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.
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!!!
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.
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
Location: Iceland

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