See the Sea

I do stuff like … have an amazingly humbling Sunday afternoon. This morning I was awakened by “The Entertainer” ring tone on my phone and as I laid there stretching and wiggling my body to the song I thought about a Sunday morning at my house back in P-town. After reminiscing for a few minutes I figured I better embrace the day where I was and jumped down from my bunk bed (which seems much higher up when you jump than when you just climb). I got ready for church and went out in the lobby to wait for Heidi and Johanne to pick me. As I waited I read the fire emergency regulations that hung on the wall, would have been nice to have read those a few weeks ago. But nevertheless they picked me up and we drove into town looking for the church. We parked the car and walked around for a little bit searching for the building, eventually we saw some people that Heidi knew so she asked them (I’m assuming where the church was but seeing as I don’t speak Norwegian I don’t exactly know what she said). We walked a little ways further and found it, there was of course a greeter at the door spewing out his Norwegian welcome. I smiled and shook his hand oblivious to what was going on around me. I collected a little ear translator and listened to the message through the woman translating in my ear, it was actually quite amazing how the whole thing worked. It is crazy how humbling such an experience can be, feeling so inadequate not being able to understand even the language they are speaking.

After church we drove up a mountain by the sea and parked the car and got out and hiked up the rest of the way and back down and around. Even though I could barely see due to the screen of fog, it was most definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. The waves crashing up against the massive rocks while snow pours into the water. I thought about how frigid the water must be and watched the lighthouse spin looking miniscule in the immeasurable body of water. I was reminded how insignificant I really am.

When we finally made it back to the car after our “walk” we drove to a little café in town and Johanne walked up the street to get McDonalds! While Heidi and I enjoyed Chai lattes and Norwegian nachos. We chatted and stayed at the café awhile before heading back to Lund (where I live). When we pulled into the parking lot of my apartment Heidi pointed down a little road and asked if I had seen the beach there yet, I of course have been praying for a somewhat sunny day to venture out there by myself. She insisted to show me the way so we went on another walk (which is actually what we would categorize as a hike) around the forest and to the sea. Again I was in shock that this incredible creation was minutes from where I live. We walked around the frozen beach and back to my place. It was a fantastic Sunday and I can’t wait to go back to the shore again. It’s liberating to experience such divergent aspects of the same world.