Far from home
"We are far from home
But we're so happy
Far from home
All alone
But we're so happy"
- "From Finner" by Of Monsters and Men
I wish I could make you feel the way I feel right now. It's like I'm a piece of fabric that had been stored away for a long while in a musty attic with moth balls, and suddenly I've been brought out, spread open, dusted off, and hung in the sunshine. I feel fresh, aired out, new. The lyrics I wrote above are so incredibly true. Since landing in Stavanger, I have been embraced by my new colleagues, enthralled by the landscape, and refreshed by the wind, the sun, and the sea.
I went to church this morning! I'm a Protestant Christian - a Lutheran - so it wasn't hard to find a church in Stavanger. In fact, there's a Lutheran church literally a block from my house. The congregation is vibrant, and there are a lot of young families. There was a group of kids that sang in the service today, and there were even two baptisms! I think I'll fit in well.
After church, I walked around downtown, and it was the first time I had ventured any significant distance without planning a route and taking a map. Downtown is relatively easy to navigate because it's organized on two peninsulas. Basically, if you walk far enough in any one direction, you'll hit water and know it's time to turn back. There were a lot of instances when I wandered long enough that I ended up at the same place where I began. Given my experience getting to IRIS, which is just outside of town, I was thankful to find the city center so navigable!
On the recommendation of a friend, I decided to explore to the east of downtown, toward the inner coast of the fjord. About a 30 minute walk due east of my house is the most gorgeous, unobstructed fjord view I've found yet. You can even walk out onto the rocks at the edge of the water. I usually choose a spot in every city I live in where I will go to decompress and pray, and I think this will be my place in Stavanger.
It's been 5 days since I landed, and I think I can declare myself officially settled in. Tomorrow morning, I will head to IRIS and start on some real work. Bring on the science!
But we're so happy
Far from home
All alone
But we're so happy"
- "From Finner" by Of Monsters and Men
I wish I could make you feel the way I feel right now. It's like I'm a piece of fabric that had been stored away for a long while in a musty attic with moth balls, and suddenly I've been brought out, spread open, dusted off, and hung in the sunshine. I feel fresh, aired out, new. The lyrics I wrote above are so incredibly true. Since landing in Stavanger, I have been embraced by my new colleagues, enthralled by the landscape, and refreshed by the wind, the sun, and the sea.
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| My church in Stavanger |
After church, I walked around downtown, and it was the first time I had ventured any significant distance without planning a route and taking a map. Downtown is relatively easy to navigate because it's organized on two peninsulas. Basically, if you walk far enough in any one direction, you'll hit water and know it's time to turn back. There were a lot of instances when I wandered long enough that I ended up at the same place where I began. Given my experience getting to IRIS, which is just outside of town, I was thankful to find the city center so navigable!
 |
| View out to the fjord from my "secret spot" |
It's been 5 days since I landed, and I think I can declare myself officially settled in. Tomorrow morning, I will head to IRIS and start on some real work. Bring on the science!
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