Happy New Year! The thing about the special dates of the year is that they make me think. Never a good thing... hehe. Time flies by so quickly, even when it doesn't feel that way. Even though I do like this blogging thing, I'm not sure if I'll ever figure out how to do it well. The thing is that when I have something interesting to say/blog about I either forget or I'm too busy. I am willing to make an effort again though, and try to make it interesting.
First, how about some reminiscing? It's been a while now, so I'll try to be brief... right...
I wish I could have published another post before I left the US, but I guess I'll just be able to give a picture in retrospect. Not very accurate, but there you go.
Just over New Year's, last year, my uncle took my aunt, cousin, his friend and me on a boat trip. I can't say I know a lot about boats, let's say I never found my sea legs, but that boat is fancy. With six TVs, sonar system to analyse the sea bottom and plenty of horsepower, that is not empty praise. I was even allowed to seer it for a while and crawl out to the bow stand there with the wind of a seeding boat in my face, kind of Titanic moment - without the romance... The really fun part was seeing all the bird life. I don't think I've seen so many birds at once before, and I don't think I can name even half of them. I'm not very familiar with birds, but I know I saw pelicans, small storks and what I think was a hawk (one of my favourite bird species).
When I arrived back in South Carolina, I was surprised to fin that it was below freezing outside. Luckily I had asked my parents to bring my winter coat when they came to visit for Christmas. We were supposed to start school the next day, but the weather forecast predicted snow, and classes were cancelled. Yup, "cancelled due to hazardous weather". I wasn't sure how to react to that... Here in Norway, we would never cancel classes because of snow - unless it was really, really cold. The snow came... well, we got about two inches of snow. Hazardous? HA! The really funny thing is that classes were cancelled for the next two days as well... Three days of for a couple of inches of snow.
My second semester at Winthrop was actually quite an improvement to the first. I believe I had figured out the ropes, as they say. The fact that I also could make my own schedule played a significant part as well. I was especially happy to take music classes again, though they were simpler than what I was used to from upper secondary school at home. The Americans do love giving multiple-choice tests. The other subjects I chose were also quite interesting: psychology, nutrition and fiction writing.
Advice to future Norwegian exchange students in the US: Choose simple classes and classes you have competence in for the first semester and the more difficult ones for the second. Travelling abroad is absolutely recommended. Do it while you can!
After being ten moths away from home - and not just from home, but from my own country - I have definitely felt the saying "home is where your heart is" in my bones. I made sure to get back before the seventeenth of May - nothing could keep me from home on Norway's national day. I would never let a chance to wear my bunad (Norwegian national costume) pass me by.
Coming back, it almost feels like I never left. Things are pretty much as they used to be. Now that I have been home for over half a year, my year abroad almost seems like a dream. One thing I can say with certainty: it was definitely an experience that I have grown from. I believe I have achieved my goal: improving my English and adapt to a different culture.
I know I said that little had changed when I came home. Truth, with some modifications. I have become a godmother over the few moths I have been back, a very proud one. One of my best friends got a beautiful little boy this summer and I hope he is prepared to be spoiled. A part of me is undeniably jealous of her for having a man and baby, but mostly I could not be happier for her. Seeing that she has the things I want in life, I feel hopeful that it might happen for me as well.
So, here I am hopeful for the future and nervously anticipating what is to come.
May God watch over us and may we listen to His guidance.
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