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Since the last time I posted I did a Norway Farewell Tour with my parents and brother and packed and cleaned my apartment to leave. I write this post from the plane that brings me to Colorado!

• Sunday, 14 June cleaning and packing my apartment in Halden
• Monday, 15 June last day of my Fulbright contract! Did some writing, Fulbright work. Cleaned and packed my apartment in Halden. Checked in with one of the co-editors on a manuscript I’m writing with some Rover mates for Communicare. 
• Tuesday, 16 June went to Oslo Gardermoen (airport) to meet my parents and brother for the beginning of my farewell tour! They dropped me off in Norway 11 months ago, so this was going to be a nice bookend to my time in Norway. Met up with them at the airport, got a bite, and then we boarded a flight to Bodø!
• Wednesday, 17 June woke up early in Bodø and picked up the rental car. Then waited in the standby line for the ferry to  Moskenes (Lofoten Islands). Picked up fish sandwiches at Sild og Salmon and then spent a couple leisurely hours road tripping (about 2.5 hours) to our airbnb in Solvær! We arrived in the land of the midnight sun! The Lofoten Islands are magical.
• Thursday, 18 June went to the Lofotr Viking Museum today! Built on the site of one of the largest excavated Viking longhouses. We learned how the artifacts were found and excavated, saw the museum of the artifacts, walked to the water and saw and took a sail on a replica of a Viking ship!, threw axes, shot a bow and arrows (that was super fun). Learned a lot about the Vikings! Drove to Henningsvær to see what’s claimed as the most beautiful football pitch. Had a delightful seafood supper at Fiskekrogen.
• Friday, 19 June Happy Juneteenth! Had breakfast and then headed to Galleri Espolin. Kaare Espolin Johnson Espolin was an artist from North Norway and created stunning and haunting prints about the people of the North. I had been here briefly during our Hurtigruten cruise, and wanted to come back to spend more time. Then we drove back to Moskenes for the Ferry back to Bodø. Once arrived, we charged and returned the rental car and then got a late supper. But we were still above the Arctic Circle so the sun wasn’t setting so what did it matter lol
• Saturday, 20 June early flight to Oslo and then on to Trondheim! While we were walking to our hotel I ran into a professor I worked with from NTNU! That was fun! Small city! Small country! Dropped off our stuff and took transit to Nidaros Cathedral. I was hoping to see the inside, but we were too late to enter for the organ recital. I keep missing seeing the inside of this Cathedral. Next time. Had lunch at Sellanraa, right next to Trondheim’s literature house. Then walked around Trondheim and made a trip to Uff! My brother and I found amazing Norwegian sweaters! He got a traditional Marius design and I found a 1994 Lillehammer Dale of Norway sweater that I have been eyeing for the better part of three months!
• Sunday, 21 June boarded a Havila boat (would totally recommend Hurtigruten over Havila) to Bergen! Walked around the boat, had lunch, dropped our stuff off in our rooms, watched the beautiful scenery. We walked around Kristiansund when the boat docked there and saw the clip fisk woman and haddock boy. Back to the boat for more scenery and dinner. I’m glad I had my new Norwegian sweater on the boat!
• Monday, 22 June had breakfast, checked out of our rooms, relaxed on the boat and took in the scenery. Lunch. Pulled into Bergen! Picked up the keys to our airbnb, checked in, and rested before heading to summer at Banzha!
• Tuesday, 23 June fjord tour today! Woke up early to catch the train to Flåm. Walked around Flåm while waiting for our boat. There was a museum of the famous Flåm Railway and had a picnic lunch. Then our fjord cruise of the Nærøyfjord. This is one of Norway’s most famous fjords and it was breathtaking. Outside Lofoten, one of the most beautiful places I have been in Norway this year. Took the bus back to Bergen, walked around the bryggen and had supper at a new Thai restaurant, Piman. It was delicious.
• Wednesday, 24 June woke up early to drop off my parents and brother at the Bergen airport. I had to run 10k so took transit back until I was about 10k out and then ran back. It was so fun! Showered and packed up. Dropped off the key and put my luggage in storage. Wandered around a book store, then met up for lunch with some new teacher educator friends from one of the Bergen universities I taught at this year. Tried to go to the leprosy museum, but there wasn’t enough time, so went to the Bergen Library to have a look around and went to an exhibit at the Bergen Art Museum. Then I headed to the airport and then to my house!
• Thursday, 25 June did a farewell and thank you walk on two running routes I did most frequently while in Halden. It was nice to take my time through them to look around and honor the work that I did in running those trails. Returned my office key to work. Cleaning and packing.
• Friday, 26 June did another farewell and thank you walk up to the fort. One of my coworkers took me, my brother, and our parents up to the fort on one of our first days in Halden. It felt good to climb up the hill one last time. Bought some Halden postcards for my mom. Cleaning and packing.
• Saturday, 27 June I did a final pack and clean up of my stuff and my apartment. I said good-bye and thank you to all the rooms. My friend picked me up and drove me and all my luggage to the airport. My plane ticket included lounge access, so I did that and then boarded a flight to Dublin! Picked up my luggage, put my giant bags in luggage storage, and headed to city center. Checked into my hotel and then got a pint and a bite at a pub while listening to Irish music and watching football.
• Sunday, 28 June headed to Trinity College for a Trinity Trails and Book of Kells tour. I had only vaguely heard of the Book of Kells, but it was incredible. And there was a lot of information about its history and creation. Went back to the hotel to check out. Popped into Mass, but had to leave early to catch my airport bus. Picked up my stored luggage, made my way to the right terminal, checked-in all my luggage, went through security, went through US preclearance (there is a US immigration check in Dublin!), bought a triangle sandwich and some crisps, boarded my flight to Denver!

In October-ish, I was reflecting on my time so far in Norway and started thinking about ways that I would bring my life abroad back to the United States. One of my biggest worries about the year is that I would return Stateside and live like Norway never happened. So I wondered, what did it mean to live like Norway happened? Here we go.

Be brave. It took a lot of bravery to move to Norway. But I didn’t just move there—I lived and worked there too. As part of my job, I had to figure out countless new systems: education, transportation, language, for example. And I did it. And not on my own. With others. With the help of others. By asking questions, even when I thought people might judge me for them. I observed and listened. I was open and curious.

Have and embrace adventures. Traveling around Norway with my brother and parents, who also dropped me off in country, I could tell the difference in how much more confidence I had in planning for travel and traveling. I could tell how much I had learned about Norwegian life and culture. Sometimes when I’m in Colorado I get overwhelmed and slightly intimidated by the things that go into planning adventures. But I love having them! So let’s do more of them.

Trust that you can do it. I think this is probably one of the biggest lessons I learned as a teacher this year. I just completed my 22^nd year teaching. 22 years! Some of the students I teach in Colorado aren’t even that old! And every year I tell myself that this year, I’m going to trust myself more as a teacher. But it’s been 22 years and when is it going to happen?! This year! I walked into so many classrooms where I didn’t know the students, and they learned something from me. Lots of things, actually. I can do this. I’m good at this. Trust that.

Look up. I wrote about this in my 05-09 post!

Say yes. I wrote about this in my 05-30 & 06-06 post!

You don’t have all the time in the world. During our Rover orientation we were told that we would likely see more of the country than Norwegians. And that bore out—I met a lot of Norwegians who hadn’t traveled to many of the places that I’ve been to. Heck, my landlord has never been to Bergen, and I consider it one of Norway’s best cities and not that far away from where we live! But there are places in the US that tourists have also likely been to that I haven’t. When you feel like you have all the time—and other resources—you don’t always take advantage of what’s around you. I want to better engage with what’s around me.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. I remember one day walking on the sidewalk, deep in thought about something I thought was super important. And then I tripped and chuckled at myself. Stuff, even the stuff I think about in research and teaching, is important, but there are other important things in this world too that I need to pay attention to. Don’t be thinking that you, and/or your work, need to always be so serious.

Leisure, as a verb, so that I can employ zest to all parts of my life. This year, Bridgerton dropped its season about Benedict. And he falls in love with a member of the help. While at Benedict’s country estate he directs her to stop working and to engage in leisure. She has no idea what to do. I found this hilarious and too close to home. But this year, I spent more time than I usually do engaged in leisure and hobbies. I don’t want this to stop. I have a lot of zest for my research and teaching life. I want to make time for zest in other realms of my life too.

Prioritize and make time for the right things, or learning when and how not to care. There were some parts of my year that I’d rather not relive. And, while on a run one day, realized that those parts of the year were inconsequential and distractions from the real work. And I decided in that moment to know and understand which parts of my life I needed to care for and cultivate, and which to just let go.

Create community. The only way we get through this world is together. Creating the community I want to move through the world with has been top of mind all year. I was immensely grateful that my Rover mates recognized this priority of mine—there was joy in being seen and heard by them. I want the community I cultivate Stateside to ensure that others feel seen and heard too.

One important realization I’ve had in writing out this list is that these qualities existed in me before and were especially useful in my time in Norway. I’ve had it in me this whole time and Norway brought it out!

I know that some days, I won’t think about Norway at all. And then there’ll be moments where something will happen and I’ll think, ah, that’s Norway. Same thing happens from time to time about the effect of my time living in Morocco and in France. I have lived a remarkable year in Norway and will always treasure these memories and keep them close to my heart.

And until next time, peace out, Norge! Vi sees. Takk for alt. xo