Two Months: Boy Time Flies

Hey Everyone,

Well I have now been in Norway for 2 months and away from home for just an extra week more than that.  Things here are generally pretty good. The high cost of food and so forth doesn't bother me as much as it did (and maybe not as much as it should). Maybe next week (if I remember, I will post some pictures of food, and then the prices).  I'll also try to do the same while I am on Svalbard as a comparison and maybe see if I can get someone back in Canada to send me some prices on a few select items.

I still haven't received my residence permit.  The system is just backed up or delayed or whatever.  I have spoken with the immigration office numerous times but there is not much to be done about it. The decision is now 5 weeks over their targeted processing time.  Part of the reason is undoubtedly that many Norwegians take extensive holidays in the summer, making sure to enjoy the good weather and all the daylight hours.  Otherwise, most thing are sorted out, or nearly so.

Work is going well, spending lots of time in front of my computer.  I am working on two main projects right now, one for this exchange and one more directly related to my thesis.  As a result I end up working many 12-16 hour days but that is okay, it is what I am here for. The past two weeks I have been house sitting and enjoyed working on a deck overlooking the ocean; it made it a little easier to work late each night.

On Thursday I will head to Svalbard and then on R/V Lance for a research cruise to Fram Strait off the east coast of Greenland.  I will be on the boat for just about 3 weeks.  I don't know if I will have the chance to blog from the boat. I will try, otherwise I will just write the blog posts up and then upload them when I return to internet land.

When I return to Tromso my supervisor visits Tromso for a few days. Then, and much more exciting (sorry Christian), my wife Nicole arrives for her visit just a few days later. She and I will take a few holidays together. I am really looking to seeing my wife, and imagine I will be looking to it even more in another month. We can still communicate fairly regularly using email, Facebook, FaceTime and Skype but it is not the same.  We will be doing a little sightseeing in Norway and just spending some time together.  We only get a couple weeks together, but that is so much better than no visit at all.  I am very excited to see her and talk to her and sightsee with her.

Thinking on all my trips, my workaholic nature and love of my research, I realize how lucky I am to have such an understanding and supportive wife.  Someone asked me once how we (as a couple) deal with the absences, and it is still a question to be answered.  I feel like time apart is definitely good for couples, you miss each other, appreciate all the little things each other does and so forth.  I guess both of us also don't want to be the person who is holding the other one back from doing what they love and/or what will help their career.

Unfortunately for her,Nicole definitely gets the short end of the stick, I travel far more than she does and for much longer periods. It is easier to be the person who goes away, they are usually on an adventure or seeing something new or some new country. The person back home gets to do all the household work without help and without the excitement of a new place.
While I am here in Norway I do have to look out for myself but I still have the excitement of new people, a new place and culture.  Although honestly, I have probably been doing far to much working and far to little enjoying my surroundings.