I don't want your water, I have a blue bottle.

I have been thinking a lot lately of just how much people are blessed and don't realize it. This post might be a little more on the serious side. I look around me every day at the beautiful land of Norway and am in wonder of it's people and blessings. The people here have life sooooo good. They realize that a little, but really have no idea of just how good they have it. If I didn't love my own country so much (and it didn't cost an arm and a leg to travel here), I'd want to live here. I tend to wonder every day also about why the heck I am even here in the first place! Like I said before I came here..."Who goes to Norway????! " Certainly no one I know! (actually since then I have found several people that have been here or have family here)...but no one ever talks about this country or really even knows anything about it.....or knows where it is in some cases. :) As I have said in other posts, I am really in the middle of nowhere, just surrounded by low mountains and a river running beside the school. So, how on earth did I end up here?? Out of all places, the middle of Norway in a college with only about 120 students that no one has heard of, there is only one explanation of how I got here. It is somewhere God wants me to be. There are things I'm here for, there are people to meet, there are things to share, there are experiences to be had. It is an amazing thing to know that something divine is happening in your life. Just that one inkling of knowledge can make you a completely different person. I would say that since I got here, I have been overwhelmed with cheer. Yes, cheer. I have never been so cheerful all the time in my entire life and it is great! There are huge challenges here and so many things to get used to and adjust to, but it really doesn't matter one tiny bit. I haven't talked to one of my family members in over 2 months except through email, and that's a bit hard...but knowing I am in the right place at the right time makes up for every challenge I can think of. I love the people here and have found every day that I am the example to many people of what I believe in. I am the different one here, I am the "American," but I am also the American Mormon that doesn't drink alcohol, tea, coffee, use tobacco, watch bad movies, and goes to church every weekend. Let me tell ya, I've had some funny looks come my way! If I weren't so stubborn and strong in my church, I don't know what it would be like here. It's different on all accounts. How weird and interesting life can be. It changes in a heartbeat and I'm grateful for everything that comes my way.

As for an update on school and such. I'm still learning the Norwegian language bit by bit and am proud to say that I can say a few sentences. I have learned how to say "Go Away, you stupid!" and "I don't want your water, I have a blue bottle." I also know how to say "beer is gross, I hate beer" and phrases like "thanks for the food," "you're welcome," and some body parts. I also know the word for cheesecake...that always comes in handy. My teachers ask me often what some words are in English and when I smile when they say words wrong they say we're going to have an English lesson taught by me after class. I made the mistake of mentioning that they had no idea how much I laugh in my head when we're in class and my teacher (who is also the dean of the school) said that he notices that I laugh in class when he teaches. Oops. Good thing they have good senses of humor.

Oh, I have an update on "Drunk Tuesday." I have been informed that other people that I don't even know are now calling it Drunk Tuesday. I feel so proud for giving it it's rightful name. I also know how to say it in Norwegian and also to say "I hate Drunk Tuesday." What useful phrases I'm learning. :)

No more updates I can think of. I'll be coming home soon for the holidays and I'm pretty excited, but also sad to leave. It's bittersweet. I can't wait to come home and eat my heart out during the holidays. :)