December 12–18, 2007, Number 171
Planes, Trains and Boat-mobiles
Over 18,000 words written, 2,477 feet of waterfall photographed, 1,200 miles traveled, 118 pages completed, 25 hours on a train, 23 international students, and UNESCO's number one natural attraction in the world. It is safe to say the last two weeks have been a doosey. I suppose I should start breaking down this barrage of numbers I just rambled off. Well, for starters, I decided to skip an article last week to put a little focus on the final project paper that was due. It was needed, too, as we finished up at just over 18,000 words and 118 pages. It's a great feeling to see the fruits of four months of labor come together into a final package. For some in my group, this marked the absolute last thing they had to accomplish to receive their diploma. For me, it marks the completion of my senior design project that I need to ensure my graduation in May. I also learned something about myself. I am completely incapable of finishing anything ahead of schedule. I don't think this is due to lack of motivation or failed attempts in time management, but the reality that I just can't say a project is finished if there is still time to work on it. Anyways, we were all pretty excited, to say the least, hence the planned celebration trip to Oslo, Norway. What I failed to realize was the actuality that twenty-two other students from the international program were making this trip as well.
This extended weekend trip to the country of Norway has made something quite obvious to me. That we are as much in control of our lives and where we go with them as we are living with things and situations that are completely out of our control. I have just mentioned that there were twenty-three students making this voyage, about half of which have decided to stay in Oslo and experience the night life, and the remainder and myself have made the decision to spend two nights on a train traveling westward and back across the country to the see the magnificent fjords. For those geographically challenged readers, a fjord is a long, narrow, river that extends from the sea inland. It is said that glaciers have carved them out during the last ice age, but after seeing them I am convinced it is the work of the finger of God.
After spending a day in Oslo, my travel companions and I hopped on a midnight train to the western fjord city of Bergen. This would be the base camp for our train to bus to boat to train fjord tour that would take us through some of the greatest natural beauty I have ever laid eyes on. As a child I always wanted to go to Norway, the country. I thought it was cool that my hometown had a country that shared the same name. After being in Norway for a short time I realized that the natural beauty that the country displayed was similar to the natural beauty I grew up around, but on steroids. 2,000 to 3,000-foot, sometimes near vertical mountains shot up from the fjord river, and a near half-mile high waterfall that produced jaw dropping reactions and pictures that struggle to capture their true magnificence.
Our fjord tour took us to UNESCO's number one rated natural world heritage site. This is the Naeroyfjord, a branch of Norway's biggest fjord known as the Sognefjord or the "king of the fjords". If you are unfamiliar with UNESCO it is an organization affiliated with the United Nations and part of it declares places around the world as heritage sites that in some way make a significant contribution to humanity. Another example of a natural world heritage site similar to the fjords I saw would be the Grand Canyon. So this number one rating is a pretty big signification to the greatness of the Norwegian Fjords. We saw amazing natural landscape, but not just that; we also saw herds of elk, sea otters, and a couple harbor porpoises surfacing here and there around the tour boat. Add the refreshing, but chilling, Norwegian winds and you have yourself a complete sensory overload.
As I mentioned earlier half the group chose to stay back in Oslo for the entirety of the trip. As we reconvened with our friends it was clear that the simple choice to see the fjords produced drastically different memories and experiences that we both will carry with us for the remainder of our lives. This is a great example of the power of the decisions we make everyday that have a long lasting impact on the things we see, do, and remember.
Despite the beautiful countryside I was able to see in Norway, I have to mention the most special experience I had come upon on my last day in the Oslo, area. I jumped on a train south for about an hour to Norway's fifth largest town called Fredrikstad. This was a special trip because it was the place where my future wife's Great Great Grandmother called home. I tried explaining how special this visit was to my foreign friends but they seemed to lack appreciation. Unlike Americans whose ancestry can be traced back to countless different countries, my European friend's ancestors, for generation after generation, have come from the same country. No matter, there is still something fascinating about visiting a place linked to our past. We all share this fascination, and I am not quite sure why. But I know that we, as Americans, are a special breed. A mixture of nationalities and traditions united by one common theme, we all came from somewhere other than here.
To wrap things up I think its great how the people of a region have such a natural desire to be brought together to celebrate things of commonality. After a little reflection I realized that the commonality that every group of people, in any area, shares is the natural environment and culture surrounding them. Have you ever wondered why some people live in certain areas of the world? After living in a dark and rainy Denmark and a snowy Houghton, I do. But it is becoming more evident that environment is not the driving force behind someone's desires to reside in a certain place. It is the comfort of knowing the culture and the comfort of having people you love nearby. Environment is easier to adapt to than a heart aching for a place to call home. Heck, after awhile, people begin to embrace the craziness of Mother Nature. A perfect example is Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival, the yearly celebration of snow. Or Norwegians who are just as proud to throw on a pair of skis, as someone from Florida is proud to put on a pair of swim trunks everyday. I often here the phrase "to each his own" and I believe it in some sense to be true. Everyone wants to be able to grab hold of something and say, "this is me and this is what defines me." I think these celebrations of culture and surroundings are superbly fascinating and I am thankful that I have been able to share in just a slice of the differences this world has to offer.
Next weeks article will be from western border of the great country that is Germany. I have been invited by one of my group mates, Hendrik, to visit his hometown. I thought Norway would be the last hurrah but it seems opportunity keeps knocking, and I keep letting him in. So it looks like more adventures are yet to be had before my much-anticipated trip home for Christmas.
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Thanks,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885