With only little more than two months left to live in this Country, and with long days and warmer temperatures, I can start to make a sum of this wonderful opportunity I had.
Last weekend I was reading again a book I`ve finished before leaving for Norway back in last summer. It’s about the impressions and descriptions by an Italian girl who`s been living here for almost 3 years, and what to expect from the northern culture, from food, to traditions, and people behavior, using every letter from Norsk alphabet, “from A to Å”. When reading it before leaving, I was thinking “Will I experience most of these things? Are they true? How will I feel after everything?”: and now, after my time spent here, I can definitely say that most of the things are quite true. I can for example confirm that nordmenn are special, and it still amazes me by how they take life in a such slow way. Fun thing: I have to admit I will never get used to their lunch and dinner time though, being used to eat all together with my family around the table almost like a «ritual»!
Now that spring is finally “exploded” and snow is melting really fast, it seems strange to think I managed to survive this long winter without problems, and see the greenery again. During this season days here are amazing so far, with blue skies, no humidity at all (just the opposite of my home country…), it`s now time to go out for some jogging and some biking.
About my job, to make a sum of everything I experienced here, I can now say how much I got more aware of my strengths and weaknesses. EVS can push yourself to the limits sometimes, try out new ideas, and take out your character. I have to admit that working with teenagers is still really a challenge, especially for my quite reserved and shy personality. But it`s also fun, as you can try different methods of reacting, and see which one works best based on the context, taking count of advices received from my colleagues. One important thing I learned is to not be afraid to try and push yourself hard. I`m sure that all of this will be really useful for the future, as being outside of my so-called “usual habits and places” really made me even more independent than before.
So, what now then?
After Påskeferie in Stockholm (about that, what a fin by! I spent some really nice days there, seeing another part of Scandinavia), I had the opportunity to experience a trugetur (snowshoes tour) up in the mountains around here, which was a fun thing to try before all the snow melts. I`m looking forward to see the Nasjonaldag on May 17th, as I think it`going to be a pictoresque event, with the typical old clothes. After that, since I stayed here for last Juleferie, I`ll fly home for some days.
But hey, the adventure is still not over yet! There are still many tasks to do, like Statement Midtdalen on May 16th, Kåja Kamp in mid June, the youth exchange «I.C.E. International Climate Exchange», and many outdoor activities in the nature to try until the end, and I`ll keep you all updated, be sure of that.
Vi snakkes! A presto!
Emanuele
