One Month Left
It’s hard to believe that our year here is almost over. We booked our tickets to go back to Boston on July 12. Having flights booked — more than anything else — makes it real. So, to people here on Rødøy who wish us to stay for one more year, and to people back home who were afraid that we’d stay here: we are profoundly grateful for your sentiments. But we’re keeping our word.
It doesn’t mean we want to. It’s one week from Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Being inside the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t set now: at midnight we see the sun lighting up the mountains, still streaked with snow. The scenery is breathtaking. Over the last month we ventured out to beaches in our boat, had a wonderful surprise 40th birthday party for Kristin (all the kids from school came), collected seagull eggs, celebrated the Norwegian National Day, caught more fish, and raised a few tadpoles. When a week-long vacation ends, people go home, and it doesn’t mean they want to. In the same way, we’ll go home after this year.
I haven’t blogged much lately. Mostly it’s because life has felt so very normal. Not very blog-worthy. And that’s probably our biggest lesson from this year: people adapt very fast — much faster than they think. The new normal sets in and new routines established quickly. We met our friend who told us about the island a while back. When she came back here after many years, she was blown away by its beauty. She said, “I can’t believe I lived here!”
Over the next month, the children will be done with school and Kristin done with work. We’ll try to enjoy it to the fullest. We’re hosting a midsummer night party next weekend on a neighboring island, with guests coming from different places. And I still need to catch a big halibut. Between activities, I’m going to blog frequently to reflect on our year here.
Pictures from May are now online. You can see them here.
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Yeah, but what about the people in Rodoy who want you to leave, and the people in Boston who want you to stay? Uh, just kidding!
The “new normal” reminds me of a comment I heard in a workshop on stories by Donald Davis. Oral stories, that is. The new normal is where the story ends up, after you understand the old normal well enough to recognize an inversion, or a twist that is out of place. Then, you come to grips with the new normal. When you get there, the story is over. Like yours, in Rodoy.
Peace and God Bless.
T
Well, I’m sure the people you describe exist. Guess we’ll making one camp happy and the other sad.
Enjoy the last of your adventure Winston!
Thanks!
The end comes always unexpectedly:-)
I count days till the 12th of July preparing to leave Norway with you! And hope you’ll return here one day…
Wish you good luck and new dream to realized!