It's been gettin' crazy here!

Hello again!

What an adventure the past two weeks have been! I will do my best to put to word what I've seen since my last entry. To help, I'll also attach some wonderful pictures:) (Not all of the pictures are mine, so I will give credit where credit is due, naturally) 

Even though it has been about two weeks since my last entry, I will spend the majority of my time talking about the 13th through the 15th of September. During that time a group of sixteen friends (including me) headed out to the coast of western Norway. We left Thursday morning in three separate cars, each rented for the weekend, and four other girls went by train. It was around a 7 hour car ride. the car ride was actually really fun. But, of course, we all had our hiccups. Two cars would leave for the area of Stavanger at 9 am. The third car would leave at 12. Unfortunately for the third car, which was my car, we were late by around four hours to pick up our car. The pick up time was scheduled for 8 a.m. and we didn't arrive until 12 p.m. So, you can already tell that my bad luck does in fact follow me wherever I go. No worries though, we ended up finding another car from the same service within 30 minutes. Once, we got on the road, we managed to stay relatively on track and we arrived in Sandnes at around 8 p.m. Again, we found trouble. We had no navigation system to lead us to the cabins where we would spend our night. So, after a long and slightly frustrating game of cat and mouse, the others found us and we headed back to the cabins.

The next morning, the real adventure started. We headed out for the beautiful Preikestolen over looking the Lysefjord. It was amazing, to say the least! The hike was relatively easy, but fairly steep at certain parts. After leading a fearless expedition up the mountain...from the very back of the line... my friends and I reached the top. It was a view I will never forget. Below, you can see a picture of me with my roommates from the side of Preikestolen. (Picture by Claudia Koening)

The view here was almost indescribable. The cliff edge forms a square. You can see in the picture below what the view of the ledge is like from above.

The view of the fjord was equally beautiful. In the picture below, you can see the fjord creeping it's way through the mountains to reach the base of Preikestolen. Even though you don't see the actual cliff face, you do gain an idea of how long and wide the water stretched. 

The weather was fairly nice on our way up Preikestolen even though it may look cloudy. We headed home that night exhausted from the climb and decided our plan for the next day. Unfortunately, our trip was somewhat spoiled by a lack of planning on all of our parts. We took only three cars, which would sit 15 people for a group of 16. That night the group had decided that it would split up. One group of 5 would take a boat tour of the fjord just around Preikestolen. The other 11 decided to head to Kjerag, a mountain made famous for it's breathtaking view and dare-devilish photo site. Instead of cramming 11 people into two very small cars, we decided to rent a third car. Realistically, we should have done this from the beginning. So, on the second day we headed to Kjerag. Sarah Brenkman, one of my roommates, did a wonderful job leading our group through a lot of the trip to Kjerag. From finding out how hard the hike was, to figuring out how the group could travel to Kjerag. With out her, a lot of the plans we had may never have happened. It's great to have someone around who takes time to care and plan for the group. I think we all help in our own way, but in my opinion she has really stepped up. But, I can brown-nose more later. 

We finally left for Kjerag, rain, wind and all the next morning. To be honest, I was nervous about climbing the mountain. I had a ridiculous rain pancho that was far too small for me and I had never truly climbed any mountain. Those from around our parts know that it is pretty flat back home. So, as the group went on, I did my best to keep up. The rain made a lot of the rock slippery, but thanks to chains running up the majority of the mountain, climbing to the top was possible. 

I don't think I ever saw anything as beautiful as Kjerag. It took my breath away. Truly, I can't even come close to what I saw. So, I'm going to leave the description to the few pictures I was able to take on the way up and at the top. Enjoy.

Kjerag near the top

Kjerag near the top

Panoramic view of valley

Kjerag again

The big rock in the center is famous... you'll see why at the end! Keep reading ;)

The way down... not really 

Water behind Kjerag

I loved this waterfall

Here is the actual way we went down. Just kidding mom, I wasn't that crazy!

 Hopefully those picture did some justice to the trip we made to Kjerag. Now, if you all remember, I mentioned earlier that Kjerag was pretty famous for its dare-devilish photo spots. It truly was one of the best places to take crazy pictures from. So, just to scare my family I thought I would share the following. Please sit down if you already aren't mom.

Trust me, you didn't want to fall off.

I'm not scared...

And to think I made it home alive

Look at that smile!

Hope you all miss me as much as I miss you!

Stay in tuned for more Adventures of Norway!

I like that ending... Its like I have a tv show or something.

It's been awhile.

Hello again,

I apologize for how long it has been since my last entry. I'm sure you've all been sitting at home waiting anxiously to here another breath-taking adventure from far across the ocean. So, I won't delay this train any longer. 

The last week and five days have been just as fun, if not more, than anything I've experienced. My classes are in full swing now and I have no complaints thus far. I am taking Norwegian 1 for international students, Intro to Norwegian Life and Society and Objects and Identities in the Viking Age. As you can tell, my plate is full of Norwegian goodness! The course on Objects and Identities in the Viking Age is by far the most challenging course.

As for all my free time here, I've been spending it wisely! I went to a lake on the 24th with my friends. The view here is absolutely stunning. There are over 400,000 lakes in Norway so it is easy to find some secluded and peaceful water. The next day, we went to the ocean shore off of Oslo. We arrived at a small island and hung out at the shore for the day. Now, if you're ever going to go swimming in Norway, you should read this next sentence carefully; Norway's beaches have no sand. Why is that important? Well, if you want to keep your feet from being sliced open, then you had better bring some sandals. Norway: One, Brent: Zero.

The next week went by in a relatively quick flash and before we knew it, the weekend was upon us. The majority of my friends and I signed up for a cabin trip sponsored by the Erasmus Student Network. (It's a European thing) The trip was awesome! The walk up was a brutal up hill walk but it was well worth it. When we arrived, you could look out onto miles of trees and hills. On the other side of the hill, at the foot of a small cliff, lied a pretty large lake. The water is always cold here, but, in my opinion, it has yet to be too cold. The cabin trip lasted one night and consisted of a lot of dancing, pictures, games, and plenty more. It will certainly be a night I will never forget.

I guess that's all I've got. Don't miss me too much, America. ;)

-Brent

The struggles of living alone

Hello everyone! 

I hope you all haven't missed reading of my adventures here too badly! 

I have spent the last few days doing relatively nothing haha. What I have done, has been a struggle. It all started on Monday. I decided I would be a big boy and go find a store to buy some hiking shoes. So, I went to google maps, looked up the store I wanted and head out. Little did I know that I am horrible with directions...actually I already knew that. Anyway, I arrived at my destination, Majorstuen, and got off the Metro. I had been to this store earlier in the week, but really, I was just following a group not paying attention. When I got off the train I did the only logical thing I could do. I decided I would head down a random street and ask someone where I was. Great idea, right? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I spent, oh I don't know, one hour looking for a store that was supposedly "down the street on the right hand side". Yeah, either that was a lie or I'm blind. (I'm probably just blind)

After about an hour of walking, I decided to give up and search another day. Now, if you know me well, you'd know that my troubles didn't end here. Today, I went to my first class! And guess what? I got lost. I spent another HOUR looking for a building about a quarter of a mile away from the rest of campus. Lame! I was only about 5 minutes late for class. Yes, I was smart enough to leave early so I could find my class. No, I was NOT smart enough to find it the day before. So, tomorrow I will try to find both my class room and the shoe store all over again. Don't hold you breath. 

Aslo, I had a hot dog the other day. It was amazing. I miss you, American food. I miss you a lot. 

That's all I got. Hope you have a better day than I did!

Brent 

Just my luck

Hello again,

I'd like to start this blog by saying that today was a pretty good day despite the title above. Last night I went to my first night club and so I slept in pretty late. It felt good to sleep like I would in America haha. After I woke up, I made omelets for my roommates. They were pretty darn good if I do say so myself. We have been cooking almost all of our meals from scratch and they have been great. I remember a fellow coach of mine telling me that they had a lot of dried cereal when they studied abroad and I was so afraid I would be eating the same! haha

So, now that I have told all of you the ever so interesting subject of what I eat here, I will move on. After eating "breakfast" I went to the gym with some friends. It will be great to be sore tomorrow hahaha. And so, after all of this, I have finally reached the subject which is the blog title. When I got home from the gym I decided that I was going to cut my hair. As I started my hair clippers, I noticed it was very loud. But, of course, I kept going. Then, it died. It just stopped shaving. Right in the middle of the whole process. Just. my. luck. All in all, it ended up okay because my roommate Sarah was able to continue the cutting process with a scissors. It looks pretty darn good thanks to her!

Well, there isn't much else to say. My classes start tomorrow and I will continue to write in my blog for those interested.

Good bye for now!

Brent

Oh the money you spend...

Hello all,

I first have to announce that I actually live with a Dutch girl, NOT A FINN...the caps was for you Sarah.

Anyway, I hope you have not missed me too much haha! I am having a blast here! But, at the same time, I am ready to SLOW DOWN. The biggest problem with Norway is how expensive it is! I have spent around $500 since I left America. Now, to my mom and dad, please don't freak out! I've bought towels, a pillow, blankets, food, outlet converters(mine didn't work) and some other common college necessities. In all reality I haven't quite spent that much because I have around $150 in cash on me soooo it's not too bad.

My classes are starting this week and I am pretty excited! I am taking three courses, allowing myself more time to travel as I continue my adventure here is Norway. Talk about a tough semester huh? I have to travel all over Europe, meet so many new people, enjoy something most people dream of AND I have to take three classes. It's a hard knock life for this American. For real though, I am having so much fun! I could never have done this without the wholehearted support of my parents! So, here's a shout-out to the greatest parents ever! Love you Mom and Dad! Also, I owe a lot to my Cousin Ina, my Grandparents on both sides, my sister and her boyfriend Andrew for there gifts, and everyone who has supported me! I couldn't be here without you all. But, back to the true subject of my blog: me! (Just kidding...Sort of)

I have seen a lot in the last two days! Yesterday, I went to the Akerhus castle in Oslo. It was AWESOME!! My history senses were tingling like crazy! It was probably one of the coolest places I've ever been. I want to go back and take an audio tour so I can learn more about the castle. As for today, we went hiking. It was a pretty easy hike, but the view was beautiful! Then, we went swimming in a very, very cold lake.

So, now you know all about my life. Until I write again,

Good bye!

Hatt det bra!

Brent

Hello again,

It has been an exciting first few days in Norway! I have grown somewhat used to the set up of the metro system and I am learning more every day. Site seeing is almost a constant occurrence for me here in Oslo. I went to see a museum on a small island just off the coast of the fjord. On the island, there was a choice of 4 different museums. I went to see the cultural museum. Inside, you were able to look into the traditional past of Norwegian life. The Museum was an open air museum with Norwegian houses, animals, gardens and more. The highlight of the whole trip was.....traditional Norwegian lefse!!!! It was different, but good.

As classes approach, students, including myself, have been busy attending meetings, locating classrooms and more. I will soon know if I received a seat in my classes and if I did I can then buy my books.

I am truly having a great time here! I am trying to conserve my money however I can haha. Things are not as expensive as I expected. A package of sliced cheese is somewhere between 3-4 U.S. dollars, so it isn't too bad. I think the part that scares people is the exchange difference. For example, the same cheese is listed 27 Nok. which seems like a ridiculous price to Americans and most Europeans. Most students are used to a price of 2-5 dollars and Euros for the same product, so, it can be confusing. I will upload some more pictures to Facebook today. If you want to contact me, feel free!

Miss you all,

Brent

First few days

Hello all! 

This is the moment you have all been waiting for! My first entry is finally here, so put your seat belts on and get ready for an adventure. 

My first few days here have been a true adventure. I spent about 14-18 hours on a plane or in an airport on August 8th-9th. Once I arrived in Oslo I waited for a rather...poorly conducted pickup service. They did enough to show me how to get a train. They did little to tell me how to get to my student village. I ended up at the wrong place (typical me) and then had to ride back to another village. After walking up about 6 hills too many I finally ended up at my flat....on the 7th floor...with no elevator:( Minnesota and North Dakota have not prepared me for the hills here! 

After arriving to my flat I met my 5 fellow flat mates: Claudia, Marius, Nina, Sarah and Viola. Three of them are German, one is from the Checz republic and one is Finnish. Later that night we went to an Ikea store, Norway's walmart, and bought some household essentials. My friends laughed at me because I was so tired from the long day and I was sleeping on the bus home haha.

The next day we went on a tour of the city and bought some groceries from the market in downtown Oslo. Then, we invited some fellow students over to hang out. After that we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for a dance party. It was fun but VERY expensive. I wont do that much! Today I will hopefully figure out if I can get a cheap phone plan to make emergency calls while in Norway. After that I may tour the city some more. 

I will make another entry tomorrow. Miss you all! 

Brent