Why Norway?

When we began discussing a sailing trip, we had no hesitation about making Norway a destination. It is a place that has sparked my imagination from a very young age and I was fortunate enough to come here as a 22-year-old delegate of the International 4H Youth Exchange Program (IFYE). The fjords and mountains are incredibly beautiful and the friendships I have developed over the years are very special to me. In addition, I had dragged Bob here seven years ago on an all-too-short vacation and he shared my enthusiasm for seeing this amazing country at a slower pace and from the water.  

When I was in grade school I did a report on Norway and was intrigued. As an environmental engineering graduate from Cornell, I was considering an international trip either through the US Peace Corps (two-year program) or its predecessor organization, the IFYE program (six-month program), as a way to see a little bit of the world from something other than a tour bus… on zero budget. I was a ten-year 4Her, my Aunt Marlene and Uncle Wally had both participated in the IFYE program and my Mom and Dad had hosted several IFYEs through the years at the farm, so as I reviewed the pros and cons of IFYE and Peace Corps, IFYE had a lot of pros and familiarity. The deciding factor or ‘idea’ was that if I went as an IFYE for six months, and still had wanderlust, I would apply for the Peace Corps program upon my return.

I applied for, and was accepted to, the 1992 season of the IFYE program and I requested assignment in emerging Eastern Europe. In lieu of my primary request, I decided to write-in Norway in the secondary request portion of the application. Why not see the country I had read about way back when?   My assignment arrived in February and I departed for Norway in June, 1992.

 



Frosta, Norway
September, 1992

I had an incredible six months with IFYE in Norway with six homestays at two dairy farms, a sheep farm, a potato farm, and two non-farm families in two different regions of the country.  It did not cure my youthful wanderlust and sparked a lifetime interest in travel at a slower pace. Fortunately, I met Bob who had a similar experience with the SEA Education Association of Woods Hole, MA.

Amazingly enough, the idea for the IFYE program was sparked by four Cornellians, all 4Hers, who came up with the IFYE ideal of ‘Peace through Understanding.’ The program, upon inception known as the International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE), was started to promote international understanding and cooperation following World War II.  Page 4 of IFYE News reports on the start of IFYE: http://ifyeusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2006winter-color.pdf