Are you a city girly or a village girly?

All throughout my teenage years and even university years, I was never really into the pop culture of my home country, you know, the memes, shows, and people my friends talked about. At least where I come from, people are hesitant to join a study-abroad program. Perhaps because there’s nothing like home, or maybe because of the language barrier. But me, despite being a very timid person and getting homesick very easily, the curiosity of living alone, getting out of my bubble and doing something new for once grew very fast inside me.

And the next thing I knew, I was in Volda.

I don’t think I’m a city or village person. Like many people who end up here, I think I’m a Volda-girly. Large enough to have a very strong sense of community, but small enough to get lost easily when you need it, go to the forest, and explore new spots by yourself.

Living in this teeny tiny town in Norway has taught me things (oh boy, it sure has). From living in a large city, to living in a small town, I have learned how important it is to find your people, and how valuable they are in your life. Due to schedule differences, being with my friends in my home country was difficult, and if we didn’t spend time together in class we wouldn’t spend as much time with each other. In Volda, however, it feels like you can find people and activities for everything, and they really stick with you. And sometimes (dare I say) being in class doesn’t feel like being in class.

It is not only the people you spend time with that shape who you are, but also your surroundings. I find Volda so charming because from the town itself you can see nature (this sounds obvious but you can’t do this in a larger city) and you’re basically a stroll away from large bodies of water, and masses of trees, weeds and moss.

So if you ask me, as of right now, I like to believe this is my place, and I am neither a city-girly nor a village-girly, but a Volda-girly.