Hei!
And just like that… here comes my last month in Norway.
I’m actually writing this final blog post from the train to Malmö. Just like when I arrived almost six months ago, I decided to travel by train on my way home.
At the beginning of June, I could already feel that the end was approaching. I had my last French lessons with the 10th graders, my last Friday evening at the youth club, and many «last times» started to appear on my calendar.
One of the highlights of the month was the Kåjå Camp, a three-day festival organised by youths for youths. There were plenty of activities, as a rodeo, a foam party or a stand-up artist. Unfortunately, the weather was definitely not on our side: it rained almost the entire time. I can honestly say that wearing a beanie and gloves on 13 June wasn’t exactly what I had imagined! But despite the rain, everyone had a great time. I can only imagine how amazing it would have been with sunshine.
June also marked the beginning of the Football Word Cup . My prediction? Switzerland will definitely be the winner, of course! And if not… I guess we can let Norway win. After all, they definitely deserve it after all these years without qualifying. I’ve actually been quite surprised that they haven’t qualified before, especially seeing how present football is in Norwegian society: in Vinstra almost everyone plays it (both girls and boys), and from what I’ve seen of the national team, they are gooood. This World Cup seems to be a major event here in Norway.
My final working week in Vinstra was full of memorable moments. I attended the opening of the new Sør-Fron school, which led to a surprise: the High school French teacher invited me to breakfast at her home with her class the next morning. We also had our final French lesson with the Sør-Fron students at Harpefoss Hotel, and I had been to Rondaståk (a music festival in Gålå) to see one of my favourite Norwegian artists, Tobias Sten, whom I discovered thanks to the music played at the Vinstra youth club.
June also meant moving out of my cute house. Packing my things made everything suddenly feel much more real. But before saying goodbye to Norway, one last adventure was waiting for us: Iceland!
Together with the Erasmus+ group, we spent a week there for our youth exchange. It was a (exhausting) week full of incredible experiences. We were actually quite lucky with the weather and even got to see (sometimes) Iceland under blue skies! During the week, we went horse riding, discovered unique landscapes, explored lava caves, and lived under the midnight «sun». It couldn’t have been a better way to end my volunteering experience.
Writing this final blog post makes me realise just how much I have experienced over these five and a half months. I have discovered incredible places, met wonderful people and learned so much about Norwegian culture.
I feel incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity: TUSEN TUSEN TAKK
Ha det bra!
