Farvel for Nå

I find myself once more on the eve of yet another incredible Norwegian adventure. How do I feel about this? There are thousand ways I could answer but they would all boil down to one thing - I don't want to leave. My heart is screaming at me to NOT set foot onto my return plane, it's begging me to stay. I feel like I'm leaving Alaska an act that, as I've written in the past, I do not handle well. I wish a move to Norway were just as simple as just packing up my stuff, putting myself and the cats on a plane, and then figuring out the rest from once I landed. Unfortunately switching countries is a touch trickier than switching states, otherwise I'd be doing that exact thing right now.

There was quite a bit on this trip that the was same as last year - the house, the pets (albeit with a few more health issues), my favorite haunts in the Stavanger Sentrum, the old candle factory, the walking trails by the house, the need to be outside as much as possible, and of course the jaw dropping beauty that is everything Norway. There were differences too though that gave this particular experience it's own unique flavor....

After the initial jolt I got my first night with the sun actually setting and black night taking over; I enjoyed the way Stavanger's city lights shone through the darkness. I LOVED that I got to see a golden moon rising so many nights in a row. Last year my raincoat was pretty much a daily necessity, this time around it's the sun that has reigned. I remember how much the airs dryness delighted me last July but now, after living in a desert for a year, I am acutely aware of the moisture in the air and it's silky softness sets me smiling. The presence of bugs has been noticed a bit more this time too, of course last year they were so rare they were almost invisible so this change has only been the tiniest of tiny nuisances. The best changes though were the new places I got to add to my life story - Store Stokkavatn, Hålandsvatnet, Tungenes lighthouse, stepping inside the Domkirke, Vårlivarden, Helleren, Bjørndalsfjellet ,and of course the beyond beautiful Viglesdalen.

But with so many things in land that I still want to do - need to do; when there are so many hidden treasures my heart still has yet to discover;  how can I go when I do know when, or even if, I'll ever be back. My friends move back to Alaska this month, which means that there will be no future incredible, too good to be true housesitting opportunities. If I want to come back it's on me to make it happen. So I guess I have a new project to work on because, well, I have to come back I don't really have a choice. Just like Alaska, Norway has imprinted itself upon my soul, so whether it takes me six months or six years I will one day return. For now, Norway, takk for turen, til vir møtes igjen!

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