Monday, August 12, 2013

Yearly Update

Well, I'm a bit ashamed to see that it's been almost one year since I managed to write a blog post! but hear me out - it's been a busy year! Here's what I've been up to:

School wise

Fall Semester:
  • 1 presentation
  • 4 papers throughout the semester
  • 1 Norwegian written exam
  • 1 Norwegian oral exam
  • 3 x 3 hour cumulative essay exams 
  • 1 x 4 hour cumulative essay exam
  • 1 x 48 hour Case exam (Solve a case and write a 12 page solution in 48 hours...in the middle of all your other exams)
  • 1 x 12 page final paper
Spring Semester:
  • 2 presentations
  • 1 mid-term paper
  • Master Thesis presentation and preliminary proposal
  • 4 Term papers (15-20 pages, including one on Multivariate Data Analysis Statistics - ahh)
  • 1 x 3 hour cumulative essay exam

and those are just the graded items - I can't even begin to quantify the hours of stress, class preparation, group meetings and group editing sessions, and trying to have fun and enjoy the fact that I am living in Norway!!

Travel wise: 
Despite being extremely busy with my studies, and traveling being an expensive hobby, I have managed to enjoy quite a few travels this past year! Not as many as I had hoped for before moving to Norway, but reflecting on all that I have seen and done, I am happy to have managed these trips considering my schedule this past year.

Where I've been this past year:

In Country: 
August 2012: Road trip from Oslo to Stavanger, Kjeragbolten hike, and Kristiansand
September 2012: Fredrikstad
March 2013: Bergen
March 2013: Bergen
April 2013: Bodø and Lofoten Islands
April 2013: Lofoten

Out of Country:

September 2012 and July 2013: Sweden shopping trips - cheap meats and alcohol! 
    December 2012 - January 2013: Home to VA for much needed Rest and Relaxation
March 2013: Portugal
March 2013: J Girls in Portugal
March 2013: Discoveries Monument, Portugal
April 2013: My one and only picture from an amazing week in GAP, Germany
June 2013: Valencia, Spain
July 2013: Puglia Region, Italy -- this picture was taken from the Tremiti Islands
July 2013: Garmisch, Germany - FEST!!!
July 2013: My amazing hosts and friends in Garmisch, Germany
July 2013: Hiking in the Alps - my favorite place in the whole world!!