USA Study Tour - Outdoor Activities
We are now back in Norway, and looking back on a fantastic study trip to the USA. There were 34 of us who traveled, and no one except the teachers really knew what we were going to do. What we knew would meet us was a week without a shower, and otherwise very little cell phone coverage.
On our first day in the USA we were divided into two groups, because we were going to "raft" on the San Juan River. Here we learned about Native American history, how people had lived before and how important the river has been and still is to the local population. We also got to see similarities and differences between American and Norwegian outdoor life, and the food was perhaps what stood out the most from what we were used to. Sausage in bread was replaced with lasagna, hamburger and cake.
The weather was unpredictable, and we used up all the clothes we had with us, from shorts and t-shirts to bubble and rain jackets, in one day! But most of us managed to get a nice color, both brown and red.
After 4 days on the river, we said goodbye to our guides from Deer Hill Expeditions, and traveled towards Arizona and the Grand Canyon. On the road trip to the Grand Canyon, we stopped at places like Mexican Hat, Goosenecks, and Natural Bridges National Monument. We also saw the great differences between rich and poor in the United States, but one thing in common was that all Americans were very talkative and hospitable.
The Grand Canyon was probably the highlight of the trip for everyone. Describing the Grand Canyon is incredibly difficult, because it is so big, spectacular and majestic! After walking the Grand Canyon, down and up, we finally got to take a shower and connect to the internet. We had thought it would be more difficult without the internet, but we felt more of a sense of freedom without snap and face hanging over us.
The best thing about the whole trip was that we experienced the fantastic nature the USA has to offer in the company of good friends that we have gotten to know during the school year.