where am i?!

i just returned from my weekly trek to wal-mart, every american's second home. seriously, i don't even like the place but it just lures me in. it doesn't matter how many times i can go, i always find something that captures my attention. today it was make-up and peanut butter. i went to find facial powder, but there was just too much from which to choose. as for peanut butter... you have your jif, peter pan, great value brands (three main ones). but the selection doesn't end there. you have creamy, crunchy, sugar, no sugar, low carb, low sodium, low sugar, low fat, organic, natural, with chocolate spread, snickers, and to my dismay - jelly. thinking of brian regan, what kind of lazy person needs their peanut butter AND jelly to come in the same jar? i don't understand any of it.
i spent last week in indiana, visiting family and friends. i had the chance to spend a day with a very good friend from college - also single, 26, and a missionary. we haven't seen each other in 3 years because of our schedules and i can't explain how nice it was to sit down - no time restraints - and talk with a friend who is in the same place as life as i. after the day was over (coffee, shopping, thai food, coldstone, barnes and noble, and movie included), i got in my car and just sighed. how refreshing.
i feel i write this quite often - that coming back to the states feels more and more strange each time i return. but i can't tell you how nice it is to just do "normal" stuff. i can mow the lawn, go to sonic and buy a chocolate/banana shake, go to the library, drive my car, watch rerun after rerun of "gilmore girls" and "what not to wear." those simple, mindless things keep me sane at times. i have found myself bamboozled (there's a word for you) when trying to do other simple things like greet people or go to the post. i can't remember which coins have which value or how to sign a check. i'm sure as soon as i remember all these things, i'll be on a plane back to norway.

the streets of vienna

cosy cafes

we're not in america anymore

no trip anywhere is complete without a trip here

my mom and me

my summer at wicca camp.

i'm sitting here, my body telling me it's almost 4 in the afternoon, i've only slept a few hours, and i spent some time at wicca camp last week. okay... maybe not REALLY, but i could have. i think.

i just returned from my jet-set European lifestyle. i've been to Slovakia, Austria, England, and Norway this past week and before you begin thinking, "wow, Lyndee must be quite well off. isn't she a missionary?" don't. i've felt a bit guilty for travelling (am i really spending my money wisely?), but come on. we flew ryan air, which happens to have the warmest airports in the world, charges you for checking in luggage, and allows stampedes as people run like the bulls in Pamplona to find their unmarked seat on the plane. we also stayed in the "Happy Hostel" ("the happy hostel for happy people," i'm told). so, no reason to feel guilty... i think. what my mom and i did: walked (a lot), sat at cafes (even more so than the former), saw a Mozart concert, went to art museums, saw famous sights, shopped, and my favorite - went to see "The Producers" in London. That was the best. but back to my time at wicca camp...

we travelled from Skien to Vienna with absolutely no problems. it was actually a bit boring because of that. we never got lost, i never left anything anywhere i shouldn't, quite an easy journey. we arrived at the airport in London after our days in Vienna, called the little bed and breakfast where we were staying and they sent over a van to pick us up. we waited outside with the rest of the passengers and as the van pulled up, everyone hopped on. i tried to show my paper reservation to the driver, but he didn't seem to need it. he did ask me for my room number and i thought he was crazy - we hadn't checked in yet. but, we hopped in the van and as i looked around, i thought it was strange that my mom and i were among the oldest people there and as i heard the driver on his walkie, i thought it even more strange that he said there were 7 people in the van. there were 9 of us. so we drove... and we drove... and we kept driving into the English countryside. i didn't recognize any of the scenery from my time before. finally, after 25 minutes we arrived and everyone jumped out of the van. i looked around and saw log cabins and the air smelled like it usually does at summer camp. i hated summer camp. "Welcome to Gateway!" the driver announced. huh?! what happened to The Bushel and Sack? what the heck is Gateway? my honest first thought was "what if we're at wicca camp?" (you know, like megan on "Felicity") to this day i have no idea what "Gateway" really is, but as we were back at the airport the next day, waiting for our shuttle again and someone asked us "Are you going to Gateway?" we could confidently say, "No, we were there last night. We are waiting for our own shuttle."

but, i'm in the States now. i'm quite tired of travelling. i have had my tickets for over a year and as i checked in at Oslo, i found out i had to fly standby and as i checked in at Chicago, i found out my travel agent booked me on a flight home for the day after and i had to pay for a date change. so annoying. but i'm back, feeling like i usually do after coming back. i've heard of many countries having camps for displaced people. maybe i'll check one out.

oh, the places you'll go

create your own visited country map

it's a big world

an end to all

me, my roomates: ruth silje and kristin

marianne, me, karen amalie at graduation










so, dts is over. it's been a long week. up late every night - i fell asleep during prayer at our last staff meeting. embarrassing. graduation was wednesday night. we began at 17.15 with pictures and ended, yes - ended, at 4.00 the next morning. we ate good food, had some entertainment, worship, and open mic. my students dressed up as angels and sang "climb, climb up sunshine mountain" for me. sweet. it was so encouraging to see how much they have grown.
now it's evaluation and planning for next year's dts. our last offical day is the 10th and then... my mom is coming! i pick her up in oslo on the 11th and the next day we travel to vienna for a few days, london for a day, and back to norway. we leave for the states on the 19th. i never know how to feel when i come and go so much. i really wish for more stability, but i don't see it happening anytime soon. it's nice to have my apartment though. last week we had a chance to have "roomate" time - we had pizza delivered (almost a $10US delivery fee) and got up one morning and decided to paint our living room. after 3 coats of paint, we were satisfied. we need one more, but it's a huge improvement. i'm really blessed to live where i do. such a nice neighborhood and the apartment has character.
this year has just flown by. i'm so glad to be back in norway again. i feel that on outreach i grew into myself, if that makes sense. i'm more comfortable being who God intended me to be and not content anymore to stand in the shadow of anyone or anything else. i think that's the way it should be.