Ireland!

Even my closest of close friends and family will be surprised at this post, because my decision to visit Ireland was extremely last minute! But yes, I spent this past weekend on the Emerald Isle! It was a random trip, but not quite as random as it may seem at first :-). I have basically been trying to decide for the past 3 months whether or not I would take a trip to Ireland in June to visit Ben (from Alabama :-)), who is there on a missions trip this month. I went back and forth between deciding to go or not go for a long time, until about a month ago when I decided that I would go for sure! Usually, those kinds of "for sure" decisions are immutable in my mind, due to the amazing Lisa-will. But after a few weeks of thinking about it more, I decided for sure that I would not go after all. I felt like I should take advantage of the time I had here with friends. But this uncharacteristic schizophrenia continued! This past week around Tuesday I was overwhelmed with a sense of needing to get out of Norway. Some of us were planning a trip to Denmark, but that looked like it was going to fall through, and I was faced with the prospect of spending another weekend hanging around the base. I spent at least an hour on Wednesday researching flights to just about every major city in Europe :-). Finally, on Thursday morning I decided to take a long shot and email Ben (who was alreadin in Ireland) to see if it would be possible for me to come visit that weekend after all. I had no idea if he even had access to email or would be able to write me back in time for me to book a ticket, but I didn't really have anything to lose. After checking my email about 20 times on Thursday with no reply, I had halfway given up on Ireland as an option. But on Friday morning I checked my email one more time, and Ben had written back: "Come!" So I checked Travelocity again, and amazingly, there were still tickets available to Dublin for cheaper than they'd been a month before! So I booked my flight out for the next morning (Saturday), and headed out for my adventure. Crazy!

It was awesome to have the opportunity to visit Ireland for the weekend--I mean, when else will I have have that chance again?? I flew into Dublin, and then took a bus up to Belfast where Ben is staying. I decided to fly into Dublin instead of straight to Belfast because it was cheaper, but I'm so glad I did. I was able to see some beautiful Irish countryside that I would have missed flying straight into Belfast. I met up with Ben around 2:30 that afternoon, and I just got a kick out of that: meeting up with my friend from Alabama...who I met on a trip to Russia... while I am living in Norway... in Ireland. I really enjoyed my time in Belfast and exploring the City Centre. I got to see the City Hall, Queen's University, take a stroll through the Botanic Gardens, and enjoy listening to the Irish accents :-). I stayed in a youth hostel, and my experience also really boosted my confidence when it comes to travelling internationally by myself. Everything was so easy, even though I didn't have it all planned out (details like how I would get to Belfast and where I would stay weren't worked out until I actually arrived). But above all, I was struck by how well I am taken care of by my Heavenly Father. No matter where I go, I never go by myself. My Father is always with me, taking care of me, and I don't have to worry about a thing because He is by my side. I was very aware of His presence with me this weekend.

On Monday afternoon I headed back to Norway very happily. Of course I enjoyed my time away, but I also missed my awesome roommate and the other wonderful people back at the base. I think going away was actually the best thing I could have done to prepare me for this last week in Norway. It was a good break from life on the base, and made me really appreciate everyone here, and get a sense for how much I really like them! So I'm even more prepared to get the most out of this last week with my wonderful new friends.

So I'm sure there's no doubt I had a great experience in Ireland, but I must admit one of the best things about going away was coming home! I arrived in Kristiansand at 11:30pm and expected Steve to pick me up, because I'd asked him if he would before I left. BUT to my surprise, I was met at the airport by 6 yelling friends, greeting me with Norwegian flags and signs saying, "Welcome Home!" and "We love the USA!" I have never been so warmly greeted at an airport before! Especially after only being away for 3 days :-). The guys (my bodyguards) were dressed up in black suits and sunglasses, faithfully protecting me from harm :-). My bags were carried, doors were opened for me, and I was even escorted to my room when we returned to the base! Needless to say I felt very welcomed and very loved! Most of this was orchestrated by Gunna, my fabulous roommate. What awesome friends I have! Enjoy the pictures!