This Blackest Purse

The day is coming. On Friday, August 14th, I will set out for Norway. I’ll be studying Norwegian and the culture of Bø, Telemark for the next five to ten months. At the moment, it’s unsure if I’ll be staying for the semester or academic year. It’s a long story, but if I can graduate by coming back this year, I’ll be staying for only a semester. If I can not graduate this year, then I’ll hold on to my time in Norway for the academic year.

The trip will not be an easy one. Here is a rough itinerary of my travel.

3 hr drive to Chicago
2 hr wait
8 hr flight to Stockholm
7 hr layover
1 hr flight to Oslo
2 hr wait
2 hr train to Bø

Luckily, I will have my good friend Hope along for the journey. I’ve known Hope since freshman year here at UW – Madison. She lived on the floor above me and studied in the same Norwegian class. We are very different people, but that has never hindered things. There are some things we can definitely agree on. Joanna Newsom is one of them.

We’ll be leaving Chicago at 4:35 PM on Friday if all goes to plan. Over a day later, we’ll find ourselves in our respective dorm rooms in Bø, Norway.

For now, I must pack what I can. Then a list of remaining things to pick up must be made. I aim to take as little to Norway as possible. Can I get everything that matters to me in a suitcase?

Tomorrow night will be Happy Garden night. In the afternoon I’m off to Green Bay to pick up whatever I still need (including a digital camera). My father says I’m dragging my feet. I say I’m trying to forget that my life is changing. Let’s see how many days it takes for me to wake up without wondering where I am.

Vi snakkes snart!