General Overview : I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!
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| Flying over Iceland. |
I am currently on the
plane flying back to America (flying over Iceland now to be exact) and there
are so many topics I can discuss in this blog about the trip, BUT I think I
will save some and write a little at a time so I can have topics to write about
aside from wedding planning and the moving process.
I
told Arild just the other day that there are many many many more similarities
between USA and Norway than there are differences. Aside from the 3 major
differences: language, currency and politics; the differences are minor.
I
will say that I absolutely love the country! I find the country very quiet,
serene and comforting. This trip was great and better than expected. I wasn’t
really surprised by any of it aside from how beautiful the scenery is. I was
expecting a lot of nature, but wow, it just takes my breath away and leaves me
speechless. It is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve been
reading about Norway and doing research since I’ve met Arild, so nothing came
as a surprise to me really.
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| My last Norwegian sunrise. |
Unfortunately,
I didn’t get a chance to encounter my own perspective of the general
temperament of the people. Arild tried to get me to talk to strangers on many
occasions so I could experience this, but he had no luck with my willingness to
cooperate. J
Maybe one day I can break out of this shell and talk to strangers in English! I
of course did talk to his parents and to his friends a bit during this trip,
but that doesn’t count! J I have become more comfortable speaking
Norwegian and trying to pronounce words around Arild. Before, this made me a
bit shy and I was afraid Arild would laugh or make fun of me or even look down
on me for teaching me his language. I was proven wrong of course as he just
“melts” when I attempt Norwegian.
One interesting question Arild’s father asked
me when we were visiting the other day was, “Is the scenery more open in
Kentucky?” I have a hard time with this question because I think it’s a bit of
both. We certainly don’t have large populations of people living around one
another because you can drive along the roads and not see a house (singular)
for miles. In Norway, most live along the coastline and the middle of the
country has a lot of mountains. However, Kentucky’s land is mostly used for
farming, at least the part where I’m from. The Eastern side of Kentucky is
mostly mining. So yes, we do have more open spaces, but it is occupied with
farming, but Norway has more “untouched” land. Never have I seen trees so tall
you have to strain your neck to look at them! I absolutely love that! Ah, it’s
such a beautiful place!!!
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| My last sight of Norway. |
I
was also asked by Einar (Arild’s dad) what I’m going to miss about Kentucky.
During the trip all I missed right then and there was my cat, but she will be
living with us when I move in May. Of course I’ll miss my family, that’s a
given answer, but I won’t go into that here and now. I don’t think I could
properly answer this question then although I’ve thought and thought about it
before and other than family I don’t think I’ll miss much really. I’m not very
“Kentuckian” myself so this makes it easier. I do think I’ll miss seeing our
old worn down barns and corn fields and lightning bugs. Warm summer rain and
the sound of locusts and the fourth of July. Thanksgiving as well. I do think
Kentuckians generally are more friendly and helpful towards people. I
experienced more culture shock during 5 hours in New Jersey than a week in
Norway when it comes to this aspect of people! For example, several people in
Kentucky offered to help an elderly woman in a wheelchair. They were strangers,
didn’t know her at all, but offered to help. When waiting in New Jersey after
being spoken to rudely a couple of times and bossed around, I complained in a
text to Arild, “UGH!!! People are so damn rude here!!!” I decided to look at
the general public and I kept an eye out for people in wheelchairs just to see
if any stranger would stop and ask the person if they could help them. Never
once did that happen in New Jersey.
I
also think I will really miss American voices. Of course there’s American TV
shows and talking to family on Skype, but just being out and about and hearing
American voices and Kentucky accents I think I will miss after living in Norway
for a while. Overall, I think I will be very okay with the move, I think I will
adjust well to life in Norway and I do actually think I’ll like it better there
than Kentucky for many reasons, but I do expect to get homesick. Arild and I
have discussed this thoroughly and we do realize it probably will happen and
we’ve decided to take some precautionary measures if it ever becomes
unmanageable. Family of course will be the biggest part of my missing America.
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| Last goodbye! THANKFULLY!!! |
I
did manage to have a scare over losing my passport during this trip. After
searching for it and nearly destroying the bedroom, searching the living room
and kitchen and bathroom even, we were almost certain we’d have to call the
American embassy, but we decided it would be best to go out to the car to
search and after looking in the glovebox, I found it. J Arild told me he is well aware of my
unorganization and is prepared for things like that to occur in the future.
Lastly,
while it’s on my mind and I’m certainly not in the emotional form to write
about this in depth now, but this was the last goodbye for us. That’s a
relieving thought in some sense. 109
days of waiting now and it’s done. On the way to the airport this morning he
and I were talking about this and we both agree that we’d certainly not
recommend a long-distance relationship to anyone, but this has given us a much
different perspective of our relationship being in this situation and I do in
some ways think that’s beneficial. May 10th is approaching and we
will realize that the light at the end of the tunnel is NOT a train afterall. J
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