to those that love us: we're off

to my parents, and to annie's; all i can say is that we are able to take this trip because of you. the love and support that you folks give to us is impossible for us to repay, but of course you didn't mean it to be repayed. i just want to say thanks; for caring for us and helping us out. it means more to us than we can adequately describe. we don't take you for granted. thank you so much for caring for us, and giving us a little trip to a place that is more "home" to me than anywhere else on earth. i've always had a difficult time describing my "norwegian-ness" to others. you know...."well i was born there....no i didn't live there much.....no, i don't speak the language.....no, i'm not a citizen anymore....but i like to visit!" at any cost, i have stronger memories of the red house than anywhere else. i remember builing a tree-house with my buddy freddy; a rather enterprising venture; and i think we're lucky we didn't fall off that rickety thing : ). i remember picking blueberries for panacakke (mom, you'll have to help me with the spelling, there : ), the heavy winds and rain, the garden, the outside of the island which is a sanctuary of calm to me even when the ocean is raging, and of course fishing, for fish (duh), crabs, and those funny-looking long-crabs with big claws and a tail.......but all that is peripheral. i guess to me it's like a mystery i never had time to solve; a disjointed one "to be continued" the next summer. and back i go.

-bryan