Karl Martinsen decided to do the foreign exchange program on
a dare.
The Halden, Norway native was scrolling through Instagram
when an ad for the EF program popped up and one of his friends dared him try
the program.
So far Martinsen is enjoying his experience. He is
living with Cheryl Luzum in Exeter and finds that the “the people are more
talkative here and generally nicer here. They seem to be more social than
Norwegians.”
He is enjoying the food, too. “It’s just a different
culture from my own and it’s pretty exciting.”
He did note that he really enjoys sloppy joes and “Cheryl
made chicken noodle soup (he had never had it before) and it was like heaven.”
He does miss some of the food at home and of course, his
family and friends. His parents and older sister have planned to come to visit
him in Nebraska in the spring.
His parents encouraged him to participate in the exchange
program as his mom came to America for a year when she was 19. She came
on a work visa and worked part time three days a week and explored the country
for the rest of the time.
One of Martinsen’s goal this year was to “feel more
comfortable talking to people and also improve my English I still
struggle a little bit.”
It has been a challenge for him to get to know people but he
feels comfortable with things now. He enjoyed his time as a student manager
for the football team and now he is on the basketball team.
While he is in the States he plans to travel. He will
go to Arizona over winter break and in the spring take a trip to the west coast
with the exchange group.
He will have one more year of school in Norway when he
returns and then he is unsure of what he wants to do. He may be chosen
for military service but otherwise he looks to do something with finance.
