Dear Sarah,
I’ve only been in Norway for 2 weeks, but it’s amazing how fast you can adapt to a new place. Of course, it helps that my two collaborators at University of Bergen (UiB) have been extremely helpful and welcoming, and that everyone in Norway speaks perfect english. But honestly, moving to Bergen was easier than moving from DC to Amherst MA for grad school in many ways. It took all of half a day to get my student ID, my office key, set up internet and printer access, activate my university account, and figure out how to pay rent. The international stuff is a bit harder, like getting salary and tax stuff sorted out, but it looks like everything is coming together. Which is great, since I’d much rather think about geology than boring logistics.
Three days after I landed (and not anywhere near beating the jet lag) I went with one of my advisors to Oslo for the Nordic Geological Winter meeting. I was a bit apprehensive about going to a conference so soon after my arrival, but it turned out to be an excellent move. I didn’t know too much about Norwegian geology and arctic research, so this was a great way to get a broad overview of the processes and landforms you find in the region. Some things were totally new to me–did you know there’s an active volcano in Norway?? I also got to meet a lot of really great people who are studying topics from glacial outburst floods to sea level impacts of melting glaciers, to glacial extents during the last ice age–okay, I mostly wound up talking to people who were studying glaciers in some capacity, but it’s just because glaciers have played such an important role in shaping the landscape around here that it’s just about impossible to find anything they haven’t impacted.
So now I’m back in Bergen, working on drafts and edits for some other papers and starting to figure out fieldwork logistics. I’ve enjoyed a nice boost in productivity thanks to 1) unlimited hot chocolates 2) the giant, beautiful window in my office, and 3) a much-needed shake-up from my routine. It’s amazing what you can do when you find out you can do hard things, and I’m finding that my comfort zone is only as small as I make it. In Norwegian, Karin is a pretty common name but it’s pronounced “Kah-rin”, rather than “Kare-in” like in the US. And since moving to a new place is a great opportunity to embrace change, I came up with a few goals for myself as “Kah-rin”.
- Watch less TV: it’s so tempting to just come back to my apartment after work and spin up Netflix. But lately it’s started to take the place of some of my other hobbies, like sketching and writing, so I’ve been trying to spend more time doing more engaging activities. Plus I know that I won’t make any friends unless I make a conscious effort to be around people, which leads me to…
- Be less scared of people: thanks to the “stranger danger” brainwashing of elementary school combined with my natural tendency towards introversion I’ve always been a pretty shy person. But overcoming this fear almost always leads to fantastic friendships and overwhelmingly positive interactions. So I’m making an effort to quiet my inhibitions about what people may think about my broken Norwegian and general cluelessness as I try to navigate a new place, and assume that people will be understanding and patient.
- Talk more deliberately: speaking a language I’m still in the process of learning has made me much more aware of what I say, and forces me to be direct in a way that I not always am when speaking english. And when I do have to revert to english, I need to keep it simple and to the point so I’ll be understood. So goodbye to um’s y’know’s, and like’s!
- Drink less: this has been a pretty easy one, since I don’t typically drink much anyway. The thing is, alcohol is VERY expensive in Norway, so the motivation for this one was mostly budget-related. But it’s a good start of the more general goal to:
- Eat healthier: I’ve had mixed results for this one so far as well. The high costs mean I’ve been eating a lot of pasta and frozen pizza (which is really popular in Norway, especially among students) and there’s just a general lack of fresh veggies. Since I don’t eat meat, I’m finding it somewhat difficult to find satisfying non-meat options, but I think it’s just a question of creativity and trying lots of different grocery stores. But at the same time, I’m spending a whole lot less on desserts…my office is so nice that I can get lots done there whereas back home I’d usually work in coffee shops, which is impossible to do without also getting a treat.
- Work-life balance: the Norwegians have this down. People take their weekends and holidays, but they still manage to be incredibly productive during the times when they’re working. One of my Norwegian advisors told me “you can get more done in 8 hours than you can in 9”, meaning that enabling yourself to take care of the other important aspects of your life leaves you mentally able to focus on work when it’s time to do so. There will always be times when you have to push whatever your default limit is, but having some time each day when I’m not working and also not exhausted has really helped me break some procrastination habits that I’ve developed.
- Try new things: while coming to Norway for 8 months is one big new thing for me, it would be a lost opportunity if I just stuck to activities I already know I like. But I don’t want to overload myself, so I’ve made it my goal to do one new thing every day. So far I’ve been able to do that easily, since basic things like getting groceries or walking to another part of town have all been new. But I’m going to keep trying to expand my horizons, in little ways like taking the bus, but maybe some bigger ways like learning a new winter sport or traveling to a new city as well. Doing hard things is the best way to grow, and if the past 2 weeks have been any indication, it does wonders to your confidence.
I hope you’re starting to settle into your new place and finding your way around in Jerusalem! I’m so excited that we’re embarking on such cool and different experiences, and that we can share them with each other! Miss you lots, and I hope to hear from you soon!!
Med vennlig hilsen,
Karin