Taking Stock

Okay, I admit, it's been a while since I've been the bombastic blogger.  In fact, it's been a month since I last posted anything.

In that month I have very nearly been deported (hello snail mail, scrambling, miscommunication, drafted appeals, snail mail again and... deadlines!); gotten married; gotten a military ID (spouse not soldier); and had a birthday.

I have logged thousands of miles by air or road; made ten thousand phone calls; sent about a million emails; and made somewhere in the neighborhood of a billion mistakes.

I have cried more than I care to admit- happy and sad tears.

I have experienced what amounts to close to every human emotion.  Some of the negative ones have yet to rear their heads… But give it time.

I have been chastised, harassed, scolded, dismissed and denied- almost exclusively by people with whom I've interacted in Norway.  As an aside- I may be captivated by your country's stark and breathtaking beauty but honestly, I'm over the joke that you seem to think is appropriate human interaction.  Seriously, for people who are frequently ranked amongst the happiest in the world, some of you have got some impressively unpleasant attitudes.  So now it's game on.  If you want to fight, call me Mayweather.

Wow. That was an aside. And it's not everyone, obviously. Just a handful of winners.

In that month I gained another family, extra sets of parents, and a husband who may have more patience than than anyone I've ever met, and an extraordinarily good heart.  I have been reminded of how lucky I absolutely am.

I have been kissed, congratulated, hugged, and handed more glasses of wine and champagne than my liver actually deserved.

I got a(nother) tattoo, applied to go back to school, and learned to Stand Up Paddleboard.  Oh and I also discovered that I have a waterdog- beware rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and fishermen, Henry's coming at ya.

But the month is over.  Everyone is up to date and I'm once again online.  I'm back in Norway… harumph…. and already planning more jumps around the globe.

Next up is Dublin.

And until next time, Dearhearts.