Peace, Love, and Lutefisk: Adventures i Norge

I have returned to the dark, and unusually warm metropolis of Tromsø. I had a great few days of travel, but I came home with an unexpected present...a cold! Somewhere between London, Madrid, and Tromsø I found a cold and have been fighting it off alongside Stian who has been going through the same. Friday, I tried the traditional Norwegian cure: tran!

Tran is cod liver oil and is supposed to be taken by Norwegians in every month that has an "R." That's right, add it up. September until April. Tran is very high in omega 3 and vitamins which helps counteract a life without sun and is supposed to give you energy! So, I took a spoonful with a glass of red wine and sudafed. It seemed like the right combination...and I must say, I think I'm recovering quite well, both from the cold and the taste of tran.

In terms of my travels, it's hard to summarize, maybe the photos do a better job. I felt a bit like a blur as I spent only a few days in each place. I had a great time in Spain with friends in the Northwest and with my family in Madrid, both my brother and my Spanish family the Fernandez. It's so great to be able to travel to a new place and be treated just like another kid in the family or another friend. After Spain, i was quite exhausted and my time in Netherlands were enjoyable, but I was quite content to wander, drink coffee, and read the paper at the bagel store. I stayed with a friend from Latvia who I didn't know that well, so that also made it awkward at times, especially after being a part of a family in Spain. I took a trip to Belgium which was a great, unexpected leg of the journey. I was able to meet up with two friends from Luther who work as teachers at an international school, and they were great hosts! I not only had a true Belgian waffle and French fries (which come from Belgium), but also was able to see the town and catch up with some other lutherites. Plus I got to see their int'l school. So interesting. Hundreds of kids from all over the world speaking a variety of languages, but all just being kids. I love the linguistic diversity and hate the lack of socio-economic diversity, but it really makes me want to somehow expose any kids I may someday have to a variety of cultures and languages as young as possible.

And just like that, back to Tromsø and tran. I'm trying to get back in the work mode after a day watching the latest episodes of "Lost" and "Heroes" (a ridiculous show that my Spanish brother Patrick got me into in Spain), so it's time to rest up, drink some tran, and start using that magic fish energy.