Gabriela Jimenez '26 has a ranked bucket list of countries she'd like to visit. Norway checked in at #2, sandwiched between Scotland and Germany. This summer, she crossed it off the list.
Gabriela fully intends to spend a full semester abroad, possibly Scotland (#1 on her list) in fall of 2025, but she was eager to jumpstart her international exploration (and get to work on her bucket list) right away. Jimmy Hamilton '24 (below) wasn't interested in spending a full three months overseas, but he wanted a taste of the study abroad experience. They're both different class years, different majors, with different globe-trotting expectations – but they both found exactly what they were looking for this summer in Norway.
Gabriela and Jimmy enrolled in a four-week class, Oslo: Vikings to Hipsters, at the American College of Norway in Moss (about 40 miles to the south of Oslo). The class of about a dozen American students met from Monday to Thursday, with Wednesday reserved for field trips, often to museums. The three-day weekends were left open to explore. Gabriela and and Jimmy are both interested in nature and hiking, and found their respective routes more beautiful and challenging than they expected.
Jimmy traveled more than five hours north of Oslo to hike in Adalsnes, at the mouth of the river Rauma.
"It was a lot harder than the hikes around here," said Jimmy. "All the Norwegians told me it's just a normal hike, but their normal is different than ours. It was pretty difficult, but beautiful."
Gabriela had a similar experience hiking to the west: beautiful, but harder than anticipated. They also both developed an appreciation for the culture.
"My dad's side of the family is Colombian," said Gabriela. "I haven't been yet, but I appreciate what makes the culture unique. There are a number of different cultures represented where I'm from in northern New Jersey. I appreciate everybody, the way they live, and I want to explore that for myself."
Exploring Norway, they both found the culture to be more relaxed than anticipated.
"I didn't expect the way of life to be so different," Jimmy said."People are less busy there, it's more laid back. It was a really cool environment to be in for four weeks. Every day kind of feels like the weekend. The vibe is more chill."
Just don't conflate a relaxing vibe for an easy hike in the Scandinavian mountains.
