First Years

Long time, no writing.
Things are getting more and more busy here with first year exams coming up in a couple of weeks and lots of studying to do before that. Last week we (the 1st year Danes) finally got an e-mail from UWC Denmark with our new 1st years. In one way it was really exciting! Exciting writing to them and welcoming them to the Danish RCN family. We had a nice brunch meeting this weekend, deciding how to approach them and I am now in contact with all six. This year they are four boys and two girls! I am still very excited to get to know them and a little sad that I won't get to go to their intro-trip this year. In another way it is weird, because it seems like yesterday that we got the e-mail, that we were accepted. To hear their excitement and impatience for coming here was amazing. Gave everyone a reminder of why WE are here. But this also means that our second years are leaving. The ones who took our hands for a while. The ones who had a shoulder to lean on. The ones that always had time for a talk and a cup of tea. The laughs, the good times, the not-so-good times, but most of all the memories we've made together, that will stay with us forever. It is sad, but we cannot take time for granted. It is all about enjoying what we have, which today is 1 month and two days and the new memories to come!

I also had a very nice talk with Astrid, my Danish co-year, this weekend, talking about how we are a family. We do come from the same place; a very liberal country. We are used to 'living our own life' and we are noticing our friends starting to move out. At the same time as we are living this dream, we are trying to deal with authorities telling us what we can and cannot do and it is strange coming from our background. Another thing with being a Dane in Norway is the mutual feeling between our friends and family that we are "just in Norway." In a way it is hard for co-years to understand that we can also be homesick, even though we geographically are closer to home, because we too have to communicate over Skype and e-mail. Norway might seem close, but it is not just that easy going home. And this is where we must stand together as the Danish family and understand each other and I think both Astrid and I realized during this talk that this spring had taken us through the exact same thoughts and feelings and we hadn't used each other. So don't worry first years! We will be your family here. We will take good care of you :)