Exceptional Exceptions to the Norm

My parents are some of the coolest parents around. Now I know that most people are biased in thier opinions of their parents and I am not trying to put down anyone elses parents, but I would legitmately say that if there was some sort of "parent-coolness rating" my parents would get the top one. I think the thing that makes them so exceptional is that they are just normal people. My Dad for example...he has a Masters in Divinity, he is a man of faith, a pastor, but on top of all that he is just a normal dude. When I tell people who dont know my Dad that he is a pastor, their first thought of him and my home life is that I live in a real-life version of 7th Heaven, the WB show about a pastor and his seven kids and their unrealisitically complicated, life lesson laden, slightly corny lives. But its not at all, in fact I am willing to wager money (mind you, I am not a betting man...usually) that most people when they meet my Dad (unless they meet him at his church) would not guess or know that he is a pastor. Its not because he doesnt do his job well either, because he does, in fact I have a hard time going to any other church because in my opinion my Dad gives the best sermons...its simply because he is just a normal guy who happens to be a man of faith as well and he balances it all very well. Or take my Mom, she is an elementary school teacher (well, techincally now she is a reading specialist, but she still works with elementary school children). Stereotypically she should be an overly excited, ubber bubbly woman who may or may not talk to adults as if they are 1st graders...but of course she is not (also for the record, I dont know many teachers like the one I just described, but for the purpose of this post you can imagine the stereotype), she is a normal woman who is not overly bubbly or socially inept. And because my parents are so normal, they are able to relate to people of all ages, cultures, and disciplines...which is awesome. If I have a friends over and I have to step out of the room for a minute, I have no problem leaving my parents there with them to chat or hang out (now maybe my friends have a problem with it and have never told me, but I dont think so)...it doesnt appear to be awkward or weird, it just seems normal.

So when I found out a month or so ago that my parents, my cool normal parents, would be coming to Norway for a visit, I was thrilled. Sure I would make sure that we saw some of the sights of Oslo and saw some of the Norwegian countryside, but the part of Norway that I wanted to expose them to, the part that cannot be replicated, was my everyday life and friendships. I was so excited to be able to share with the dinners, the cups of tea, the conversations, the living, and the friends with my parents. I knew that my parents and my friends would get along great, and that we would all have a great time...and so as was expected, it was. On two different nights I had a plethora of my pals up to my apartment for dinner (prepared by my mother) and we sat around eating, laughing, talking and having a good time. One day we spent a few hours in the cafe that I work at just sitting around drinking coffee or tea and conversing with friends of mine as they wandered in and out of the cafe. They were all activities that I do on a very regular basis, and are the activites that make living in Norway so fun...so having my parents around to experience my normal everyday life was exactly how I wanted it.

The other part of my parents visit that was quite special was being able to watch my Dad interact and reconnect with people and places from his past. As many of you know, my Dad studied in Norway 30 years ago. And while his Norwegian is not as fluent as it once was, and most of his contacts in the country are lost, he still had some friends (Kjersti and her family) and of course lots of memories. So being able to share in his resurfacing memories and the rekindling of friendships was special. It was special in that a lot of what he experienced 30 years ago as an American studying in Norway, I am experiencing today as an American studying in Norway. I am finding that we both set out to study abroad for similar reasons, and so being able to see what he experienced helps me to understand his time here as well as my own. I suspect that when he studied here 30 years ago, he didnt think he would be returning some day with his wife of 25 years and 20 year old son...but he did, and I was honored and thrilled to be a part of it.

So my parents have come and gone...their brief personal interlude into my study abroad experience is over. And while it all seemed so normal to have them in Norway, it seemed so normal to travel with them, it seemed so normal to share my life here with them...it wasnt. Their coming all the way across the Atlantic for a long weekend was a truly exceptional event that was far above normalcy, and something that I will always remember.