I volunteered again

I went to the Nordic Heritage Museum yesterday, and guess what?! I managed to volunteer. It always happens, you can just say the word volunteer and I'm interested. This time its a good thing, I can talk to people there, and I'm sure some of them are Norwegian and that I can interview them. I was talking to this really nice Swedish lady, and she really wanted to help me, so she suggested that I could volunteer. I don't know what they want me to do yet, but I said I could do almost anything. 

One other ting is that I now have so much respect for my great-grandmother who did this trip all alone with her one(?) year old son. The exhibition was really good and you really could get a good idea of how the journey was, the preparations and the arrival to "the promised country". I'm definitely going there again, and I would recommend everybody to go there if they are in Seattle.   

 

I walked around in the neighborhood after visiting the museum, and many of the houses looked just like they do in Norway. Its a little bit sad that Ballard has changed so much over the past ten years. Many of the people that I talked to said that if I had been here ten years earlier it would look even more like Norway or Sweden. It is kind of a "hip" area now, and that might have changed some of the authentic Scandinavian feeling.  

Day 4, the positive day

OK, so I realize I've been a bit negative lately. But really I'm fine. Once I get up from my bed and starts the day, things aren't all that bad. I finally got my American bank account, and a bus pass. I took the buss to Ballard, but it got really late so I just took another buss back right away.. I still haven't heard from my Norwegian phone company, so it looks like I have to by a new phone so that I can start using my new phone number. Thats not a problem, I didn't like my old phone anyway.. And, maybe the best thing; I'm starting to think in English as well.

My plan for to morrow is just to hang around in the neighborhood. Decide what room I'm going to stay in, and unpack. I think that would help a bit. Making my new room my home. 

Funny thing: I went to a book shop to day, they always make me feel better, and I actually found books by my favorite author Jo Nesbø! They even had my favorite book as well; Redbreast (Rødstrupe). Next time I'm going to buy it, just so that I can read it in English as well.  

So.. even though I'm still a bit homesick, I do enjoy myself, and I'm starting to enjoy my own company more and more.

Day 3

I'm alive an well! It's only my third day here in Seattle, although it feels like I've been here three years. Everything is new and kind of scary. 

I lost one of my bags on my way here. I think it was in Copenhagen. Since I only had 40 minutes there I'm actually surprised that the other one arrived. I got it back yesterday, so everything is OK now. Tracie came and picked me up at the airport and I'm glad she did. I don't think I would have been able to take the bus all the way that late. The first day I just walked around, trying to orient my self on where everything is. The next day one of my roommates showed me around so now I know where almost everything is around here. My roommates seems quite nice. I've actually only met three of them. One is in India and the other two rooms are empty. We are three girls and one guy in the house right now. All the others are working, so I'm the only student at the moment. I've mostly been talking with one of the girls, and I think we can be good friends. Still, I feel kind of lonely, and the thought of me having 184 days left here makes me kind of sad.. 

Today I was really brave and went to down town by buss all by my self! It was good, and it was really easy to get around. All Americans are so helpful, and nice. I was just standing on the corner looking at a map and three people stopped and asked if I needed any help. That would newer happen in Norway! I got an American simcard and phone number, but my phone won't accept it, so maybe I have to buy a new cell pone as well. I have to get down there to morrow anyway to open a bank account, and I'm actually looking forward to it. I also plan to check out University of Washington tomorrow or maybe Ballard.  

First stop; Trondheim. 6 days to Seattle

My journey has started. Kind of.. I took the night train to Trondheim which is my first stop on my journey to Seattle. It was really sad saying goodbye to my mom and dad. I didn´t dry up my tears before I came to Tjeldsundbrua, a 45 minute drive from Harsatd. I never get sad, but i really did this time. I´m OK now :)

I slept most of the 10 hour train ride. Even though Lonely Planet consider Bodø - Trondheim one of Europe´s most beautiful night trains, I have to confess I´m not so impressed. But of course, they where talking about the summer, when the sun hardly set. They also stated that "Norwegian trains are very pleasant places to hang out for a while", not for me. Not this time. Usually I can agree. 

As I said, I´m OK now. It is good being back in Trondheim. Even though I´m sleeping on the couch in what used to be my room. One of my best friends is staying in my room when I´m in Seattle. I´m glad, because that means that I can come back to my room in August.

 

15 days to departure

I´ve got a place to stay in Seattle! Finally! It´s in Green Lake, a neighborhood in north central Seattle. About 20 min walk to the university and not too far from Ballard (where all the Norwegians live). It´s a collective with 6 other students, mostly international students. A Italian girl and a boy from India is already living there, the others I don´t know. The rent isn´t to bad either. $540 thats what I pay in Trondheim as well, not to bad.  

I know it´s not to smart to out your address on the Internet but I just have to show how great it is.  

The house is just by the lake, and there is a Starbucks just around the corner. yay! The University is a little bit south, and Ballard east (thanks to Google Earth). 

19 days to departure.

I wonder if the reason I don´t do anything is because that means that I have to deal with the fact that I am actually going..

To morrow is my day of from work, I´ll sit down then and start looking for a place to stay. What scares me most is that fact that I don´t know anyone. It is not a problem for me to be alone for a short period of time, but if I have to stay alone and have no one to talk to it will be really, really hard for me. Thats why I have decided to contact all sorts of organizations to see of I can join any of them. Maybe a choir, maybe I´ll learn some Norwegian folk-dance. I have to do something. Luckily, talking to people is not my weakest side, so I hope I´ll find something to do.