Brittany: Goodbye Oslo

This is officially my last post in Norway. I am leaving my flat in about ten minute to head to the airport. I am really, really sad about leaving this place, but dinner last night with all of my friends really helped to give me peace of mind. I will miss everyone here so much. And of course I will miss Oslo.

I’m kind of excited, kind of nervous to come home. Its just a weird feeling that this isn’t one of my trips again–I’m not coming back this time. While it will be good to see everyone at home, too, I know that I will never have another time in my life like this again. When else will I be able to travel like this?!

I will be back sometime in the near future. I am trying to come to Germany next September to see everyone again, and there is no doubt that I will stay in close contact with my US friends.

So here’s to you, Oslo 2009. This has been an experience of a lifetime and I feel like you have changed me for the better.

Brittany: Krakow

So as most of you know, I went to Krakow, Poland this past weekend. It was, well, an interesting trip. On Friday I went to Auschwitz and it was a really weird experience. All I can say is that Sunday School at B’nai Amoona (my shul at home) did an excellent job at preparing me for the visit. On Saturday I went on a tour of Krakow and saw the old Jewish Quarter, the castle and cathedral, and a few other sites. It is a really, really beautiful city and there is a ton of rich history (specifically Jewish history) that I never would have imagined.

Brittany: Class and Travel

Norway has been sweet. I started one class last week that was pretty boring (my Art History class) and my next one starts a week from today. So what have I been doing while not at class?

I finally made it to the islands (or, island…as I only went to one). When we landed we had to scrape for food and then we eventually met Ben and the gang (we like to call them the others). At some point or another, we started traveling through time, too.

Not really, but yeah, kind of. After we took the ferry across we stopped at a cafe for popsicles and waffles and then took a trip through the ruins of a Monastery built in 1142! That is crazy old! I really wanted to take a piece of stone, but Nik convinced me that I’d be haunted by the spirits of the crusades. And, at one point, my friend Ben wandered away from us and then we found him. So in a way, my day trip was EXACTLY like the plot of Lost.

That night we had a traditional Norwegian dinner that I did not love, but everyone else seemed to. Reyes, I’m sure your cooking is better. I’ve also been participating in a lot of, well, social activities. I had a true Norwegian Vorspiel the other night (basically just a really intense pre-game) and I’ve just been going out a lot.

So travel plans:
In a few weeks I am taking a trip to Krakow, Poland with my Aussie friend Monique. We’re going to see the city, and also Auschwitz, so it should be really, really fun! Half kidding about that last part. I have heard that the social scene in Krakow is unreal, though, so hopefully we’ll do some of that too.

And I just booked my trip to see my German friend Suzzie!!! I’m going to Munich at the very end of September, very beginning of October. We’re also going to go across the border into Switzerland for a day. That should be really fun.

Well I’m off for the day but I promise to update more frequently!

Brittany: Kind of Like Summer Camp…

So, I kind of live in the forest. It reminds me a lot of summer camp. Very hilly, with gravel paths, and lots and lots of trees. It is all very beautiful, though.

To update, I did end up getting my bag last night. One was actually with me the whole time, and only one was not. So that was good. And now I have them both, plus a huge amount of IKEA merchandise as I went shopping for that stuff today.

The downtown here is absolutely beautiful. I’m going exploring with a group of friends tonight, and I will try to take pictures and actually post them to show you how wonderful it is. It is honestly the CLEANEST city I have ever been in, and I live in Minneapolis which is pretty clean, comparatively.

Everything is going well, here. People do mostly speak Norwegian, and it can be tough to figure out metro trains and everything, but the people are all very willing to help. And there are a ton of international students who all speak English, so thats good.

Hope everything is well back in the states!