The Last Week, Graduation & Goodbye

So now I'm back in Fresno!... It's 25 degrees warmer and gets dark 3 hours earlier; I don't have a veiw of the ocean from my room and I can't walk out the front door and take a stroll through the woods; on the brighter side, I have a cell phone and a car and my mom and my best friend (among other great people)! But despite the vast differences between the two places, it doesn't feel all that strange to be home. That's the weirdest part about coming home, is that coming home isn't all that weird. Home is the same as it always is: comfortable and safe, the place I come back to. The only difference is our new psycho-kitty named Punkin, which my mom acquired while I was gone. I'm not really a cat person, but I must admit I like this little ball of fur so full of spunk and personality :-).

My last week in Norway was fabulous, and I think I could have used another week or two to spend time with my friends without all the distractions of class, packing, and cleaning. Friday after taking our six hour final exam (for which I could have used at least another 2 hours if we hadn't had a time limit), all the SOI students and staff went to an apartment in town to celebrate with a yummy dinner of fresh Norwegian shrimp. It was a great time to relax and celebrate all God had done during our school. On Saturday, we had a Talent Night initiated by yours truly (surprised?), although it turned out that only Gunna and I had prepared any talents! Luckily, we had plently of material to keep the show going for over an hour, and we just renamed it "Lisa, Gunna & Friends." Everyone else seemed to be happy with the entertainment :-). Sunday some friends and I went on a final boat trip out to the lighthouse you can see from my balcony. It's nice to be able to walk down the stairs from where you live, hop in a boat and take a trip out on the ocean!

And then came Monday, the final hour of my time in Norway. We spent the morning cleaning the base and then both schools had graduation in the evening. It's so hard to really comprehend saying goodbye to people who have become such good friends, and who I can't be sure I will ever see again. But I guess I can't follow that road too far... my closest of friends I always end up seeing again, somehow. That night I stayed up until 2am to say goodbye to Gunstein, who left on a train at 2:15 (crazy). The next morning I woke up, ate breakfast, said goodbye to my friends still left at the base, and proceeded to the airport, where Gunna and I had an extended goodbye. I have many good friends from Norway, but Gunna is definitely the best, and I already miss her. She has been a light in my life for the past 3 months... that and I don't think any of my other friends have been so eager to engage in craziness with me... our plethora of funny videos and pictures I will treasure forever! :-)

So after about 20 hours of travelling, I stepped off the plane in Fresno, my home sweet home. And on Monday I'm leaving for a week in Hawaii with my mom and sister! The excitement never ends! I'm looking forward to the next 3 months or so at home before I take off again for Kyrgyzstan. I have a lot ahead of me in terms of preparing for this next big step and putting into practice what God has taught me about Himself and intercession. The journey continues!

Just FYI, my cell phone has been activated again, so feel free to call (559.906.2519). I won't have much time to hang out with people before I leave again on Monday, but I'm looking forward to getting together with all you Fresno-people again and catching up once I get back on July 5th!