I went to the US over Christmas. A California Christmas was certainly very different, but I had a lot of fun. I went on my first ever golf cart Christmas light parade. I got a lot of attention from American Norwegians that night. One person asked me about recipes she learned from her grandmother, but I unfortunately, just because I’m Norwegian it doesn’t mean I know everything about every recipe and old tradition! My own mother doesn’t even cook! And this woman was probably around 70! Her grandmother probably did this stuff a very long time ago. 😂

Christmas dinner was awesome. Claire and I went out and higher a 20lbs prime rib which we cooked! I cannot believe that thing got in the oven! Each person who came brought something. So I got to try lots of things. I have tasted artichoke dip for the first time, and the best Cæsar salad! Claire and I also got lots of tiny gifts which we wrapped into a giant Saran wrap ball! That was a fun game!

Anyway enough about Christmas, I have been asked to go back to school and take some classes in sociology. But this time I’ll get paid for it. We haven’t gotten a green light yet, my school needs to get funding to buy me out part time. I’m really looking forward to it, but I know it’s not yet set in stone. This semester I am taking a class in ancient religions for fun, but I work full time. I haven’t had time for all the lectures! 😬 But my coworker and I share the books and I try to study. I made it through the ancient Egyptians and now I’m reading about Mesopotamia. My coworker has been reading about the old Norse mythology/religion. I really love the topoc, but I wish I had time to go to every lecture. 😅 I go most Mondays, and I have coffee with a former coworker who is doing a PhD in English didactics.

I also recently went to a conference for teachers and people who train teachers. It was so much fun! I just signed up because my friend was going and she said the university covered all the costs. I got to spend the night at a really fancy hotel with a spa, and they gave us three-course meals in the restaurant. Yummy!
My friend and I also had a dip in the ocean (which was like 4 Celsius (39,2 Fahrenheit)! It was not as bad as I thought it would be. I think it’s because your body instantly tried to warm itself up and your skin kind of goes a bit numb. Then we immediately went up into the sauna, of course!

So that’s a little big about me lately. 🤷‍♀️