Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight Goodnight

Because it makes me happy.
And goodnight.

... like...bobbypin

This reality is slowly but surely becoming my reality.
I've realized the past year was a completely different reality. More like a dream. And to try to keep the things and people in my dream alive, while I am living in reality is hard. It is possible, but hard. And believe me, I am trying my hardest.
The very same moment as I think everything is perfect, I can do it all, and I'm on top of the world - I feel the weight of missing everyone and everything in La Crosse. Everything is not perfect, at least not yet. And I can't do it all, at least not by myself. And I am not on top of the world, to quote a-number-of-different-bands, I can feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.
Today I have been home for 2 weeks. Can you believe that? 2 weeks ago I was sitting in the couch next to the girls who has meant the world to me for the last years, and I didn't understand anything of what they were saying or worrying about or thinking. All I could think of was the greater picture: The World. Rotary. Exchange. Peace. Travelling. Helping. La Crosse.
I still float off to this universe sometimes, but not as often as I used to 2 weeks ago. People have been helping me a lot, without thinking about it I think. or maybe not?

There are words in english I cant remember, like mashed potatoes. I had to ask Patrick what the word for mashed potatoes was, because I had completetly forgotten, and then again, there are words from my english that I've taken with me to Norwegian. Like bobbypin!! There is no word for bobbypin in Norwegian, and everytime I say it someone looks at me like what I just said doesn't make sence. Bobbypin. It's a part of my voacublary. In norwegian. Bobbypin.
And realized, which doesn't really fit into the Norwegian language, because we have words like 'realize', just not an exact word for it. So I use it. In norwegian. And it sounds stupid. Realize.

I guess what I'm trying to say is.. Thank you to everyone who supported my choice of going to La Crosse. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me with open arms in La Crosse. Thank you to everyone who took care of me and loved me in La Crosse. Thank you to everyone who cried at the airport when i left La Crosse. Thank yo to my family who were (A bit late) at the airport when I arrived Norway for the first time in 11 months. Thank you to my friends and family who stil lov eme, even though they haven't seen me in what seems like forever. And, thank you now, to everyone who's putting up with me and my... American-life-style.

today's agenda

1. Shower to get rid of the smoke, beer, tent-feeling, bobbypins in my hair that I can't find, grass, and loud music from Malakoff.

2. Eat fresh rolls with fresh raspberryjam. mmMMmmMMm..

3. Walk to Vie and buy grapefruit.

4. Stay in the sun.

5. Be bbboooooorreeeeeedd

Have a nice monday!

Mmmmmmalakoff!

And then, all of a sudden, I've been to a dozen more concerts than I had 3 days ago, I've lost many,many hours of sleep, I've laughed a lot, and I've caught up with people I've missed for 11 months. Yes, I've spent my weekend on a festival. (http://www.malakoff.no/) Not just any festival, but one of the best ones in Norway (??!).
And now I have a really bad cold. And I'm tired. And I've been sitting on the couch for at least 5 hours.
i hope everyone had a great weekend!
PS! notice the heavy backpack!!

Og koffor går det bare dritt på TV på søndaga??!

ooohhh myyy.......... gosh!

So now,

when I think about the last 12 months of my life... I'm jealous.

Of myself.

Of all the people I met.

Of all the people I learned to love.

Of the experiences I got.

And I just want to do it over, sooo bad.

And I woulnd't do a thing different.

St. Patrick

Everybody, it seems to me

Just wants to be, just like you and me

No one wants to be alone at Christmas time

Come January we're frozen inside

Making new resolutions a hundred times

February, won't you be my valentine?

And if our is all that we gave

And we someday, take that away

I'll be alright... If it was just 'till St. Patrick's Day.

Good Riddance, puh. Guess what? I did have the time of my life.

So I find myself in a WiFi zone in Amsterdan, Schippol, to be exact.
When getting ready to go off the plane I heard a family talking in Norwegian, and I immidiately thought that maybe, just meyba, they were going to the same plane as me to Bergen! And as I was approaching them, trying to decide whether or not I should talk to them, I realized they were talking in english. And not Norwegian.
Leaving La Crosse earlyer today (or yesterday actually, I guess) sucked. My suitcases were, together, 23 lbs overweight, and I didn't have to pay for it at all!! Everyone was at the airport, and we just took pictures and did a lot of activities that made the time go by quickly. Then I started walking through the line of Rotary people, host families and friends, and gave every single one of them a hug. And yes, my shoulder was rather wet from tears when I was done hugging. I got my suitcase and my backpack (who are both heavier than me, by the way), and walked through security where tthey gace me klinex. And one would think that I should know after living in the US for a whole year that I know how to use kleenex. (Because every single American has kleenex in every room, every pocket and every purse) But I don't. No one ever taught me, and I haven't been involved in a lot of crying since I got here, so I haven't really attempted opening the kleenex-box. So, anyway, this lady gave me three kleenex, or three sheets of kleenex? And I rolled them all together in my hand, and carefully dried my tears off my cheek with kleenex-balls.

I am not yet sure of how I can describe my year, or all the possible ways it has changed me, but it has made me a bigger person. A lot bigger (physically).
But going home is going to feel nice. And relaxing. I am beyond excited to see my 12, going-on-thirteen brother, and tell him what every sister that has been gone from her babybrother for a year would say: You're so much taller! Hos much have you grown??

I still have almost 3 hours in Amsterdam. And im 18. What fun.
(Just kidding. I have decided I am not even going to go to the bathroom while I'm here cause then I'd have to leave my luggage)
hei pus, love gurthi

322

Naar eg vaakna i dag tidlig satt eg i senga i hvertfall 40 minutt. Og stirra ut i ingenting. Sakte men sikkert gaar det opp for meg at eg har mindre enn 24 timer igjen i La Crosse. Eg er forberedt paa et helvettes spetakkel fra snoerr og taarer paa flyplassen i maaratidlig, men eg skal og innroemme at dess meir tid som gaar, dess meir gleda eg meg til aa komme heim. Det er vel og saann det skal vaere, er det ikkje?
Alt i alt har eg hatt 323 daga i USA. I dag er min 322. dag. Er ikkje det vilt?

Det hoeres saa kjempemasse ut. men tida har gaatt saa vanvittig fort. Eg er hvertfall glad for at eg ikkje satte meg ned aa talte dagane i begynnelsen av aaret, for daa hadde det sett endelaust ut.

Legger ved naaken faa bilder fra "konferansen" den helga her: ROTARY!

District 6250!!

hei pus, love gurthi

reverse culture shock

Saa den helga her, i Grand Rapids, hadde vi uendelige menga med soevn, og eg kan telle timane med soevn eg fikk paa ei haand. Eg hadde den beste room maten i heile verden, og fikk nok en gang, siste gang, vaere med aas ette opp showet som vi jobba med i fleire uker i vinter.
Men det som var hovudfokuset den ehlga her, spesielt for "inbounds", var reverse culture shock. Og eg er 100% sikker paa at eg kommer til aa oppleve reverse culture shock naar eg kommer heim. Og det av den enkle grunn at det aaret her har vert helt fantastisk.
Saa eg tenkteeg skulle gjoere det LITT lettare for meg naar eg kommer heim med aa la daake der heime lese litt om reverse culture shock. INGEN TVANG!
Here it goes:
Experiencing reverse culture shock is extremely common and may include any to all of the following emotions:
• Restlessness, rootlessness
• Reverse homesickness-missing people and places from abroad
• Boredom, insecurity, uncertainty, confusion, frustration
• Need for excessive sleep
• Change in goals or priorities
• Feelings of alienation or withdrawal
• Negativity towards Norwegian behavior
• Feelings of resistance toward family and friends

Reverse Culture Shock (a.k.a. Re-entry Shock, or own culture shock) may take place — returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same effects as described above. This results from the psychosomatic and psychological consequences of the readjustment process to the primary culture. The affected person often finds this more surprising and difficult to deal with than the original culture shock.

No skal eg begynne aa pakke! Ha ein fin uke, oggled deg til eg kommer heim!
hei pus, love gurthi

sommer 2010

Det var til min forskrekkelse eg oppdaga at eg ikkje har oppdatert bloggen min på ei uke, og vel så det. Kanskje to uker til og med?

Unnskyldninga mi er at dei siste dagane her i La Crosse har gått heidundrande fort. Eg har no 12 dagar igjen, og det er helt forferdelig å tenke på. Men jammen har eg hatt det kjekt, sida sist har eg fulgt mamma på flyplassen, flytta tilbake til vertsfamilie nr. 2; nan&Jerry (og Gus), hatt mine to siste rotary møter med La Crosse Down Town Rotary Club, vert i USA's største utendørs vannpakr - Noah's Ark, eg har feira bursdagen min, og sist men ikkje minst har eg blitt dei hellige atten år! Endelig. Eg har tilbragt uendelig mange timer på stranda med gode venner, og det er for tida River Fest i la Crosse, og det minner meg en smule om folkemusikk festivalen.Dei to siste dagane har eg sett en hypnotisør to ganger, spist onion rings og drukke fers lemonade, og neste uke venter time hos en 'phsycic reader'.. Synsk person? Ja, eg fikk et "gavekort" dit til bursdagen av Zach, og det gleder eg meg til! Og gruer meg... litt.

Fleire bilder fra sommer i USA kommer etter 4. Juli. Ha ei fin helg!

hei pus, love gurthi

shop stop

So guess who I've been chillin' with today? Yeah, that's right. No, just kidding. As a matter of fact, I did run into him in the lobby. "Did you get a picture with him?", you may ask - and my answer to that my friend, is "yes". But it wasn't the greatest picture of him. And he is rather shy. So we made a deal, and I promised him to never ever show it to anyone. Also, this was right before a whole bunch of teenagegirls came running at him, and he tore his tux off, and there he was - Red Mist. He took me in his car and we flew over Las Vegas. Or not... But anyway, I did se him. And he is short. And geeky. And I found multiple pictures of him on google (yes, I am a creep) where he wore THE SAME OUTFIT AS HE DID TONIGHT! aaaaagh (that actually makes me feel good)

So this is our last night in Vegas, and the last night of our trip. The alarm is set to 4am tomorrow, and then we will be on our way back to La Crosse! It has been two fantastic week with a fantastic mom. We were just talking about it here the other night that we havent had one fight. Not one. My mom was impressed. Until I reminded her of how we don't usually fight, and then she reminded me of a couple of times... Oh well, let's just say we're not perfect either!

This evening we went to see Phantom of the Opera, which was fantastic. Just... all the... I don't even know where to start. I loved it.

As we were walkin through Macy's on our way back to the hotel after the musical my mom suggested a "shop stop", since we were both walking in our sleep and weren't interested in shopping at all. And a shopstop it was. Right there. In the middle of Macy's. We are done.

And now we are going to bed! Have a nice weeekeeeeeeend. hei pus, love gurthi

California, rest in peace

So we are in Chinatown. My mom and I. And we are looking for somewhere to eat supper, or dinner if you want. A Chinese place, with Chinese food of course, since we are in Chinatown. That's actually WHY we are in Chinatown. So, my mom wants to eat somewhere nice. Decent. Clean. In Chinatown.. This didn't make any sence to me. So we ended up at a place where we spent 3,423 minutes looking at the menu, and when we ordered we were both pretty satisfied. That was, of course, until we, or should I say I, noticed there were shrimp in everything. Mmmmh, gotta love the seafood. But oh well, we ate and we both ended up full. We left the restaurant happily, and not aware of all the stores right around the corner. What can I say, yes, I did spend over an hour looking at "chinese-toys".

I started thinking about the expression "China-town" today, and I realized how offended I would get if they started "building" small Norway-towns in every big city. As if they could merge all the great things of Norway into a block.
Gotta go get some sleep!
hei pus, love gurthi.

The confusion of illusion

I find myself confusing myself.
English has become my language: I would even argue my English is more fluent than my Norwegian.
La Crosse has become my city: I would even say I know as many street names and different ways to get to different places in La Crosse as in Førde, even though La Crosse is 4 times bigger than Førde.
Central has become my school: Where I respect&like my teachers, and enjoy my classes.
And last but not least: This is my friends' homes.

So it is confusing. Because it is all just an illusion.
This is not my language. Nor my city. Nor my school, nor my friends.

Today my mom and I went on a tour bus, with 7 other people - all from Texas. And I found myself laughing at their "ya'll"s and their Texas-orange tshirts(that I remember so vividly from springbreak in Washington D.C.) and, of course their arguements that everything is better and bigger in Texas. One hour later I found myself walking along "The Muscle Beach", and I could see parts of a sign to a store/fastfood place/restaurant. The sign was in two words. And they both started with Ch. Or that's what I thought. And without even thinking about it I made the assumption it said "Cheddar Cheese". Well, it turned out to be The Cherry.
After the whole "Cheddar Cheese" thing, I concluded with this being a sign: Wisconsin is my home. It is my 2nd home. Or so it seems.

Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't mind living in Los Angeles either. It is fantastic here!
love gurthi

California show you teeth

Its saturday, and I've been with my mom for over a week now.
She arrived in La Crosse Thursday evening, June 3rd. Here's a summary over what we've been up to the last week or so:
FRIDAY JUNE 4TH: We got up relatively early and went "to school". Since i got done with school Tuesday of the same week it didn't really feel like going to school, it was more like hanging out at a school. We met most of my teachers, and we also met most of my friends around school as they were walking between classes or eating lunch. At lunchtime my mom, Patrick and I ate at Jimmy John's(aka BigBite). After this my mom and I went to "the mall", and spent 4 (or so??) good hours there. We went home in a hurry before we met Jerry, my last hostdad, at the church right across from my hostfamily's house. Later he took us to The Waterfront, a nice restaurant in downtown La Crosse right on the Mississippi river.
SATURDAY JUNE 5TH: Both Mary (who's my Rotary counselor) and Patrick showed up at our house at 9am and we all jumped into Mary's car and she took us with her to her house - where she has her boat, and we went on the Mississippi river. It was fabulous. In the afternoon we went on Grandad's Bluff, the Pearl, and ate dinner at Grizzly's, and in the evening we went to Cheryl and Savannah's.
SUNDAY JUNE 6TH: GRADUATION! I did not much&nothing around the house before I got ready for graduation and took my cap&gown on, and went to the La Crosse center. The American graduation Ceremony sure was an experience! After this pretty mich everyone I know in La Crosse came to my graduation party at my hostfamily's cabin. Where they had lots of good food, a beach volleyball court and a swimmingpool - it was a great day.
MONDAY JUNE 7TH: My mom and I departed La Crosse at 715am and arrived our hotel in Las Vegas, The Venetian, around noon the same day. We spent the day swimming, laying by the pool, eating, shopping, walking "the streets of Venice", went to Blue Man Show (not a success), and finally walked the Strip at nighttime. We made sure to not miss the watershow (?) at Bellagio of course.
TUESDAY JUNE 8TH: We went to the airport in Vegas and picked up our sweeet Cheverolet rental car, and drove to Grand Canyons. Ate supper in a cute, western/cowboy-themed restaurant in the canyons where a REAL cowboy was playing his banjo, or whatever, and sang.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 9TH: Went to the imax theatre and watched the 30min long video on the Grand Canyons. We went for a walk with a beautiful view over the Grand Canyons before we hopped in the car and headed for Monument Valley. When we got there we enjoyed the amazing view from our very own hotel room before we ate dinner.
THURSDAY JUNE 10TH: We both woke up at 530am to watch the beautiful sunrise (at least my mom did, I stayed in bed and watched an episode of Charmed)....(shame on me, I know). At 8am the Cheverolet rolled out of the Parking lot at our hotel, The View, and we decided our final destination that day would be Victorville, CA. All in all we drove 900km(560miles) that day...... (Shame on us, we know). We ate chinese for supper and went to bed, exhausted.
FRIDAY JUNE 11TH: Hopped in the car relatively early and drove aaaaaaaaaaaall the way to Los Angeles (it took us 1,5 hours). We took a look around the hotel in Santa Monica before we went shopping. We ended the day with an hour or so on a couch in the sun, and then a good 20 minutes in a hot tub.
TODAY! SATURDAY JUNE 12TH: Ate a delicious breakfast (definition of breakfast: waffles, fruit loops, pancakes, strawberries, fresh orange juice, hot chocolate.....), before we rented bikes and biked along the beach for an hour or so. We came back to the hotel and joined a tourist-bus-tour-thing around LA because my mom didn't feel like driving around in the city. The tour was fabolous, and we saw everything I felt like I needed to see in less than 5 hours. We got back to the hotel and spent another hour wearing swimsuits in the sun before we topped it all off in the hot tub, again.

hei pus, love gurthi