Ha det bra, Norway: my semester above the Arctic Circle

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Dear Norway,

Today, this morning, is my last morning here in your little city above the Arctic Circle. These four months have gone by quite quickly haven't they? It has been a very interesting time and first off I want to say thank you for all that you have done for me lately.

You see, I spent some time here being homesick, dreaming of the Mendenhall Towers that I had left behind, and it was only a little while ago that I looked out over at your mountains and felt that same feeling of comfort that the ones in Juneau bring me. You are a truly gorgeous land -- a beautiful place that I feel privileged to have called home for these four months. And you have brought my some hardships, comforted me when I have cried and crumbled feeling empty and alone, made me smile when I hear songs like "Cocoa Cabana" on your local buses, made me cringe as the cold bitter air bit at my ears and froze my nose, and you have made me laugh -- actually, the people I have met here have made me laugh in ways that I have never laughed before.

I've made some beautiful friendships since I have been here, some that I am sure will last a lifetime and others that may fade with the morning's headlines, but were still meaningful at the time. I made my first friend in my roommate who on our first expedition to the store, got lost on the return and beckoned a friendly taxi driver for information on how to find our way back. At the time, we didn't even know the name of our building, our address, or exactly where we were. Ah, what a good moment that was. And then it was the rest of the Americans: Brad, the typical blonde hair blue eyed socialite from Seattle, Libby the hardcore tom-boyish mountain woman, and Leslie the Midwest Plains girl very young in her college career and excited for what life was going to bring. Then it eventually led to more people from different countries as we attended the international student union coffee hours and the food party where we tasted cuisine from all over the world. And for awhile, I felt a little lost in a sea of Norwegian people, feeling a little too isolated and alone. It's amazing the thoughts that goes through one's head when they feel that empty and cut off from their world. I felt as though I was drifting along without anyone noticing me, drifting towards a different planet in a life I didn't understand. And then I met the Russians...

They came in October, at a time when I felt the most alone. And they were exactly the type of friends I needed. All of us formed a tight, close-knit bond that was based upon intellectual conversations and comparing and contrasting our countries ethics, customs, people, and food. And it was perfect for me as these amazing women could read into my daily mood, but they never asked about my past. And I never asked about theirs. It was a close friendship that didn't delve too far into personal details and I liked that. I think we all were a little broken and looking for good people to help put us back together and I found that with them. It wasn't until about two weeks ago that I opened up a bit more to one of them and told her some details of my life, but overall, I don't know much about them and yet I feel closer to them than some of the other people in my life that know everything about me. It's strange and a great feeling! Perhaps it's because we are from different countries. Whatever reason, they became family, my Russian sisters that will always have a place in my heart.

And then the time seemed to just fly by. I learned more of the Norwegian language from our awesome professor, Kit, who taught me that "Kari" (pronounced Car-E) is a VERY Norwegian name and is kind of like the divine woman that everyone envies and wants to be, the true essence of a woman in a name. That made me smile! And there were trips along the way: Bergen with my first 29 hour (one way) train ride, Trondheim (my first solo expedition to take the GRE), Krakow, Poland (with Auschwitz and my first real introduction to the horrors of World War II), London (a place I had always dreamed of and the chance to see WICKED), Copenhagen (to take a picture of the Little Mermaid that my stepfather had also seen in the 1960s), and Stockholm (the city that surprised me with its friendliness, gløgg, and the wonderful roommates I had at the hostel).

And the holidays passed very quickly: Halloween, Thanksgiving which we introduced to our 30 guests, and now the beautiful Christmas markets. And my friendships only continued to build until finals came and then people started to leave. The first goodbye was to the french girl, Marin, and to celebrate, we trekked out to the lake in the dark to watch the Northern Lights and were greeted with a beautiful display. Then half of my Russian family. Then others went, all saying goodbye and leaving some of their collected belongings behind as they waved their farewells. And this week has been full of the most goodbyes. My roommate, the rest of my Russian friends, the Italian from upstairs, the German girl from downstairs, the French people from the other building over, my Japanese friend just a couple days ago, and today...my fellow American, the Switzerland girl, and the Polish Marta from upstairs.

But it's not all bad being the last ones to leave. It's been hard, really hard saying goodbye and being sad all week. But this week has actually been fun. After my last final was over, I just had a lot of time. I spent it preparing to leave, moving downstairs to my Russian friend's apartment so I could check out of my room, shopping, attending a birthday party, and spending a LOT of time playing cards and socializing. And it has actually gone by very quickly. A couple days ago, I went out and had coffee with the Italian Eugenia, the Australian Shirley, and the Japanese girl Tomomi and we entertained each other by taking pictures in a cafe, talking about language, and taking a walk by the water as the snow fell. And last night, Libby and I met Eugenia, Shirley, and the French guy Tivo down at the Glasshuset and we watched Avatar in 3D, my first time watching a 3D movie. It was so much fun. And after was a short stop at "Public," a bar downtown where I struck up a short conversation with a nice Norwegian guy. Ah, I'm going to miss Norwegian men. They're so shy until they get some alcohol in them and then they'll tell you their whole life story. I even talked to one on the bus the other day too, a nice guy that asked about Alaska and commented on Sarah Palin and wished me a Merry Christmas as he smiled and headed out into the cold. Well then last night we said our goodbyes, a traditional Italian kiss-on-each-cheek goodbye from Eugenia and then a big hug from the little Australian. And as I hugged her and said "Goodbye, my little Australian friend. It's sad because you are the only Australian I've ever known" she grabbed my face and said, "You'll know more!" And we said goodbye, telling them if they're ever in America to look me up and if I'm ever in their countries to look them up too. And then it was back here to Høglimyra for a long talk about the future with Libby.

And then today. Today went by very quickly! A little too quickly actually. I said goodbye to the girls upstairs and then was surprised by a knock on the door as Brad and Samsong (the guy that lives with Anna in their apartment that I'm staying in) asked me how to make coffee. My response: "Seriously, boys?" hehe 😊. So I helped them make coffee and we talked about Brad's trip to Amsterdam where the local merchandise was quite interesting -- drugs you buy off the street, weed in the coffee shops, and prostitutes in the windows. Now I see why Brad went! 😊 lol. Then we made dinner together, a combination of all that food that has been dumped upon us as everyone else has left. Our result -- pasta with spinach, garlic, and carbonara sauce and some weird meat stuff. It was actually very good. And now I have been packing and trying to stay awake for the past few hours.

You see Norway, you are 9 hours ahead of Idaho, 10 hours ahead of Alaska, and a 9 hour flight across the Atlantic away from the U.S. It's going to be a LONG day as I make it back to my parent's home at 11:59p.m. local time on this same day so I'm technically just prolonging the day. And I decided to stay awake to help conquer the jet lag. We'll see how it goes. Only two hours until my taxi gets here so I may go for a walk as the crisp air will shock me awake in no time. And so I must say goodbye now, my friend. I like to think that you have become a friend. I have learned about your people, your customs, your ways, and a little bit of your lands. I think there is much more to discover about you, but I am afraid our time is up now. The Jul bells are ringing and beckoning back to my home, the place we call "The Land of the Free" although there is a lot of protest to that. So on this early morning, for one last time, I look out at your starry sky, as a young woman unsure about my future, a little scared to see some familiar faces back in Alaska, but hopeful at what is to come. I feel as though you have helped me find that girl that I let go of so long ago, that girl on Cumberland Island last summer that felt like an island warrior in pursuit of shark teeth with only a small map as my companion. I'm still that girl and I have a lot more of the world to discover and pillage for shark teeth!

Norway: God Jul, Ha det bra vi ses, og Tusen takk!!!!!!! Jeg elsker deg...

~kari, the sharklady

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Comments

[Øystein]

Hi!
It has been interesting to follow your stay in Norway and Bodø, hope everything going well when you are back home. God jul!

[marsha]

farewell to Norway
This is very creative, Kari. .......hmmmmm Whalesong material?

[Nantia Krisintu]

Hi Kari
I think maybe you could weave sharks and writing, kindred spirit of this earth planet. I love your blog! Don't ever stop writing! The world will be deprived if you do- N