Hei hei,
Oslo, Norway is my wonderful new home for three months this summer. I am living right on the edge of the Nordmarka nature preserve, containing a labyrinth of confusingly marked and criss-crossing trails, and invisible bogs(yikes). This is also my first time ever living in a town larger than Williamstown, so learning to navigate subways, trains, trams, and buses has been one of the most difficult tasks this summer. Maybe needless to say, but I’ve spent upwards of half time here feeling slightly confused and very lost - both in the woods, in the city, and at work. Thankfully the long hours of daylight and almost-but-not-quite midnight sun have helped me regularly find my way home. And, in the process of finding my way home, I’ve discovered some of my favorite spots around the city – a cool neighborhood when I took the T in the wrong direction, a secret berry patch when I lost the trail, and free grills in a park when I couldn’t find the bus stop.
The view from Vettakollen Mountain out over Oslofjord
My favorite blueberry picking spot!
I’m very grateful for the Williams Fellowship that is allowing me to live in Norway this summer, and complete my internship at the University of Oslo. I am analyzing lake sediment cores and searching for microscopic volcanic glass shards called cryptotephra layers to determine what the climate may have been like during the Viking age.
A cryptotephra shard!
I loved living in Lillehammer during my gap-year, which is one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come back this summer. On the weekends, I have been excitedly reliving the Lillehammer glory days of Sjusjøen mountain adventures, knitting sweaters with my host mom, pretty valley sunset views from our patio, and afternoon skolebrød expeditions in town. Lillehammer’s picturesque main street overlooking the dramatic valley means that you have an incredible view from almost anywhere in town. On top of that, I have appreciated the time to reconnect with friends I left so suddenly at the onset of the pandemic and with my wonderful host family.
The view from my favorite Lillehammer bakery
The view over Lillehammer valley and Lake Mjøsa
A sunset view from my host family’s house
Included in my 3 month internship are two weeks of vacation time. My first week, I traveled to Venice, Italy to visit a friend from my gap year. I was humbled by how little Italian I could speak or understand after studying it for a full year at Williams (oh well…). During my week-long visit, Silvia and I traveled to many northern-Italian cities, spent a very long day hiking in the Dolomites, and ate a bit too much gelato for my lactose intolerance to handle.
Venice!
Hiking with Silvia in the Dolomites
My second week of vacation was used this past week to go hiking in Switzerland, a place I’ve always dreamed of visiting. We stayed most of the week in Grindelwald, but the highlight of the trip was a 3 day hut to hut hike from Kandersteg back to Grindelwald. I’m writing this blog in bed after a 24hr journey via train and plane home, and I’m already missing the giant mountains, the cow bells ringing over the valleys, and the chocolate fondue.
A section of trail between Greisalp and Murren
Finally got to see a real-life glacier!
I’ve been starting to miss Williams a little too, and am getting excited to be back this fall with my favorite cow herd.
Sending lots of love to my fellow ephs,
Kennedy
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