Nearing the end of our time in Lillehammer, we are sad to leave but excited to go on to our next adventure. Ahead of us lies the city of Bergen, where we will make more wonderful memories and learn more about Norway as a whole. As we reflect on the site visits, lectures, presentations, and the different personal experiences, each of us can reflect on the best memories we had in this little town of about 28,000 people.

Cassidy: I think something I will always take with me is that Lillehammer looked and felt like Norway! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED Oslo, but in some ways, Oslo wasn’t exactly how I pictured Norway. Oslo had high buildings and skyscrapers, people everywhere, and not much snow. As I left Oslo on the train, I soon became surrounded by homes nestled in the mountains, snow, lakes, and rivers. Lillehammer looked and felt like the Christmas town I had always thought Norway would be!

Another one of my favorite memories from Lillehammer was going cross country skiing for the first time. There were about fifteen of us that hopped on a bus to take us to Hafjell Alpinesenter. When we first got there, we rented our skis and took the gondola up to the trails. We were able to practice at a flat area, where I thought I got the hang of it. Sure enough, I was wrong! When we hit the hills, I fell so many times that I lost count. Even with the battle scars from the day, I enjoyed every minute of it, and I hope to go cross country skiing again! Plus, how many people can say they were able to go cross country skiing in NORWAY!?!

Anna: Reflecting on my time in Lillehammer, two things come to mind.

First and foremost: I am lying in the hostel bed trying to write this blog. I’m struggling to form words and write coherent sentences because surrounding me are my three roommates cracking jokes, telling stories, and giggling uncontrollably. I think I can speak for almost everyone on the Norway trip when I say that even though we have only known one another for two weeks, we have made friendships and memories that we will never forget. So far our fond memories include the first time we tasted Norwegian chocolate milk wondering how we ever lived without it, and watching Jim Martin-Schramm, our professor, practically carry Luther Prestemon up a hill because he did not have his Yaktrax on (they are a must in the icy town of Lillehammer). There are too many memories to list from our trip, and we aren’t even finished yet! I have learned so much on this trip, but the personal connections I have made have been just as important to me. I can’t wait to see what our final week in Bergen brings.

This leads to the second part of my answer: Learning. Today we had the opportunity to visit one of Lillehammer’s high schools and talk with a class of immigrants. Most students spoke Norwegian and minimal English. This meant most of us needed to dust off our Norwegian skills (‘Jeg heter Anna!’) or get a quick lesson from Maren before heading into the school. It was both difficult and enriching to attempt to communicate with the students. We learned about their favorite parts of Norway, and the work that the country does to ensure that immigrants integrating into Norwegian life get quality education on language, culture, and general studies, before moving to higher education or vocational work.

Tomorrow is a full day of travel as we head to our last city, Bergen.