Letters to Home - Norway
by Leslie Shalduha
July 20, 2025 Good Morning
Emma's cousin left last week so I enjoyed a few days of recalibration and office hours to think before taking the day off to enjoy Norway. Emma is staying most nights with her beau, Alex, and then we get together during the days. It is ok with me—I like the alone time, especially after such a wild first few weeks of this journey.
It is to be hot for these next few days so swimming is on the agenda. Yesterday we went island hopping again, which is my most favorite thing to do so far. Public transportation tickets that we buy once a week for $36 covers all modes—bus, tram, train and ferry within a certain zone. Alex's mom recommended an island called Nakholmen and I am sure glad she did! It is less busy than the others that are right off the coast of Oslo; small enough to walk around the whole island and dotted with lots of tiny, colorful houses. The edges of the island are mostly nature preserve so we can access most of it. Up on a rise, looking over the ocean, and under a glorious tree sits a bench where we enjoyed our picnic lunch then wandered to find the best beach for Emma and Alex to swim. We found one with a nice little cove to wade in, startling the sweet geese and their young, while the kids (my term of endearment for the two) went off a little pier to swim in deeper water. The beach is full of rocks and shells, both jagged and smooth as well as large slabs of rock upon which to spread our towels. Settling near the water, I stuck my feet in the seaweed while I read and daydreamed a little. A giant cruise ship sailed by, looking as if it was headed straight for my island! After awhile, Alex and I walked over to the little store where I bought an orange popsicle, chips and a cold can of coke. Ha, who am I?
Looking ahead, I booked an apartment in Iceland. It is shockingly expensive and options were very limited. We will be out too much money for the first month with deposits and whatnot but then it should settle down. Because of the insane rates to stay in vacation lodging there, we have decided to stay in Norway until August 17, rather than August 1. Classes start August 18 but we still do not know about immigration so why hurry?
We have found our first housesit job here in Norway which relieves some lodging financial pressure. Our housesit is in Drammen, about an hour from Oslo by train. We will watch a family's little pup and kitty while they go to Crete for vacation. It is a nice house in a big recreational area, so looking forward to long walks in nature after all this city stuff. We do it for free in exchange for somewhere to stay! I am excited to give this a go. We will likely use this as often as we can for get-aways.
It is difficult timing wise to know when to call you all so I hope it is okay to send updates in this way. Please write back soon and let me know what is new and how you are doing.