JHS student, Kajsa Skram 27’ had grown up seeing family faces on the screen of her mother’s phone. This summer, she traveled across the ocean to finally get to see them in person.

“I just remember the months leading up to Norway, I couldn’t wait and all I could think about was what it was going to be like,” Skram said.

The family went for three weeks in the beginning of June to visit their long-distance family members. They  spent most of their time visiting the capital of Norway, Oslo. 

“It was so much fun going to Norway. Just seeing everything, and where my great grandpa was originally from,” Skram said.

Skram’s great-grandfather made the decision to immigrate to America after living most of his life in Norway. He hoped to find a permanent home and career.

“My great grandpa decided to move because he needed work and Norway wasn’t the best place for that at the time,” Skram said.

Skram wasn’t completely sure what to expect when meeting her family members. They had grown up in an entirely different country with different cultures and traditions. It was difficult trying to imagine what they would be like.

“It surprised me how similar they were to us. They weren’t completely different, it felt just like being around normal family,” Skram said. 

Skram found herself connected to one family member in particular during the trip. A cousin who was around the same age as her, immediately feeling a bond between them.

“I met a cousin named Sandra. She was my age and we had so much in common. She was really easy to talk to,” Skram said. 

Skram’s younger brother, Huck Skram 30’ was also eager to meet his long-distance family members. Just like his older sister, it was his first time traveling so far away.

“It was interesting to talk to them and learn about how their school systems and jobs were different from the ones in America,” Huck Skram said. 

There are many people in Norway and multiple European countries, who favor walking over other types of transportation. The siblings definitely learned this fact while getting their steps in over vacation. 

“Something that surprised me was the amount of walking we did with our family. This was their normal everyday routine. Not just for them but everybody was biking and walking everywhere,” Huck Skram said. 

They also got to experience their first taste of Norwegian cuisine. Not only did they get to experience their families traditional cooking, but they also visited lots of bakeries and restaurants on their trip.

“They had croissants everywhere, and there were these pastries called Skolebrod that were so good, ” Skram said. 

Eventually, their days left in Norway were numbered. It was  a difficult process adjusting to jet-lag when they returned, but it was going to be even more difficult to adjusting to leaving their family behind.

“It was definitely a little sad having to leave, but I was really happy I had got to go in general,” Skram said.