High school to college....

I guess the main reason I decided to go to college in Kansas was because I knew that I had been born there, but that we'd never lived there as a family...at least not in my memory. And I really wanted to see it. So I applied and was accepted to Baker University, a small four-year liberal arts school that had a really good music program.

Music is what I thought I wanted to pursue...most especially piano. I felt at the time that it was the only thing I was good at, and so I decided to major in it. I wasn't sure what I wanted to to do with it, really...but I just knew that I wanted to get better at it. I loved learning new instruments as well, and I thought that would serve me well in my musical career.

So, the summer after I graduated high school from Herringswell, I went home to Oslo. But first, I had a chance to spend two weeks in Athens, Greece with my good friend Jeannie. Her mother was Greek, and so her grandmother still lived in Athens, where we were able to stay. Plus, Jeannie had been corresponding with a guy who was in the Navy at the time, and his fleet was going to be in the port at Athens...Not a bad reason to go there... My parents decided that was a good graduation present for me, so off I went. It was a fun trip. We explored the ruins, the Parthenon, and all the other Greek places that you only see in pictures. We spent time relaxing in the square, sipping on wine or whatever, watching the people. We walked through the old part of town, got something to eat from the vendors - souvlaki - where they cut off a hunk of the cooking lamb, throw it on pita bread along with vegetables, and hand it to you! It was so delicious!! I learned a little bit of Greek, but mostly we just used hand language, and crippled along that way. Oh yes, we did get to hang out with a few Navy men, too.

The rest of the summer I spent getting ready for college, packing my stuff so it could go by air, and spending time with my family. I loved living there. The summers are great in Oslo. Lots of sunshine, long days, and happy people. There was lots to see there too. I especially loved the park where there were dozens of statues of people...and then the final sculpture of people all entwined together in a huge monolisk. It was a nice park. I forget the name of the artist who had done those sculptures.

When the time came, I flew to the States to go to Baker University, and mom, dad, and Chuck all came with me to get me settled in. We probably stopped to see the grandparents, but I don't really remember. It was good to finally get there, and I was impressed with the campus. The people were all really nice. Fall is a gorgeous time at Baker, because of all the maple leaves turning color. They have a Maple Leaf Festival there each fall.

But, as much as I liked getting to college, it was still very, very hard for me to see mom and dad leave me there...I knew they were going to go back to Norway...a long ways away...and I wouldn't see them until Christmas, probably. I know it was just as hard on them...or harder...to leave me there. Dad and I have talked about this since then...he said he really didn't want to leave me...but he felt like he didn't have any choice.