I miss my husband
I miss my house and my garden
I miss my daughter and my boys
I miss my dog, my cats, and birds
I miss the familiarity of nursing in Norway.
What I don't miss is the weather! Rain and cold by all accounts. Snow in the mountains. In July for Pete's sake!!
Irene can't wait for me to come home. "I'm just a child" she says. Maybe being on her own, living with her boyfriend wasn't what she expected. Poor kid. She's not even 18 and I let her do it. Should I have? Done is done. I'll be there for her now. She was so certain that she was ready. Funny to remember how at 14 she used to insist she was grown up.
The kids have their immediate futures sorted out. Irene(17) started on her baker/pastry chef apprenticeship on July 2. Ingvild(16) is starting a 3 year High School program for music, dance and theatre on August 20th, her emphasis will be dance.
The boys(19&21)are both going to go to college. A 3-year bachelors program in digital gaming and entertainment developement, including game design, sound setting, animation, programing etc.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
What I will be missing, and what I will be gaining
What am I thinking of, going back to Norway?
There is so much here that I will be missing:
Contra dancing
NPR radio
Warm sunny days, sitting on the swings along the inlet or in the garden recliner at the farm reading.
Hot muggy days with fruit smoothies or chocolate frappucinos.
Lemonade
Apple cider
Root beer
Bagels and pastries from Ithaca Bakery
American ice cream
Coffee from Starbucks
Organic groceries from Greenstar
Restaurants like the Moosewood, and The Taste of Thai
Clothes from Old Navy
The gorges
The commons
Theater
All the lovely and interesting places in the United States that are easy to visit when you live here.
The friendliness, the ease with which one can come into conversation, the affection even in superficial friendships...
What is there in Norway that I can’t have here?
National Health: the security of knowing that your health needs will be taken care of free of charge or at least for a reasonable fee, social security in times of need.
Decent working conditions: like 5 weeks vacation, 35 hr work week, sick and maternity leave...
Nearness to all the European countries with their fantastic varieties of culture, history, cuisine etc.
I feel like I have one foot planted on each side of the Atlantic. I feel at home in both Europe and America, and at the same time I feel at home in neither one…
There is so much here that I will be missing:
Contra dancing
NPR radio
Warm sunny days, sitting on the swings along the inlet or in the garden recliner at the farm reading.
Hot muggy days with fruit smoothies or chocolate frappucinos.
Lemonade
Apple cider
Root beer
Bagels and pastries from Ithaca Bakery
American ice cream
Coffee from Starbucks
Organic groceries from Greenstar
Restaurants like the Moosewood, and The Taste of Thai
Clothes from Old Navy
The gorges
The commons
Theater
All the lovely and interesting places in the United States that are easy to visit when you live here.
The friendliness, the ease with which one can come into conversation, the affection even in superficial friendships...
What is there in Norway that I can’t have here?
National Health: the security of knowing that your health needs will be taken care of free of charge or at least for a reasonable fee, social security in times of need.
Decent working conditions: like 5 weeks vacation, 35 hr work week, sick and maternity leave...
Nearness to all the European countries with their fantastic varieties of culture, history, cuisine etc.
I feel like I have one foot planted on each side of the Atlantic. I feel at home in both Europe and America, and at the same time I feel at home in neither one…
Sunday, July 1, 2007
July in Ithaca...
Tomorrow is the first day of July, my last full month in Ithaca.
Here's what I have to look forward to:
15 more work nights
about 7-8 more contra dances
My dear friends, Nils and Ninna are coming for 2 weeks
My oldest son, 21-year old Audun, is coming for 1 week
My sister arrived on tuesday with her dog, so I'll be spending the month with them as well.
Ingvild just left to spend a week with my brother Adam, his wife Jane,and their children: Hanna (12) and Ben (8) on the horse farm in Missouri...
I would like to visit John, at his house in the country, though my schedule looks terrible, with ever only one or two nights off at time. He is one of my oldest friends, but I don't know if I'll be able to fit it in.
The kids should be getting their immediate future settled this month. Irene, my oldest daughter already has. She is starting her bakers apprenticeship on monday. Ingvild is waiting to hear about High School, Tormod, my 19-year old second son, and Audun are waiting to hear about college. And Husband, together with the dog, 4 cats and 2 birds, is waiting for me to come home...
Here's what I have to look forward to:
15 more work nights
about 7-8 more contra dances
My dear friends, Nils and Ninna are coming for 2 weeks
My oldest son, 21-year old Audun, is coming for 1 week
My sister arrived on tuesday with her dog, so I'll be spending the month with them as well.
Ingvild just left to spend a week with my brother Adam, his wife Jane,and their children: Hanna (12) and Ben (8) on the horse farm in Missouri...
I would like to visit John, at his house in the country, though my schedule looks terrible, with ever only one or two nights off at time. He is one of my oldest friends, but I don't know if I'll be able to fit it in.
The kids should be getting their immediate future settled this month. Irene, my oldest daughter already has. She is starting her bakers apprenticeship on monday. Ingvild is waiting to hear about High School, Tormod, my 19-year old second son, and Audun are waiting to hear about college. And Husband, together with the dog, 4 cats and 2 birds, is waiting for me to come home...
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