Norway

Greetings!
I hope it has not been too very long since my last post. I find it difficult to make time to write blogs, but I do know how incredibly important it is so I hope that you know I am thinking of all of you and wish you could read my thoughts daily so you knew what I was up to. Also, apologies for the lack of photos, but they take forever to load, even on good internet connection. I will try again soon.

I am still in Norway.

Here are some updates up to this point...
We had a couple more days after my last blog post with my family in Jaren, Norway. We really enjoyed getting to see Handball played (something we do not really have in MN), and we got to watch Silje play in the Brandbu Skolekorps. They marched, in uniform and all. Very fun. We were sad to leave Mette and family!

BUT, we had the chance to take a marvelous day-long bus ride to reach the beautiful town of Kjølsdalen, Norway. Kjølsdalen is in the west, and they speak quite a bit different than I have heard before, using Nynorsk instead of Bokmål. Here is the Scandinavian Studies student in me communicating, but Norway has two different types of Norwegian language. Nynorsk is based off of Norwegian dialects (which are numerous, due to the mountain-filled landscape). Dialects and slang vary from village to village, and for me, that was different and an exciting challenge to come across. For example, in Nynorsk they say Eg instead of Jeg(I), and small differences like that. I enjoyed learning to say 'Eg veit ikkje' instead of Jeg vet ikke (which means 'I dont know'...convenient, right?). Anyways...We visited Jostein and Johanne, two wonderfully generous and lively people. We had an amazing stay with them. Highlights for me were having the chance to meet some wonderful people (of course...Sophie talking to new people? Weird), visiting Johanne's family in Åheim, visiting the Gilleshammer farm where my great-great grandfather was born, making Klubb (Google it), Norwegian breakfast, eating Gombe (really, Google it), and herding sheep in the mountains! Jostein has 90 sheep on his farm that go into the mountains and basically get to eat to their heart's content, and then come home in the fall. Steve and I went to get the first batch with him. We successfully made it home with 20, 17 of which were his. Exciting! Steve and I found a really good connection at this place, and we were sad to go, but we were taken to the ferry in Folkestad to be picked up in Volda by Bente and family!

We are currently in Eiksund, Norway. Bente, Jan Ove, Maria, and Simon have been fabulous hosts. They are relatives of relatives (cousins of my Grandpa Green's cousins) and we have really enjoyed our time here! We have been visiting around their home, and have gone numerous places daily. We have been out walking in the Norwegian woods, visited Kvalsvik, Ulstenvik, Hareid, Runde, and visited Fugl Fjell (Bird Mountain...if I wrote that right...and is very popular with German tourists in the summer. Luckily, we chose a ridiculously windy day to visit and were the only ones on the mountains. Did not see and puffins, though!), among other beautiful places. Today we picked apples and were treated to Norsk Eplekake (apple cake...yum!). I cannot believe we have already been here 5 days and have to travel tomorrow.

ALSO, we learned of a huge mistake I made...Tyttebær are not cranberries, like I thought and was told, but are lingonberries! Which makes them much better to eat now. Just so you know.

I am really surprised at how similar Norway feels to home. Maybe the huge Scandinavian population, or the geography, or the fact that I went to a Norwegian, Lutheran college have something to do with it, but I really, really, love it here. I guess finding my roots is also important, and I am very grateful to have the ability to meet and visit my family across and around the world.

We will be making a brief stop in Trondheim, Norway tomorrow night on our way to Jarpen, Sweden to visit relatives of my maternal grandmother's. I met some of them 10 years ago when I toured with the Svenskarnas Dag choir there, but it will be very exciting to see them again!

Best thought of the day so far...I will be home in time to see the Concordia Christmas Concert in Minneapolis ( I get back the day before)! I didn't realize how much I missed it until I realized how excited I got about that notion.

I will put up more of anything as I can! I really appreciate everyone who is reading and staying in contact...it keeps me going on a daily basis!