One question which I am asked frequently is: "Was it harder to leave the US to go to Norway or leave Norway for the US?" I always answer without hesitation - it was harder to leave Norway. Unless a person has been in the situation, they wouldn't understand. In one year I basically created an entirely new life for myself. I learned a new language in a matter of months, I had a family that I loved, friends that I was with all the time, and I felt like part of the community. I was "Rebecca the Norwegian". Leaving that life was, in some ways, necessary, but if I could have stayed and didn't have my senior year of high school I would have stayed to finish high school there and possibly even attend university there. I had the best year of my life and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world.
I told this and a little more about my experience to the 10 students I met yesterday who were en route to Norway for a year. I loved talking to them and I love talking about my amazing year. People in El Segundo are a little sick of hearing about my year abroad and the excitement of me coming home has kind of warn off, so being able to talk to 10 people that were completely enthusiastic and excited to live in Norway for a year was just what I needed. I talked with them for nearly 2 hYours about just about everything under the moon. I talked about life, friends, family, school, food, clothing, and some more details. I also brought two of my children's dictionaries with me to show them some phrases and an atlas to show where I lived and where they were going to live. I also brought pictures of some of the highlights of my year. The more I shared with them it seemed the more excited they got, which, in turn, made me want to hop the flight with them back to Norway.
I even met one girl who will be attending the same school as I did last year, and may possibly even be in the same class. I thought that was kind of funny, that out of all of Norway one of the exchange students would go to the same school and be in the same class.
Anyway, I had a blast doing that, but it only made me want to come back to Norway even more...........
No comments:
Post a Comment