Singing AND Hiking in the Rain

This blog entry comes to you on a Sunday night (although because of technical difficulties, it was actually posted on Wednesday. NBD.) I've just spent several hours baking with Simone, chatting with floor mates, and enjoying hot chocolate with friends. It was beautiful outside today! (See picture to the left). That picture was taken through my kitchen window. Ahhhh....this is the life.
This week has been fantastic and very busy!
On Wednesday, the exchange students had our special matriculation ceremony where we were officially declared students at NHH by the vice-rector. He was wearing a robe so...it was legit. We were told to get a little dressed up, and I was sad that I couldn't wear my heels because, well, I would simply break my neck AND my shoes trying to get down the stairs to the school. Speaking of stairs, this is what I deal with multiple times a day:


You're jealous. I know.
The ceremony was great, and we had sparkling apple juice and free fruit, so everyone was happy.



Now, the real meaty part of this blog entry is the Saturday hike that I went on with about 30 of the exchange students. It was definitely one of the most interesting hikes I've been on. Don't worry, I captured a significant amount of the trek on video.


Things were going really well until we got to a paved road that was more than just a "little" slippery...



The hike was great because the scenery around us was really beautiful, but it was difficult to appreciate at times when the wind was blowing like CRAZY, it was raining, and the snow was up past my knees. I tried to keep things light by singing with Michael and Simone in "Germish" (a combination of German and English), but it didn't take long until we were all getting cold and wet and a little frustrated. Nevertheless, it was still beautiful!



We took shelter in an abandoned shed...

But made it to our first stop!

After another hour of hiking, we made it to Floyen, a very popular place for tourists to go. Tourists, however,usually take the cable car. We opted for the cable car on the way down. None of us had the desire to walk for another 3 hours soaking wet.


After a shower and a nap, it was time to get ready for the homecoming party at Klubben. Simone and I were feeling like models, so we worked it out.



Klubben was great! Michael, Toby, Simone and I got there at 11:30 and...nobody was there. But it was fine. We took pictures of ourselves in mirrors to look cool while we waited for some more people to show up.



Not long after our photoshoot, I met my first Norwegian friend! His name was "Trygve". (Probably didn't spell that right, but trust me-it's even worse when I try to pronounce it). He helped me with some of my Norwegian, and it was nice to hear about Bergen from a local!

The night was filled with dancing which, of course made me VERY happy! Classes started on Monday, so now reality is setting in. However, I'm really enjoying getting back into the swing of things. My room is starting to feel like home, and I can't wait for the next few months to unfold!
All the best to you all across the ocean!!
A