Hallo!

I have finally arrived, and kind of settled in my home to be for 6 months! My host family is very nice and I think that we are going to get along great. I’ve also started school. I never realized how difficult it was going to be not knowing the language. English and math are my favorite classes due to the fact that those are the only classes I understand. Lucky for me, I have some really nice kids in my class who translate all the assignments for me. Unfortunately for me, I still can’t understand anything the teacher says during the actual class. 

After only being in Norway for less than 3 weeks I have gotten to see some pretty cool things. The town I live in, Fevik, has a grocery store and a pizza place. That’s it. The next closest town, Grimstad, which is about 20 minutes away by bus, has some more shops, grocery stores, ice cream places, and even an art store. The town is right along the water and has a harbor right there where you can find fishermen selling locally caught crabs! 

On this past Saturday my host family took me for my first real hike! We climbed to the top of a mountain which overlooked fjords and the ocean! It was beautiful, but I learned that I am a very slow hiker. My host dad, Pål, would stop along the path to pick mushrooms and I would stop at every blueberry bush I saw. 

This weekend should be exciting for me. On Saturday, I’m going to a birthday party with my sister Ida. Then on Sunday, my host family and I are going to the zoo in Kristiansand! I will be sure to take lots of pictures!

-Olivia