Back home & Reflecting on a wonderful Life....

The past 4 months have been truly crazy and some of the best experiences I've had. I made really good friends, and filled my days with joy before the holidays. With everything that is going on back home, I"m glad to be back, however I'm so happy to have a wonderful support system in Norway. I cannot wait to return back to Evenstad and see some of the best friends I've made! My sister even remarking she's never seen me fit into a place so well before. My last night in Norge, going around and giving hugs to people. Even my Norwegian men giving me hugs, and myself on the brink of tears as these solitary men showed me that they cared. It was so beautiful to make such good friends. There are so many stories, I don't think I have time to put them here, but memories do fade, so I will try. The morning I took the train back home, the snow fell thick and fluffy as a last goodbye. Norwegians live simply, not needing much to live off of. They care for one another, and I never worried about anything being stolen. I learned to needlebound (nålbinding) the viking way of knitting in which you create individual knots. I learned to make true Norwegian dishes, and created an Evenstad family in which I do not ever hope to forget. PIctures tend to say more than I can, so I will post some now: May they speak thousands more words than I can right now: 

 

(download)

Oncoming Jule and business.

Its been crazy these last few weeks! My sister came to visit me for 2 weeks, in which we had American Thanksgiving here at Evenstad with my Norwegian family I've created here. Then we went to Berlin to see Ex-pat Chas Elliot and celebrate the good old fashion Montanan way of doing Thanksgiving :) It was really nice to have a little bit of home in Europe. We explored Berlin for a week, before returning here again to Norge. I can't believe time has slipped by so fast, didn't I just get here? I love it so much here, it will be hard to leave. Here are a few pictures of What i've been up to :) 

Img_0406
Img_0234
Img_0239
(download)
Img_0341

Big City Adventure

I spent the entire weekend away from Evenstad, and ventured to Hamar! It was so nice to see Linn and Kristine, and surprisingly nothing went wrong on the train! I also did some shopping, as well as many new norwegian traditions! I had Grandiosa (Norske College student staple pizza), and Fiske-boller and potets! It was delicious! I also tried the caviar on eggs, and mackrel for breadfast on brød skrive! It was fun to explore a new place, and to hang out! Starting to get Christmas fever, they had Jule Brus, and Jule Marizipan (Christmas Soda and Christmas marizipan) and of course I had to buy it! ;) Not to mention quite the pampering of massages and makeovers! I love that Concordia has let us unite once more! 

A lot of reports...dogs...stats...and Norske

Things have been busy here lately! Getting a lot of reports done for classes, and a lot of R statistics! Also, I have been busy dog-sitting ! All the guys on the floor are going Moose hunting and I volunteer to take care of many dogs! I love that there are dogs on campus! 

The other night we played Monopol (Monopoly in Norwegian), practicing counting and our norwegian pronounciation! I wish we had more norwegian class, honestly. I really want to learn this language faster. My friend and I have been meeting and practicing together at the table, with help from my Norwegian flatmates to learn! I'm so lucky to be living in Annestu, living with many people to practice my norwegian with! 

Its been a kind of lazy weekend here! But a milestone, learning to drive a stick shift! which I am terrible at, because I am so impatient I just want to be good at driving a stick right away. My friend and I are trading skills, cause I taught her how to bake bread, then she showed me driving! She had a LOT of patience for me, where I had none...We shall try again next weekend :) 

Time is flying by here~ I felt like I just got here, and its been quite a while here! Planning trips to Oslo, Russia, Poland, we shall see! Making new friends, creating memories, and enjoying life! 

Dåp: Baptism at Evenstad

Tuesday was the Baptism at Evenstad! I am officially an Evenstad rabbit! The new students had to do a few tests before we were Baptized in the River Glomma. We had to spell ANNE with our bodies (after Anne Evenstad), run around like Norwegian animals, do a relay of running and spinning around a picture, run to and from the garbage cans (5 of us) where our feet were all hooked together, and make a song about the librarian Sarah! Then we all went down to the river and were Baptized, certificate and ALL! Then we proceeded to go into the hot tub and sauna for the next hour, then celebrate in Biotopen, in which I danced straight for hours!!! What a great night, I must say. It was so much fun to be apart of this campus this week. I wish I had a few pictures, but then again, I'm glad I didn't. Now at the end of the week, we are going to celebrate with an international dinner!! I'm going to make "Muddy Buddies," or as my mother calls Puppy Chow. Either that or mac and cheese, but I fed everyone that before Baptism, so we shall see. I must make a decision in an hour.... I feel so at home in this building, like we are all one big family! It makes it easier everything going on back home, and all the struggles my family has gone through, and the improvement too! Life is (truly) good! 

A month in Norway

This week it will be a month since I've been here. Time sure does fly when you are having fun! I'm already sad to say goodbye to everyone in December, even as its far off. I've never felt so at home at a campus as I've felt here. Tonight I danced, played cards, and went to the sauna. Even a little more practice in norwegian! This is the best dorm ever. Tomorrow marks another norwegian milestone at Evenstad, the Baptism, called Dåp! Its an honored tradition here on campus, in which new students become true Evenstad Rabbits, through a series of tests including jumping in the Glomma behind my dorm! Then hopping into the hot tub and Sauna, along with other activities the Norwegian and older students put the new ones through. Quite fun, and I am excited for it! There have been secretive meetings in the kitchen for weeks, and everytime I am shooed away, being a first year student. Hopefully the sickness from this weekend will be finished, and I will be baptized as a true Evenstad rabbit tomorrow! 

I've attached a picture of the Glomma! 

Img_0157

National Park!

(download)
Last weekend we went to the national park! It was so beautiful there, I could've said for hours, maybe days longer! The cabin was fully stocked, and we got water from the river to drink and cook everything we needed. The water tasted very, very good! The cabin was cozy, and we were all so tired after the hike. I had loads of pasta, and then we all went to bed. I was also shown was a "steamroller," is, and the proper way to do it. (For those of you, like me, don't know what it is, steamroller is when you have multiple people in sleeping bags and you roll on top of each other....). The group was a mix of international students from Germany, Switzerland, France, and so many other countries. I was one of two from the United States, the other girl being from California (very different, but its fun to have someone who knows the US.) The park was beyond beautiful, it felt like I was in a dream, and I didn't want to wake up from the awe inspiring peaks and mountainous landscapes. I will post some pictures below. We also came up close and personal to muk ox, which kind of remind me of a smaller version of bison, only made for the arctic climate. The weather throughout the hike was perfect, being chilly but comfortable when you are exercising and hiking. I came back to the dorm sore, happy, and relaxed. Then this week we were thrown into a vigorous class with a teacher from Poland, analyzing fox feces. It was nice to have my norwegian lesson today, something that doesn't make me want to gag from the smell. I will master norwegian, and finally be able to understand the conversation at the table with my flat mates! 
(download)

First international Event

25 or so of us will embark on an adventure today! One ofNorway's national parks! Camping and hiking trip! YAY! I've been told to bring warm clothes, and I've on around 6 layers, so I should be fine! 6 hours of hiking to the cabin, then 6 hours tomorrow to return! Reminds me of science seminar days of 12 hours of hiking :) Pictures to come of Beautiful Norge! 

Img_0108

Elverum tomorrow!

Class seems prestty fun, I must say! The teacher always asks me the "english pronunciation," of words. I even found someone who knows Concordia students, and their awesome reputation for being SO WONDERFUL! I played cards with the guys on the floor, meeting new people, trying to catch as many norwegian words as possible! I had my first Norge class today, and I know how to introduce myself, and other 4-year old simple phrases! Lots of practice, right? I'll write some here :) 

Jeg Heter Sara, Hva Heter du? Jeg Kommer du USA! Jeg liker å synge, gå tur, and lese! 

My name is Sara, whats your name? I'm from the USA! I like to sing, take a stroll, and read! (rough translation) 

Good, yes? haha! Must practice! 

Tomorrow all of the international students will go and get our visas to stay in Norge! I'll be honest, sometimes I don't want to leave, however I also miss my friends at Concordia! Double edged sword, right? I've been told when we go to Elverum, bring a large backpack and get food! Its cheaper there, than it is here. There's a convience store down the road, and its very pricy even for Norway. I spend twenty dollars USD on stuff that would've been maybe 7.5 USD. I'll never complain about the prices of food again, thats for sure. I'll be living on crackers and cheese and tomatoes until tomorrow ;) 

My neighbor acrosss the hall and I realized today that we chose the right dorm (if we had a choice that is,) and we are glad for our welcoming neighbors and soon-to-be friends! I'm on the most social floor there is, and everyone here feels like family! I love to hear them go off in norwegian and try to catch words now! So much fun! They also like to curse in English, too funny! The weather here is gorgeous too. Its cooler than the summer weather, which I absolutely adore! The other international students are mainly from germany, and they don't like this weather. but it feels like fall in the mountains. I'd say its the perfect temperature. The african students do not like it at all. I met a portugeuse guy that also complained, but honestly, temperatures here are like that of Moorhead! Right, cobbers?

 

Takk, ha det bra! (Thanks, have a good one! goodbye!) 

Img_0097
Img_0111
Img_0115

Img_0104
Img_0110

Finally in Norway!

Img_0078
This is the view from my window at the dorm! Its so beautiful here! Its been raining all day, but I've been going to orientations, and other stuff, meeting all the people here! Its so great! Got a little lost on the way to campus, but Eh, could be worse, right? Now to get back and recover from jetlag! 

Posterous theme by Cory Watilo