“I really think that everyone, American or not, could deeply benefit from living abroad, even for a short period of time.”

Indeed. I agree so completely with so much of this post–it’s a wonderful and concise statement about what it’s like to be an American abroad.

I got back from the yogaferie on Saturday evening. I’m just now feeling like I’m getting caught up with things: laundry, bills, housecleaning, etc. It was a good experience, but not necessarily a joyful one.

Every day I had to get up at 6:35 every morning, then we had yoga for two hours. Breakfast was usually porridge of varying kinds (millet!), plus the usual Norwegian bread-and-pålegg spread. Then we had two hours of “karma yoga”, which was basically just working: working in the kitchen, cleaning the grendehus, working up on the new lot Amrit and Thomas had bought. Afterwards we meditated for an hour, then had dinner, which was the biggest meal of the day. We had a few hours off after that, then met back up at the grendehus for more yoga at 16:30 and dinner afterwards. Some nights we also had an evening meditation at 9 PM. So our days were very full.

All the food was vegetarian, most of it actually vegan. I was a little worried about that at first, because I’m not too big on vegetables and I eat very differently from the average Norwegian, but it went well. I learned a lot about vegetables, and picked up a few tricks that I hope to put into use in my own cooking.

I did have a good time, but it was far from the joyous experience of, say, a NAAFA convention. Since the new lot Thomas and Amrit bought is up a huge, steep hill, I had to ask if it would be OK if I worked in the kitchen the whole week instead of going up to the lot, which is what we were supposed to do if we weren’t specifically on kitchen or cleaning duty that day. I felt really awkward about doing that, but I am simply not in shape to walk 15 minutes straight up a steep hill and then 15 minutes back down. My knees hurt just thinking about it! Amrit said it would be fine if I worked in the kitchen every day, so that’s what I did, but just asking made me feel like a shirker. Mostly I peeled veggies. Beets, potatoes, carrots. I did get to make an interesting gluten-free bread one day.

The yogaferie was held at a camping ground/community area in Nissedal county in Telemark. It was absolutely gorgeous there, and the weather couldn’t have been better. There weren’t even any mosquitoes! I definitely felt the rift between myself and the Norwegians, though, due to the differences in how we view nature. In Norway, it’s just understood that it’s always better to be out than inside. Regardless. So during the free periods, everyone else went out on the requisite walks in the woods. Norwegians also still lay out in the sun to tan–they just love the sun. Of course, this also results in most of them looking like their skin is made of leather. People don’t understand why I avoid the sun. “Don’t you want to get a tan?” they’d ask me. Uh, yeah. Right. I like my pale skin, and prefer to keep it nice, white, and cancer- and wrinkle-free. Of course, it’s seen as nigh-on immoral that I prefer to sit inside reading a book instead of lying in the sun or going on a w3alk in the woods. There weren’t any open conflicts or anything about my behavior, but, as usual, I definitely get an unpleasant vibe from them. I tell ya, sometimes I just want to be back in my own culture so bad it hurts.

But it was an overall positive experience, because I learned so much. I’ve done a little yoga every day since I got back, even if just one sun salutation. That’s what I wanted to bring back from this experience, so I’m satisfied.