Page 97 of The Secret to Belonging

they say Norwegians are born wearing skis

the entire country spends two weeks

glued to the television

you appreciate the British commentary

how they trust the events to captivate an audience

none of the nonstop drivel of American talking heads

the whole family comes down

with a contagious case of Olympic fever

and you are by far the most infected

ringing your cowbell and cheering heia Norge!

like the true norsk you strive to become

by the closing ceremonies

Espen has taught you how to skate

frontward and backward

you can accomplish a wobbly lap around the rink

you’re sure you look exactly like Katarina Witt

on winter weekends

the family takes the train across the Swedish border

to their rustic ski hytte

Bjørn opens a locker at the station

pulls out cross-country skis for everyone

Elinor sees your face

det er ikke langt

it doesn’t matter how far it is

you’ve never seen a real ski before

let alone used one

but you are an exchange student

exchange students try everything!

you slide your ryggsekk over your shoulders

grab your poles