Sunday, October 10, 2010

8:35 PM

Volda, Norway

Heltne 2 dorms

I’m not feeling very energetic at the moment, and therefore not particularly in a writing mood, but I need to at least record the events of the past few days before they start piling up.

Upon arriving in Volda I spent the better part of an hour or so wandering around town trying to find the “university canteen” where I knew I should meet my host, Natasza, at some point if I could—y’know—get in contact with her. I eventually did find her and Petra (who had also replied to my request and offered to host me). I found out then that I would be travelling with them into the mountains on Saturday!

Petra took me over to her dorm and made some food, and then we went over to Rokken, when we attended the university’s Romanian Night, comprised of watching Romanian propaganda movies and eating “traditional” Romanian food. Then next door was a showing of some extreme skiing films, so we attended that (and, of course, now I want to go skiing—go figure).

I spent the night at Petra’s and the next day went wandering about the small town of Volda with her and her French couchsurfer for the weekend. We checked out the fjord, and climbed a little bit up the big mountain that overshadows Volda. That evening we went back to Rokken for a jazz show featuring Beady Belle, a local musician. Very colorful performance, especially the final scat bit by the lady who really went all death metal at the end—totally nuts.

The next day we were supposed to go on the overnight trip to the inner Norwegian wilderness, staying in a cottage, reaching a peak of fifteen hundred meters and all, but there weren’t enough cars. I was mildly disappointed, but they still decided to go hiking so we went into the nearby mountain ranges and made our way through some beautiful forest. That night we ended up going to a bon fire in the forest with a bunch of local college students. I bought hot dogs for the occasion, of course.

Then, today, I finally ascended the great mountain of Volda with Natasza’s roommate and a friend of hers (and his friend from France). It was, at times, a somewhat scary ascent, often climbing straight up the side of the muddy mountain as if it were a ladder (and all in cowboy boots, mind you). In many places there were chains and ropes to help you along. There were such incredible views from the summit, and only six-hundred-fifty meters up! I can’t imagine what fifteen-hundred must be like! We could see all around us, for miles and miles on end, the alpine giants stacked on each other into the (uncommonly) clear horizon.

Back at the Heltne dorms I’m relaxing, washing clothes, and setting things up for the next few days, reflecting on the past few days, and thinking more about my future. I’ll be travelling to Narvik tomorrow and arriving on Tuesday (after more than twenty-four hours of nearly ceaseless travel). It’s above the Arctic Circle, where the Aurora Borealis readily shows itself, and is easily accessible by train, which is why I’m going there. I have my host’s home address, so I shouldn’t have the problem of being stuck out in the cold (granted, the weather’s been surprisingly mild here). I wanted to go further north to Nordkapp (the “most northern part of Europe”) and/or Karasjok (the Sami capital), but they’re rather a pain in the ass to figure out how to reach them.

After that I’m hoping to travel down through Finland and then over to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Then I’ll probably go visit eastern Europe before hitting the south of Europe.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflection, especially with all the time in my head afforded to me while hiking. I think a lot about what makes Americans Americans, actually. I’m absolutely fascinated by it, our virtues, our faults. I think back to Paris, in the St. Christopher’s hostel astride a section of the canal. A drink-off between an American and a European. Who can chug faster? They go at it, and the American wins. The loser looks at the American and notices that his shirt is soaked, and points at his own, dry shirt, saying, “But I’m dry! He’s soaked! I’m dry!” The American shouts back, “But I got it done!” He slams his fist on the table, “I got it done, baby!” Such a fascinating illustration of the American mindset.

I’m also experiencing a new level of awe as I look at the extraordinary nature that surrounds me on all sides. These mountains about the fjords each seem to have a character all their own. How could one fault the ancient Norwegians for believing them to be sleeping trolls?

And I’m still finding concern with where I wish to direct my future. As I further consider my options I feel absolutely torn, each interest growing strong by the day, although I have my suspicions that some are leading the race. I kick myself often for not having explored certain options further while at Binghamton. The good thing is, though, that I’ve really boiled it down, and I’m getting down to the essentials of my interests and my values more and more each day. I’ve evolved (mostly) past a concern for how people will view my chosen career, and past the essential “coolness” of the work environment—it’s allowing me a more pure look at how I want to spend my life, and what I want to do with this precious time afforded me.

Well, it’s almost time to watch a movie. I’m not too happy about how much it cost to get here, nor am I thrilled that I’ve lost so many train-days here, but I’ve really enjoyed my time. I’ve had the socializing benefits of a hostel, even the internationalizing benefits, without the mindless bullshit that goes along with drunk teenage tourists just out of home for the first time. So I consider this a win. I can’t believe how much I’ve seen and experienced already, and it’s only been about two weeks on the Eurail pass! I’ve had my rest and now I’m ready to hit the road again!