Norway

I have been in Norway for two weeks and I don't even know where to begin! While the first two days of being here were riddled with strange problems, I think I may have finally left the bad luck I ran into in Iceland behind (knock on wood!). The farm I am currently at has been absolutely wonderful. When I arrived there were two others here working, but both left this past Saturday, so now I am on my own until I leave here in a little under three weeks. I've spent 90% of my time here being outside whether I am raking field after field of hay or rescuing potatoe plants or swimming in a Fjord. I've been tanned, and sunburnt, my hair has turned a rather intense shade of red, I'm covered in bug bites, and extremely happy.

I've walked on glaciers, stood by a lake of smelted snow, saw the oldest Stave Church in Norway, spent Midsommer on the top of a mountain watching bonfires in the bright light of the night, seen so. many. trees, visited a village of 60 people, eaten whale, laughed so much, eaten even more, made a friend or two, and been filled with joy. So much joy.

I don't want to get too personal here, but I realized something the other day: My time in Iceland was all about tough love. Walls and ideas I'd built up were coming down, and coupled with my circumstances I crumbled. I asked my parents to let me go home and my mom had to basically slap me in the face and tell me I was being an incredible brat (I really was). And after that, after starting to see things a little clearer, I started to feel something I haven't felt in a very long time.

When I realize that I've only been in Norway for two weeks my brain sort of short circuits. So much has happened, and I don't even recognize the girl I was in Iceland. She cried and cursed a lot. (I mean like, a lot guys). But me, I smile and sing, and get excited when I see moss covered rocks because they are actually trolls guys. I've had one bad day here, and it wasn't even a bad day, I was just seriously exhausted. I am joyful. I am excited. I've fallen in love with life and the world and my place in it. Life is really, really, really good.

That's not to say that there haven't been days when I'm frustrated or tired. Sometimes the days seem a bit monotonous. Sometimes I want to punch 19 year old know it alls. Sometimes I just want one more hour of sleep. But overall everyday is a good day. Iceland may have been the Tough Love I needed, but Norway has been a does of Life Love.

I leave here in 20 days and leave the country in 24 days. It's hard to be both super excited for the weeks to come and super impatient to move on to my next adventure.  

But views like this make me okay with sticking around for a little longer.

Norway, I am super into you.