as I said before, I'd like to give some shout outs on my final European entry (the last entry will be written in the US). First off, I'd like to thank my parents once again for helping me so much. Not only did they do so much to make this trip financially possible, but they've been extremely supportive overall throughout the whole process. Next, I'd like to give a thank you to all of the extended family that helped me. Your letters, money, and advice helped make this trip so amazing! As many of you may remember, I gave a large thank you to my friends from last semester and I'd like to thank you all again! Thank you to Nils for letting me join you over New Years. Thank you to Manon for hosting me afterwards (and Marius for joining us). Thank you to Eva and Miriam for housing me while in Groningen (and Sarah for joining the fun!). Now, I'd like to give a thank you to the whole O Boo Shi Na Tin Ta Tin group from last year. It was wonderful to see all of you again! I wish all of you the best! Also, I want to especially thank my former roommates Marius, Nina, Claudia and Sarah for making me feel so comfortable in my first semester abroad. Now I'd like to thank the group of friends that made this current semester so awesome!! So, thank you Daniel, Alicia, Jorge, Mechthild Dominik, Stephen, Caro and Jin Jin! Also a thank you to all of you who aren't mentioned in here! You ALL made this crazy semester awesome! To my current roommates Sarah, Mona, Juhan and Xin I'd like to equally say thank you. You all helped make this second semester a fun filled and exciting semester that I guarantee I will never forget!
I recently saw a post from Leah Black in which she mentions how a part of her will always remain in Rome. I am going to steal that idea, Leah. Hope you don't mind! I can honestly say that I've experienced far more than I ever expected here in Oslo. Norway's expensive prices and unpredictable weather may not have made life here in Oslo an ocean side paradise, but the memories that I made while abroad more than made up for all of that. I cannot express how truly grateful I am to have had this opportunity.
That's all for now.
I hope you will all tune in for the final blog from Adventures of Norway in a few weeks!
I'm sure you've all missed me! Maybe not! None the less, that doesn't matter. I've been up to a lot lately. I'll start off by just apologizing for the lack of blogs lately. I'm sure if you've been paying attention you would know that blogging does not consume my life...nonetheless, I was a bit lazy. So, lets go ahead and get this show on the road.
The semester is rolling on and we're past "midterms" here in Oslo. I recently had two papers due in both of my history courses. Relatively pointless information at first, right? Well, I pulled a typical Brent move and submitted the same paper for both classes on accident. I received an email informing that I had failed the paper for one of my courses and, to say the least, I was shocked. Being the person I am, I immediately went to reread the paper that I submitted online to see if I could notice any large mistakes that would warrant a failing grade. That's when I realized that I submitted a paper about Viking age kings in stead of a paper on the influences on technology during Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Either way, I was able to resubmit the real paper.
Now, why don't we move onto the stuff you actually want to read then... travels!!! Please, just try and hold your excitement in. I've been to two new cities within the last month and I've revisited one. The first of these, Stockholm, was a much need scenery change. Although Sweden is somewhat similar to Norway, their respective capitals are, in my eyes, quite different. Oslo is a relatively small capital to be honest. Stockholm on the other hand is fairly large. Unlike Oslo, Stockholm also seems to have a richer cultural personality. Oslo has this feeling of a completely a functional city. Sites such as the Akerhus castle and the folks museum are certainly nice, but Stockholm was really a beautiful city with a lot of Scandinavian feeling, much like Copenhagen. Anyway, I'll let you enjoy the pictures below now!
Royal Palace of Stockholm
Vasa Ship @ Vasa ship museum
To be honest, I don't have very many photos from Stockholm, so its hard for me to really give you an idea of the city. Either way, it was fun.
After a brief three day return to Oslo, two friends and I headed out to take a short trip in Amsterdam followed by a nice reunion in Hamburg with some old friends. Amsterdam was much more enjoyable compared to my previous visit (mainly because I was there for more than 6 hours). Although we only stayed in Amsterdam for one full night, it was still plenty of fun! The weather there was beautiful! We set out to see parts of the red light district, went to a park, enjoyed some local beer, and sat by the canals as the sun set. It was truly a great trip!
Beer sampler in Amsterdam. Go there. Try their beer. You will not regret.
Just me acting casual in Amsterdam. The canals make a great backdrop
The group in Amsterdam!
As I said earlier, we headed to Hamburg after Amsterdam to meet up with some friends for a reunion. The reunion was a blast! It is a bit strange to think that I may never see some of these people again. With just around 40 days left here in Oslo, I must admit that I will miss all of this more that I can describe. I have made some of the best friends of my life and I've experienced so much! Okay then, lets continue with Hamburg. We spent our days sight seeing and our nights enjoying Reeperbahn, a street in Hamburg known in English as "The most sinful mile on Earth". The area has a feeling slightly similar to Amsterdam. However, I would say that the previous title might be a bit of an exaggeration. Either way, it was still great to see all of the old group again and to enjoy a few drinks with friends. I couldn't have asked for a better crowd!
The Rathaus in Hamburg
Those of us left from last semester! (Alicia, Me, Daniel- bottom and Jorge-right)
Boat tour in Hamburg
Most of the group in Hamburg. Picture Courtesy of Shooter's bar.
This basically sums up my life as of recent. I plan to do some hiking this weekend with some friends in Lillehammer, a small town outside of Oslo. I'm also looking at heading to London or Copenhagen in Early May! Keep your eyes open for another blog and start the countdowns. There won't be much more after this blog folks!
Grab a blanket, turn your heaters up and take out a travel planner. As my time here in Norway comes closer and closer to an end, I find myself reflecting a lot on what made these last 6 and a half months so amazing. It is nearly impossible for me to put to words how amazing this experience has been. Still, I'm going to do my best to explain as to why all of you -even the broke students who take the time to read this- must travel. I'm going to list only 15 out of what is probably around 100 reasons as to why you need to drop everything and travel. NOW. Let's get to it!
1. The people you meet. Honestly, have you ever sat down in a kitchen with a group of people from literally all over the world. During my brief period here I have made friends from Germany, Switzerland, France, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Austria, New Zealand, Austalia, Iran, Italy, Canada, Ethiopia, South Korea, China, The Czech Republic, Poland, Spain and more. Take a moment to think about how many names I've had to remember. I tell you, the struggle is real. Honestly though, these people are all great!
2. Now that you've taken a moment to think about what kind of cultural setting you're immersed in here, take another moment to imagine all the places you go with those same people. I've traveled to 6 different countries with the intention to head to at least 2 to 3 more this semester. Why not go see a friend in Berlin? Maybe you can head to Madrid to meet some old pals. Shoot, while you're at it, take a bus to Sweden and A cruise ship to Denmark.
3. America the beautiful, your beauty has its boundaries. Trust me, I've seen the skyline of Seattle from the space needle, the ocean from Florida and Texas, and watched the sun set in the Black Hills on my motorcycle and more. I'll separate this matter into about four other numbers. Europe is amazing people.
4. So, on the subject of beauty have you ever seen the sunrise as you go dog sledding in the Arctic Circle? Have you drank a beer under the Northern Lights? Have you stopped on the side of the road near a lake backed by snow capped mountains to watch a group of reindeer in the sunset? I have. And it. was. beautiful.
5. Have you watched the night set in atop the Eiffel Tower? Have you ever seen way too much of the Louvre in one day? Have you eaten true baguettes in France or purchased a Heineken at a McDonalds? Do all of this and more. Most importantly, do it with someone special. I remember asking myself why the Eiffel Tower was even romantic. Then I saw it light up and I knew. I'll be back Paris!
6. Have you ever rode your bike through the streets of The Netherlands after a night out with friends? Actually, have you ever gone bike riding anywhere at any time in the Netherlands? Either way, Amsterdam and the bike filled cities of the Netherlands will surely give you a great experience. It's like heaven for bikes and bike riders... anyway.
7. Go to Berlin. No, stop thinking about it and just do it. This city is a cultural wonderland. Imagine yourself drinking a true German beer, or walking along what is left of the Berlin wall. Visit the many museums and take time talking to the locals. Berlin has a city scene unlike any other and the experience will leaving you wanting more and more.
I apologize for all of the rhetorical questions so far. But please, do all of this and more if you come here. You will see beauty all around you.
8. Food. Yes, I am American. Yes, I do like to eat. Regardless of any of the negative eating connotations that may come with being American, everyone can enjoy true Spanish, Italian, German, Swiss, or foreign meal in general. Best of all you can enjoy it from the comfort of your new friend's kitchen :)
9. You WILL learn the value of language. Honestly, I've had some of the most interesting and meaningful conversations of my life here in Norway. English may be an international language, but I know now that friendship and the help of the word "thing" can bridge any language barrier out their. Also, I find this video about the German language to be hilarious but completely incorrect. Enjoy.
10. You will learn more about your own culture abroad than you probably ever would in American culture classes. I finally know what the youth of the world think about me, my fellow Americans, and the choices we make. I will always remember speaking to Iranian friend about his view of the relationship with the middle-east the west. Did you know that one of the main currencies in Iran is the US dollar. And you thought they all hated us. Shame on you (and me).
11. Family. Please, take another moment to consider what truly matters to you in life. I never realized what my family meant to me until I sat down and though about all they sacrificed for me. I can tell you this much, if you ever hear me yell at my parents again I want you to grab me by the arm and just say "Remember Norway? Yea, apologize now".
12. Scheduling. Okay, I must admit that I have a poor track record when it comes to being punctual. I can say after running to catch my fair share of buses, planes, trains, and more that public transport can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Either way, spend two weeks traveling and you'll practically feel like an official travel professional. At least I did.
13. You can blog! I'm kidding. Blogging is time consuming and my fingers hurt. Okay, now I'm being silly. Number 13 is actually dedicated to the unimaginable amounts of experiences you'll be a part of abroad. As I read my old entries, I find myself realizing more and more that I will never be able to properly put to words what I've been a part of here. Go ahead and read what I write but don't take my word for it. You owe it to yourself to see if first hand.
14. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. I hope I don't sound like some sort of bleeding romantic. Really though, being here made me appreciate so much. Once I pay off the copious amounts of debt that I've accumulated here, I will get to enjoy nights with those who seemed so ordinary in my life back home. Leaving Norway will be hard. I've already come to realize that some of my closest friends will be miles away from me for the rest of my life. But I take comfort in the fact that I can come home to a group of family and friends who seems to be missing me more everyday! (and that, my good readers, is what we call professional brown-nosing)
15. You will use your camera so much less than you planed and that is beautiful. The many things I share with all of you are mere snapshots in a larger album of such a wonderful time. Quite frankly I'm glad for that. I don't try to capture it all because I know that is impossible. In stead I get to live in these moments in the here and now. When I get home, I'm going to ride my motorcycle down a long and empty highway. I'm not going to do anything when I stop, but stare. I'm going to watch the wind slowly blow over the grain filled fields. And as I sit there, I'm going to crack out a smile. Because I took the time to find the world in my life. I did it. I don't want to be harsh here, but I truly cannot explain what awaits you if you just look! The reason I'm telling you this is because I want YOU to do the same. Stop trying to capture everything in 240 characters on twitter. Stop staring at instagram. Quit looking at pictures on Facebook. I want you to go out and watch the snow fall. I want you to see the sun set on a warm weekend's night. I want you to live like I have. It's not my life that captures your imagination. What it is, is the fact that your life is one short step away from being everything you've wanted.
I hope you've all enjoyed this blog. I'm going to let Forest Gump take it away from here. "My mamma always said '"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get'". Take a chance, get rid of that chocolate box guide this Valentine's day and dive in without any regrets. When you do, you might just end up one step closer to the rest of the world.
I hope that everyone enjoyed the last blog entry. Things are changing quickly here as the new semester begins. I have three new roommates. One is from France (Sarah), one is from South Korea (Juhan) and one is from Norway (Mona).
I'd also like to give a shout out to Leah while I can. For those of you looking for another great read about the lives of students living abroad, I suggest reading Leah Black's blog. You can find the link here: http://livingthelifeoflizziemcguire.tumblr.com/
Now, I'm sure that those of you who have been reading up on your Dr. Suess literature know all too well where I stole the title for this blog from. However, I wont be entertaining you with a quaint graduation speech today. Instead I want to show all of you the splendors of Europe, many of which I plan to see before I leave. I can say, with the utmost confidence, that you should- no, you must- see at least one of these places before your grandchildren steal all your money! (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa :])
I'll start with some of the places I've been, and finish with some of the places I hope to go. Let it begin!
Number one: Kjerag
The treacherous climb up a steeply inclined, quite large 'hill' in the rain was well worth seeing this beauty. You betcha. I'd give an arm and a leg to go back to this place. Take a look for yourself on the world wide web, in tourist books, or in a magazine. But be sure to immediately follow up your research with a real life mountain expedition on the western coast of Norway.
Number two: Tromsø
Uffda. This place is amazing. As you travel throughout the outskirts of the small northern city of Tromsø, you will find yourself in pure awe at the surroundings. Tromsø has mountains, lakes, rivers, fjords, dog sledding, northern lights, and a brand of beer only sold in the northern parts of Norway. And let me tell ya what, it's worth every penny in your piggy bank. For real.
Number three: Paris
I'll be darned if I never make it back to Paris again. Honestly, I loved Paris. The greatest thing about the city is probably the strangest thing about it. That 'strange thing' happens to be nothing other than the Eiffel tower. This large metal structure towers over... oh, who am I kidding? You all know what it is. But really, who would have ever thought that sitting in front of a large metal structure could be so breathtaking? Equally great is the fact that everyone around you is in awe. You're all caught up in a moment you'll remember forever and that is great. While you're there, you may as well go to the top to see a view unlike any other.
Number four: Poland
I'm all out of silly Norwenglish sayings, so bear with me here. Poland is a large area to try and narrow down, especially if you've only been to one city like I have. But, I can say this: the flights are cheap, the food is cheap, the beer is cheap, the loddging is cheap, the clothing is cheap.... Once again, you get it. If you're looking for a cheap place to party, with a few large cities then I suggest Poland. The flight I took to AND from Poland was $17. Think about that for a moment. Now think about the fact that a beer in Oslo costs around $15 dollars. Pretty easy choice. (Pictures from the city Poznan)
Places I want to see and will see (and places YOU should considering seeing too!)
Number one: Rome
When in Rome, right? That's right. I plan to live life beyond it's fullest and do as the Romans do. Now, I've heard Rome is essentially a giant museum with gelato. As we all know, the gelato is reason enough to go. But honestly, who doesn't love seeing one of the ancient world's most well know cities? If you answered "me" to that question, may the gods frown upon you. In all seriousness, Rome has a lot to offer. With over 400 km of aqueducts spanning across the city, the great Colosseum, the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and the Catacombs Rome may just be my dream city. I hope to find out soon.
(catacombs)
Number two: Trolltunga- The Troll's Tongue
Trolltunga comes in at a close second to Rome on my list of places I MUST see. Trolltunga is another rock structure located near Odda, Norway. (Southwest Norway) From what I've seen and heard, this massive tongue shaped cliff is a must see here in Norway and I can't wait for the chance to have my breath taken away one more time. I never realized how beautiful the world was until I went hiking throughout Norway. Oh, the things you learn!
Number three: Amsterdam
Now, if you've actually been paying attention to some of my recent blogs, you'll know that I've already been in Amsterdam. BUT, I was only there for around 6 hours and I didn't really get the opportunity to experience the city. However, what I did see was absolutely different. I'm not talking big city different or even Europe different. I'm talking Amsterdam different. I'll spare you the gritty details and say this: Amsterdam is the definition of culture shock. (I don't think that makes as much sense as I think it does, but you get the point)
Number four: Spain
I've decided to choose another country rather than naming a specific city. On paper, Spain has almost everything a tourist could want. Looking for a large city scene to enjoy a party filled weekend? Try Madrid on for size. How about a historic experience filled with castles and more? Try Castillo de Loarre near the French border or Castillo de Gormaz in north- northwest Spain. If this doesn't fancy your liking, you can enjoy the beach scenes along the coast of Spain! Endless opportunity, endless fun for all. ¡Viva España!
