Fjords and Glaciers

The school morning.

5:30am - Wake up! Shower and prepare today's lunch.
6:15am - Get out of the house!
6:20am - Be in the car ready to be driven to the bus station by Freja.
6:40am - Arrive at the bus station in Haugesund.
6:45am - Be on the bus to school. Read a book or catch up on some Z's on the way, while admiring the amazing Norwegian nature during sunrise on the way.
8:00am - Arrive at school.

Today I arrived at school and realised I didn't have a lesson until 10:30, so I have a bunch of time on my hands to catch up on some Forum work here (including writing this blog entry). The lesson I do have is about preparing for our Glacier trip next week. "Glacier trip?" I hear you ask. Yes indeed... This is no ordinary course.

The course I'm studying is called Fjords and Glaciers. For those who are bemused by these words, here is a little explanation of each:

Glacier - A large body of ice that moves over land.

Fjord - A lake created by glacial movement, characterised by being surrounded by steep mountain slopes.

The course is about outdoor life and getting into the mindset of teaching outdoors. The key aspect is Friluftsliv (literally: Free/open air life or outdoor life), a word first written by Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen to describe the relationship Norwegian people have with the outdoors. We learn various skills we can use outdoors. Here's some of what we've learned so far:

• Setting up a camp - finding a good location, arranging duties and sleeping outdoors using different shelters e.g. the traditional "Gapahauk" (like a "lean-to shelter").
• Making fire and stoves for outdoor cooking
• Finding and chopping wood
• Foraging for wild food (mushrooms and berries for example)
• Rowing a kayak and canoe, and learning rescue techniques for emergencies
• Life saving and CPR
• Philosophy and cultural history and importance of Friluftsliv
• Map and compass
• Ropes and knots
• Fishing and preparing fish

I chose to do this course because:

• I am a natureboy and love Scandinavian nature especially
• I was moving to Norway at some point to live with Freja anyway
• I wanted to go to University (but not for 3 years like most people)
• I want to be outside a lot of the time
• I didn't want to go to University in the UK because it costs a ridiculous amount of money

So the course basically fits me like a glove, it couldn't be more perfect!

The reason I didn't want to go to University for 3 or more years is because I see that as a huge investment, too huge for me. 3 years is a long time during which a lot can be achieved. I have a feeling that being bound to a certain area, even a certain building for so long can have some negative effects on a person. That's not even considering the places that could be explored, the people that could be met and the things that could be experienced and learned in that time if you had the will to do so. It just didn't seem right for me. This course is perfect in that way because it only lasts for 5 months, although I already wish it would be longer!