Day Twelve

Craig Beardslee
Jul 20, 2017 · 4 min read

This won’t be easy — we’ve now marked our last full day in Norway before heading back to the U.S.

This morning, we left Åndalsnes after a quick stop downtown. The ladies shopped a bit while Anders and I found some ice cream cones and enjoyed them on the dock.

After that, we headed back to Marte’s family home and said goodbye. Marte’s father had already left for their family cabin, so we said goodbye to Anne and hit the road.

On our way, we ended up stopping at Stig’s hand-built cabin which was about an hour away from their home in Åndalsnes. The cabin was beautiful and relaxing. Candice and I talked about how much our parents would enjoy this cabin. It was a treat to see it in person and really impressive that it was built by hand. Here is a picture from the cabin.

Another stop was made at an incredible waterfall to take a few pictures and videos.

We made a couple of other stops. We collected a few snacks from a grocery store not far from the cabin and then stopped for lunch about an hour later. I had moose with potatoes and it was delicious!

Once we were back in Oslo, we were all anxious to get the car unloaded and get some food. We took the tram downtown and had dinner at one of my favorite places — Munchies! Their cheeseburgers are great! After that, we made our way to a really interesting bar that specializes in cocktails made from ingredients that they grow on premise. We had a couple of rounds and headed home.

On our way home, we ran into some of Anders’ friends, so we spent a few minutes chatting with them.

Now we are home, and I’m beginning to feel somewhat sad that my time here is coming to an end. Although I’m excited to get home and see Jasper, this is a very bittersweet moment. I’ll miss this country dearly.

The journey has been incredible. I’ve met wonderful people, experienced great culture, and learned so much about myself. Though, I could not have done it if it weren’t for my amazing friends in Norway. Marte and Anders have been a huge part of this journey, and I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me and Candice. They’ve been some of the most gracious hosts, and have made it a point to prioritize my journey while, at the same time, making me feel at home in their country. I’m lucky to have made such great friends in this life. Marte and Anders — thank you, thank you, thank you!

Marte’s parents, Stig and Anne have also been incredible hosts for us. They welcomed us to their home without hesitation, provided us fresh meals every day, and even made Norwegian waffles! They were great to chat with, and gave us a sense of family and belonging. Stig og Anne — tusen takk!

Dordi Skuggevik was such an incredible help, both with her wealth of knowledge and her desire to help me find locations in Surnadal that were important to my family’s history. Seeing where my great-great-grandfather was born and raised was an indescribable experience, and meeting a relative in Surnadal was very special to me. Not many days will top yesterday — I’ll remember it forever.

I also want to thank Candice for her companionship and support through this experience. She’s encouraged me the whole time, and insisted that I see this through. It was really special to have her with me when I visited the land of my ancestors. I love you, Candice — thank you!

Last but not least — thanks to everyone that followed along! It was great reading all of your responses both via Medium and Facebook. I’m sorry that I wasn’t better at responding, but I’m sure you all understand how tough that can be without cellular coverage. I assure you, I read every one of your comments!

We fly out tomorrow at around 8:30 AM local time, so most of you in the U.S. will be in bed when we leave here.

Ja, vi elsker dette landet!

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    Craig Beardslee

    Written by

    Michigan is in my heart and Virginia is under my feet. Lover of dogs, coneys, lakes, and the Oxford comma. Chronicling my adventures in Norway. All I do is win.

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