Long time no see.. 2013

This year I was asked by my aunt Eva to accompany my 83 year old grandma to the wedding of my cousin which took place in Albania! It was awesome!
I got the whole trip as a gift for taking her and arranging everything for her at the airports so that it would be possible for her to get assistance to get from gate to gate at the airports we were traveling through. I have never in my life traveled that comfortably to be honest. On the way over there we were joined by my aunt and uncle, the mother and father of the groom, and on the way back we got to go strait through the passport control without standing in line for it for 40 minutes!

When we were in Albania, which was only for a weekend really, we got to see some of Tirana and to travel up on a gondola up to one of the mountains looking over the city. It was amazing!

My mothers siblings, the father of the groom and the bride

However I got to join in on an Albanian wedding! It was so cool and very stylish. My cousin Torgeir met his Alda when they were both studying their doctors degrees in Melbourne, Australia.  He moved there ten years ago, and has been living there ever since. I would really like to visit them there one time if I get the chance to travel around in Australia a bit.

Later this summer after spending most of my time working at the kiosk Narvesen at the Arena centre in Arendal,  I went on a well deserved trip to Croatia for 9 days. This time I traveled with my best friend Helene Ellingsen.
We spent our holiday:
- In Split, on a bar crawl with other tourists from America, France, Australia and Sweden.
- With a day on the beach Bacvice in Split.
- Partying on Carpe Diem Beach on a small private island outside of the town of Hvar.
- Eating loads of pizza and spaghetti!
- 7 hour bustrip during the night to Rijeka where we stayed with Marta at her apartment.
- Seeing old friends and showing Drenova to Helene, with all the small places I spent my childhood in.

Marta, Me, Barbara, Natalija and Helene

Other significant things that have happened to me this year is that my 89 year old grandpa Terje died on the 4th of May after being sick for several years with cancer. The last month or so he was in and out of the hospital. I loved him so much. I miss him. So much. Hvil i fred Bestefar!

And some weeks ago our family dog of ten years got sick with the boreliosis decease and even though he got antibiotics for it he didn't recover and had to be put down so he wouldn't suffer anymore. I miss him too. It is so quiet at my parents house without him. No overjoyed furry little friend greeting me when I come over, no little nudges under our elbows after dinner saying "now it's my turn for dinner", and no jumping up and down when the running shoes and the jackets are put on..

But time heals wounds, and the thought of them being in a better place now without suffering and sorrow makes it easier to think of the great memories that I shared with them!

- Johanne Teresie