So I guess this is it, my final blog post whilst in Norway! I’m not quite sure what to say even though I have been thinking about this final post for quite a while. I feel like I should be able to share some incredible advice or be incredibly philosophical, I have just lived abroad […]

As of today there is little more than 4 weeks until I have to leave Norway. I still haven’t actually comprehended this fact, even though I have written it many times. I am quite sure that I will only fully understand what leaving actually means when I get to Oslo Airport on the 4th of […]

As of the 22nd December, I officially have 28 days until I leave the country on my trip of a lifetime. 672 hours until I get on the plane and (after various stop overs) arrive in Norway. Now that school is finished for the year everything seems really close! A month is a long time […]

I haven’t done any blog posts in October (I’m a terrible human being, I know) and so this is my attempt at making up for that: a well-detailed summary of all that has happened in my month using my regular format. The reasons no blog has come in October are varied: I’ve been busy, I’ve […]

When you go to all the briefing meetings in preperation you get A LOT of advice. You swamped with Do’s and Do Not’s and it is honestly hard to remember them all. However, after 3 months I’ve found three pieces of advice to be particularly helpful. Get involved in activiteis.

There are now less than 50 days until I hop on the plane and start my journey back to Aus.  It is insane to think about just how fast time has gone (it seems like only yesterday that I was celebrating making it to the 1 month mark) and I know I haven’t actually come […]

There are now less than 50 days until I hop on the plane and start my journey back to Aus.  It is insane to think about just how fast time has gone (it seems like only yesterday that I was celebrating making it to the 1 month mark) and I know I haven’t actually come […]

Today is Monday. I leave on Friday. If I said I wasn’t terrified I would be lying. I’ve always known that going on exchange would mean tackling some of the biggest obstacles I’ve ever been faced with. There is nothing ‘easy’ about leaving everything you know and love for an unknown quantity. Maybe that is […]

Som du kanskje vet jeg har skrivet flere blog artikler gjennom mitt første ni og halve måneder i Norge men de har alle vært i engelsk (det er mitt første språk så er lettere for meg å skrive med). Jeg har nylig vært oppmerksom til fakten at der er noen nordmenn som har leste det […]

Som du kanskje vet jeg har skrivet flere blog artikler gjennom mitt første ni og halve måneder i Norge men de har alle vært i engelsk (det er mitt første språk så er lettere for meg å skrive med). Jeg har nylig vært oppmerksom til fakten at der er noen nordmenn som har leste det […]

Hi, It’s been a while, I know, and realistically speaking I’ve done plenty of things in the past month worth writing about (there was a school trip to Åland, my basketball team actually won a game and just general explorations of new places). However I’ve never been good at writing about events, even in primary […]

Making : Up my mind about what I want to do with the rest of my life……….or not. One of the reasons I wanted to come on exchange was to figure out what I should do after school finishes – this year was meant to show me what I was meant to do but it hasn’t […]

Making : Up my mind about what I want to do with the rest of my life……….or not. One of the reasons I wanted to come on exchange was to figure out what I should do after school finishes – this year was meant to show me what I was meant to do but it hasn’t […]

So at some point in time I reached day 250 of my exchange and, as a result, the big countdown is on. There are now 100 days until I catch a 9am flight out of Oslo and my life in Norway comes to an end. This year long exchange is now five sevenths through and […]

I’ve always written my blog posts as honestly as is possible, I want them to be an accurate reflection of what I am experiencing on exchange. However, I am not going to deny the fact that I write more about the times where everything is great than the times when I don’t feel so great. […]

I’ve always written my blog posts as honestly as is possible, I want them to be an accurate reflection of what I am experiencing on exchange. However, I am not going to deny the fact that I write more about the times where everything is great than the times when I don’t feel so great. […]

If you’ve been following my blog then you’d probably know that I have done a taking stock for July and, as I found it to be a pretty enjoyable format to use, I’ve decided to give it another crack. So, without further ado, let me present you with my ‘Taking Stock For August’. Making : Plans […]

If you’ve been following my blog then you’d probably know that I have done a taking stock for July and, as I found it to be a pretty enjoyable format to use, I’ve decided to give it another crack. So, without further ado, let me present you with my ‘Taking Stock For August’. Making : Plans […]

  I’ll start off with the very basic information. From January to June I was doing 1st year health at Strømmen Videregående Skole. I was in a class with 16 people with ages ranging from 15 (me for the most of it) to 22. When I first started school it was a massive culture shock. […]

  I’ll start off with the very basic information. From January to June I was doing 1st year health at Strømmen Videregående Skole. I was in a class with 16 people with ages ranging from 15 (me for the most of it) to 22. When I first started school it was a massive culture shock. […]

When I first started playing the saxophone in year 3 I would never imagined the opportunities it would give me whilst on the other side of the world. Playing as a member of Strømmen og Skjetten Skolekorps has definitely been a highlight of my exchange. I have been able to meet like-minded music lovers, learn […]

When I first started playing the saxophone in year 3 I would never imagined the opportunities it would give me whilst on the other side of the world. Playing as a member of Strømmen og Skjetten Skolekorps has definitely been a highlight of my exchange. I have been able to meet like-minded music lovers, learn […]

My mum sent me a link recently to a blog post done by a page called ‘Meet Me At Mike’s’ that presented the idea of ‘taking stock’ for a month and so I figured it could be a pretty cool way to share what I’ve gotten up to in July. So, I present you with […]

My mum sent me a link recently to a blog post done by a page called ‘Meet Me At Mike’s’ that presented the idea of ‘taking stock’ for a month and so I figured it could be a pretty cool way to share what I’ve gotten up to in July. So, I present you with […]

I’ve been trying to figure out what I should write in my halfway post for a while. With nearly six months abroad under my belt I could be deemed qualified enough to give advice to future outbounds- say what and what not to pack, what to expect etc. However I often feel like I’m still […]

I’ve been trying to figure out what I should write in my halfway post for a while. With nearly six months abroad under my belt I could be deemed qualified enough to give advice to future outbounds- say what and what not to pack, what to expect etc. However I often feel like I’m still […]

Two weeks ago I was invited to spend the long weekend with a Rotarian and his family at their cabin. It was a wonderful weekend that I thoroughly enjoyed and I was able to experience a ‘short’ Norwegian walk. Norwegian’s have very different standards for walks than we do in Australia and that was how […]

The 17th of May (Norwegian National Day) has now come and gone. I’ve lived through the biggest holiday on the Norwegian holiday and come out the other side with a greater love for this country than I thought would have ever been possible. So what did I do on the 17th of May? The day […]

Two weeks ago I was invited to spend the long weekend with a Rotarian and his family at their cabin. It was a wonderful weekend that I thoroughly enjoyed and I was able to experience a ‘short’ Norwegian walk. Norwegian’s have very different standards for walks than we do in Australia and that was how […]

Tomorrow is perhaps the most important day on the Norwegian Day. The 17th of May is the Norwegian National Day/Children’s Day/Constitution Day (it goes by a couple of days). I’m writing this post before the day so that you know a little about what it is and what it involves before you read the blog […]

Tomorrow is perhaps the most important day on the Norwegian Day. The 17th of May is the Norwegian National Day/Children’s Day/Constitution Day (it goes by a couple of days). I’m writing this post before the day so that you know a little about what it is and what it involves before you read the blog […]

This past week I have had two days off school (there was a religious holiday on Thursday and as a result we had Friday off as well). I took this opportunity to explore the Botanical Gardens and let’s just say it was a day very well spent. I’ve included some pictures of it below. Ironically […]

This past week I have had two days off school (there was a religious holiday on Thursday and as a result we had Friday off as well). I took this opportunity to explore the Botanical Gardens and let’s just say it was a day very well spent. I’ve included some pictures of it below. Ironically […]

Someone finally gave Norway the heads up that we are in Spring and the much awaited warm weather has finally arrived. After enduring the longest, coldest and snowiest Winter that has occurred in Norway during my lifetime the snow is now nearly completely gone. As you can imagine, Norwegians love the warm weather. Some people […]

Someone finally gave Norway the heads up that we are in Spring and the much awaited warm weather has finally arrived. After enduring the longest, coldest and snowiest Winter that has occurred in Norway during my lifetime the snow is now nearly completely gone. As you can imagine, Norwegians love the warm weather. Some people […]

Today marks the three month anniversary of my arrival in Norway, yesterday was the three month anniversary of my departure from Australia. I can definitely say that nothing would have prepared me for the adventure that my exchange has been. It has certainly been harder than I ever expected but I now know that expectations […]

Today marks the three month anniversary of my arrival in Norway, yesterday was the three month anniversary of my departure from Australia. I can definitely say that nothing would have prepared me for the adventure that my exchange has been. It has certainly been harder than I ever expected but I now know that expectations […]

Quick note: Please read previous blog post ‘Cloudberries and Championships’ first.   24 hours on from my first (and quite probably last) performance in the Annual District Skolekorps Championship I am proud to announce that Strommen og Skjetten Skolekorps received 9th place (the fact that there were only 9 bands doesn’t really matter). I write […]

Quick note: Please read previous blog post ‘Cloudberries and Championships’ first.   24 hours on from my first (and quite probably last) performance in the Annual District Skolekorps Championship I am proud to announce that Strommen og Skjetten Skolekorps received 9th place (the fact that there were only 9 bands doesn’t really matter). I write […]

It’s crazy to think that I’ve been living in Norway for almost 3 months, I don’t know how long I think I’ve been here but it certainly isn’t that. Things have finally started to settle down and I’m gradually finding my own ‘normal’. Despite my previous sentence life has still been pretty crazy but it’s […]

It’s crazy to think that I’ve been living in Norway for almost 3 months, I don’t know how long I think I’ve been here but it certainly isn’t that. Things have finally started to settle down and I’m gradually finding my own ‘normal’. Despite my previous sentence life has still been pretty crazy but it’s […]

Easter is the first ‘holiday’ I’ve spent abroad. Sure I’ve had school holidays but this is the first one where I was acutely aware of the specific traditions my family had in Australia and thus could sort or compare to Norwegian traditions. My experiences of Easter in Australia have always been quite focused around the […]

Easter is the first ‘holiday’ I’ve spent abroad. Sure I’ve had school holidays but this is the first one where I was acutely aware of the specific traditions my family had in Australia and thus could sort or compare to Norwegian traditions. My experiences of Easter in Australia have always been quite focused around the […]

I think I am a relatively sporty person, I use this term only due to the amount of sport I did in Australia. I wouldn’t say I was naturally athletic by any means but, particularly  in Summer, I spent a very large amount of time playing sport or at training. Team sports are sort of […]

I think I am a relatively sporty person, I use this term only due to the amount of sport I did in Australia. I wouldn’t say I was naturally athletic by any means but, particularly  in Summer, I spent a very large amount of time playing sport or at training. Team sports are sort of […]

As February comes to an end I can now say I have made it through the Norwegian Winter. Spring is meant to have started  however you wouldn’t be able to tell if you looked at the weather forecast. Strommen is currently experiencing the most snow it has had in around 20 years and this week […]

As February comes to an end I can now say I have made it through the Norwegian Winter. Spring is meant to have started  however you wouldn’t be able to tell if you looked at the weather forecast. Strommen is currently experiencing the most snow it has had in around 20 years and this week […]

Today I cooked dinner for my host family, more specifically the great Australian food that is the meat pie. I had cooked meat pie before I came to Norway, we made single serve pies in food tech last year, but there was a bit of added pressure here. This dish is iconic and I didn’t […]

Today I cooked dinner for my host family, more specifically the great Australian food that is the meat pie. I had cooked meat pie before I came to Norway, we made single serve pies in food tech last year, but there was a bit of added pressure here. This dish is iconic and I didn’t […]

I have officially been in Norway for 31 days though it honestly doesn’t feel like I’ve been away from Australia for that long. A month can be a really long thing or a really short thing. At the moment it sort of feels like both. A part of me can’t really remember not knowing what […]

I have officially been in Norway for 31 days though it honestly doesn’t feel like I’ve been away from Australia for that long. A month can be a really long thing or a really short thing. At the moment it sort of feels like both. A part of me can’t really remember not knowing what […]

A couple of hours ago I arrived back in Strømmen after spending ten days in Nesbyen. The first three days were an “Introduction Camp” with just the Australians where we learnt more Norwegian and the last 7 days were an intensive ski training camp with all of the exchange students in Norway. I have very […]

A couple of hours ago I arrived back in Strømmen after spending ten days in Nesbyen. The first three days were an “Introduction Camp” with just the Australians where we learnt more Norwegian and the last 7 days were an intensive ski training camp with all of the exchange students in Norway. I have very […]

I can now officially say I am a Rotary Exchange student. There is now no need to add a ‘will be’ or ‘soon to be’ to the start of the phrase. My location and current place of living is (for the next twelve months) Norway. My 27 hours spent in transit is now over and […]

I can now officially say I am a Rotary Exchange student. There is now no need to add a ‘will be’ or ‘soon to be’ to the start of the phrase. My location and current place of living is (for the next twelve months) Norway. My 27 hours spent in transit is now over and […]

Let me start off by saying that I didn’t just start packing today despite what the title may suggest. I have been planning and laying out clothes for over a week. Every couple of days I have weighed my suitcase to see how the weight is progressing and I hadn’t been anywhere near the limit […]

Let me start off by saying that I didn’t just start packing today despite what the title may suggest. I have been planning and laying out clothes for over a week. Every couple of days I have weighed my suitcase to see how the weight is progressing and I hadn’t been anywhere near the limit […]

Today is Monday. I leave on Friday. If I said I wasn’t terrified I would be lying. I’ve always known that going on exchange would mean tackling some of the biggest obstacles I’ve ever been faced with. There is nothing ‘easy’ about leaving everything you know and love for an unknown quantity. Maybe that is […]

As of today there is officially one week to go before I leave for Norway. These past couple of days have been pretty exciting. Iv’e been into the city 5 times in the last 9 days. I have done the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and been to a free art exhibition at the Town Hall […]

As of today there is officially one week to go before I leave for Norway. These past couple of days have been pretty exciting. Iv’e been into the city 5 times in the last 9 days. I have done the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and been to a free art exhibition at the Town Hall […]

I can now proudly say I have my suitcase and have done a (basic) pack to check the weight. At this stage it weighs less than 10 kilograms but I’m sure that once I pack properly it will be well over that amount. I have gone into the city a lot in the last week […]

I can now proudly say I have my suitcase and have done a (basic) pack to check the weight. At this stage it weighs less than 10 kilograms but I’m sure that once I pack properly it will be well over that amount. I have gone into the city a lot in the last week […]

Around the world millions of people eagerly count down towards the new year and, whilst I may be staying home to play board games with my family, I feel as though this might be a good time to reflect on what has happened this year. If you had told me at the start of 2017 […]

Around the world millions of people eagerly count down towards the new year and, whilst I may be staying home to play board games with my family, I feel as though this might be a good time to reflect on what has happened this year. If you had told me at the start of 2017 […]

Everything is now feeling very close. Christmas has now passed and, as indicated by the title, there are less than 3 weeks until I leave. I must admit, I feel a little under prepared. I’m not sure I could communicate anything of great importance in Norwegian (though I am beginning to figure out how to […]

Everything is now feeling very close. Christmas has now passed and, as indicated by the title, there are less than 3 weeks until I leave. I must admit, I feel a little under prepared. I’m not sure I could communicate anything of great importance in Norwegian (though I am beginning to figure out how to […]

As of the 22nd December, I officially have 28 days until I leave the country on my trip of a lifetime. 672 hours until I get on the plane and (after various stop overs) arrive in Norway. Now that school is finished for the year everything seems really close! A month is a long time […]

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