Ha det bra, Norge!

This morning at nine o'clock, I went up for my exam, and having completed that, my time at the International Summer School has officially come to an end. It's hard to believe I've been living here six weeks, and as I prepare to depart tomorrow morning, I thought it'd be nice to take a look back and think about the things I'll miss about Norway (I suppose I could also take a look back at the things I won't miss, like the constant rain, but that perhaps is not as constructive). Because I was good and packed quickly, I've got a little more time to work on this, so I've even arranged it in a power ranking of sorts.

6. Pickled Herring: I've already talked about how much I like this fish that they serve for breakfast here in Norway, so I won't repeat myself too much. The fact that I can get it around Christmas in Minnesota and at home means I won't miss it for very long.

5. Kvikk Lunsj: I have made an effort to try as many different types of Norwegian chocolate as possible (we'll see what my dentist has to say about this), and my favorite of them all has been Kvikk Lunsj. Kvikk Lunsj is like premium Kit-Kat bar, with better quality chocolate and tastier wafers. It also possesses the added bonus of including directions to different hiking spots on the inside of the wrapper.

4. Sokrates, Et Spill om Filosfi (Socrates, A Game about Philosophy): My friends Aaron and Aaron, who are both philosophy majors, and I discovered this game during our first week here and have played it constantly since. It's a Trivial Pursuit type board game, except with questions only about philosophy. Add to that the difficulties that there are no directions in the box and that it's written entirely in Norwegian, and you have a game that has endeared itself to the three of us, for some reason or another.

3. Chicken Shwarma: The most popular fast food here in Norway is not McDonalds, but what they refer to as kebabs. This food was brought to Norway by Irani immigrants and has taken off in popularity since then. My favorite is the chicken shwarma, which combines grilled chicken, corn, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and spicy sauce in a tortilla like wrapping. It's a wonderful midnight snack.

2. The Altar Book for the Norwegian Church, 1920: I discovered this altar book during my first week of research and quickly became enamored of it, mostly because it is downright beautiful. It's a prime example of the melding of functionality and art, and I have searched high and low over Norway for a copy to purchase, but have come up empty. As such, I guess I will simply pine after it for the time being.

1. My 19 kroner Foam Rubber Clogs: What can I say about these shoes? They're super light, super comfortable, super cheap, and perfect for the rainy climate of the Norwegian summer. I will always remember my time spent roaming Oslo clad in these navy blue clogs. Unfortunately, while they're the height of fashion in Europe, they are avoided like the plague in the United States. Because I would like my friends and family to be glad to see me when I get back home (and because I have no room in my suitcase), sadly I must leave them here. But they served me well, and perhaps some day I will own another pair.

Well, as the Norwegians say, "Det er det det er", which translates to "That's that, it is." And so tomorrow, I will leave the land of my ancestors and head back stateside. It's been a good time here in the Land of the (Almost) Midnight Sun, but I think I'm ready to head home. Thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me during this time, and who knows, perhaps if I travel again, I'll dust off this blog and give it another go.