Tiny Triumphs

The picture to the left is of me and my friend Ines during one of our climbs up Mount Ulriken. We stood feeling triumphant and proud as we posed for the picture...it was amazing to look down and see how far we'd come!

Last night, while doing my laundry, I had a similar feeling of triumph wash over me. As I threw my clothes in the machine and programmed it to start, I smiled to myself remembering what an overwhelming task this was just two months ago. I had actually been scared of that washing machine and all its strange Norwegian words, buttons, and knobs! Silly, perhaps, but I couldn't help but feel slightly proud of how far I've come since then...

Lately, I keep having similar "moments of triumph" - finding myself doing something on my own that seemed so difficult just a month or two ago. For example, I can now successfully go into most any type of store, find what I need, and proceed through the check-out line without ever giving away the fact that I'm a foreigner...sometimes I feel sort of like an undercover American! Before, I was constantly asking for help in deciphering the Nowegian language, locating things, using the currency, and asking people to speak in English to me. I've now learned enough words in Norwegian that I can understand and respond to the language well enough to get through a check-out line or find whatever I need, and be pretty much functional and self-sufficient. I really have come a long way!

So tomorrow is the big day...my dad and Kara arrive! Crossing my fingers and praying for good weather so we can do lots of exploring together and enjoy all the beautiful nature. I'm SO excited for them to be here. The hardest part about being here is missing my family and friends. I try to be independent and enjoy every single day, but sometimes it gets a little lonely. My family and friends are my true treasures in life, and I can't help but feel aware of how very far away I am from them all. I'm so grateful to have made some new friends here, though. After living in an international student hostel, I'll have friends to keep in touch with and visit all over the world!