Initial Exploration of Oslo

I started my first full day in Oslo with a run up to Sognsvann with a runner from St. Olaf named Siri, which was completely lovely. All uphill on the way there, all downhill on the way back, which is exactly the way a run should go in my opinion. Then I went down to the library to meet up with the other USAC students. So many of us are from Minnesota, with the next biggest location being the Seattle area, but students from all over the country. The common denominator seems to be a love for the outdoors. Everyone seemed excited about exploring the natural places around Norway. It was so interesting to

hear about peoples dreams for their semester in Norway, what their life at home is like, and the things they are passionate about. The first thing we did was break into groups and do a scavenger hunt around Oslo, seeing key sights and such (took a good amount of pictures). Then we ate lunch and ventured to Ikea. Ikea, as always, was a tad overwhelming, but it was nice to get a few things I needed. After that, we broke off and I went down to find groceries with another girl that lives in my building. After making myself a quick dinner, I went with a small group to walk around Sognsvann, which was completely beautiful as the sun was setting.
The next day, I ran around Sognsvann again and then met up with the USAC crew for a museum tour. We went to the National Gallery and spent a few hours wandering around looking at incredible art. I think my favorite part was seeing the painting of the view from Stalheim that I had seen with Brigt and Kristin just a few days before. It was

also cool to see "The Scream" and so many other stunning pieces of art. After getting a quick bite to eat, we made our way to the Royal Palace for a tour. It was the last day of tours for the year since the Royal family is moving back in soon, so it was really cool that we got that opportunity. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the palace, so you'll just have to believe that it is beautiful in there, but it was a very informative and cool tour! Learned about the history of the monarchy in Norway, the design of the palace and how it is used today. We then got Indian food for dinner as a group. I'm pretty sure that that is the last thing we are doing as that particular group, but it has been a fun 2 days and I am happy to have met the people I did.