Nora Stadler, student at Windesheim, is currently living in Norway to study ‘Education for diversity and sustainable living’. She’s blogging for WIN about her experiences studying abroad.
October is my favourite month in the year! Partially because it’s my birthday month and I tend to remind all people around me that my birthday is going to be soon, but also because autumn is my favourite season. When I arrived here in Norway, many people told me that I would have a hard time in Norway then as the autumn is very short. Sometimes only two weeks and then it changes to the harsh Norwegian winter.
Huge yellow maple tree
But the Norwegian October didn’t let me down but surprised me with bright blue skies, marvellous sunsets and trees that seemed like they had dyed their leaves overnight, instead of slowly changing their colour. And lucky enough, the window of my room directly faced a huge yellow maple tree.
I celebrated my birthday with friends from home (it felt like the ‘parties’ I was having with my friends during Covid, haha), and it was good to just chat with them again. When I stood up in the morning, my flat mate had prepared some muffins for me in the kitchen which made me really happy.
Ten people in a litte flat
I unfortunately had to give a presentation on my birthday for my current course, which – funnily – was interrupted by a friend from Zwolle calling to congratulate me. Important thing I learned from that: never leave WhatsApp web open during a uni presentation.
After the presentation I picked up a parcel that arrived for my birthday and started to cook some finger food for my little birthday party with around ten people, who all somehow squeezed into our little flat. I enjoyed the evening a lot!
October was truly the months of visitors here in Hamar. I had my parents visiting, my sisters and two friends. I spent some days with all of them in Oslo which is only about an hour train ride from Hamar. With my friends I visited an art installation in a forest which was a magical experience. It’s a permanent exhibition, so I would definitely recommend it!
Magical experience
We now also finished the second course in uni and started the third and last course, which means that I have only three weeks of classes to come and then the exams start.
All in all, autumn in Norway is short, but therefore intense. And, this year at least, very sunny and warm!
