Have you ever been dumbfounded by foreign language and wonder how you were able to master the challenge of learning language as a child? After traveling to Bergen, Norway this summer with BRAVO! I did and my mentors Elena Plante, PhD from the University of Arizona and Arve Asborjsen, PhD from the University of Bergen did too. They devised a research project to look at the learning mechanisms involved in language learning. Specifically, the project looked at implicit language learning or the ability to learn indirectly, without being aware that you're learning. Not knowing any Norwegian myself, it was incredibly interesting to do research on a problem I was experiencing first hand.

Of course I didn't have to "self-test" my experiment too often because everyone in Norway speaks perfect English. Thank goodness! I learned an incredible amount this summer but, ironically, Norwegian didn't make the list. Not that this prevented me from being immersed in the culture. My lab was located on a floor with a bunch of young, social, doc and post-doc students and staff. People were working on projects ranging from social defeat in the "rat lab" to Transcranial Magnetic Imaging (TMS) in the neuroscience lab (all of which I had the opportunity to tour). Also, luncheons and social gatherings were a common occurrence. One day, the whole floor got together to throw a "funeral party" for the department. It was changing names, so we celebrated with a well-planned party complete with team bonding activities, a dinner buffet, and champagne.

My Norwegian mentor was also very welcoming and hospitable. From the moment I got off the plane he was waiting to help me settle into my new surroundings, even inviting me over to have dinner with his family. He also took my lab-mate and I on an excursion to Fedje (an island in the Nordhordland), to a local jazz concert, and was constantly suggesting cultural events like the midsummer celebration bonfire and the 17th of May parade.

I had a ton of great experiences outside of work too. I took a boogie woogie swing class taught in Norwegian, played Frisbee with the Bergen University team, and took a few fencing classes at the local Rec center. I met international students in my dorm, and we would go swimming in the fjords at midnight and watch the sunlight finally fade. I would go hiking in the seven mountains surrounding Bergen with my Norwegian friends and pick wild blueberries. You can actually fill up your nalgene directly from the streams on hikes. The water is safe to drink and delicious!

The country itself is absolutely gorgeous! It's covered in mountains - green and bright with blooming flowers. I was told Bergen would be cold and rainy, but during the summer months that's not true at all. When I was there the skies were clear and the weather beautiful! Bergen is right on the coast so you can look over the ocean as you stroll through the fish market on a Saturday buying fresh fish and fruit. Just watch out for the pickled herring (yuck)! The houses are adorable with their "picket fence" whitewood walls and pink roofs. They give the city a quaint, small town feel. I couldn't have fallen more in love with a place.

My summer was truly unforgettable. I would highly recommend researching abroad to anyone.

Megan Kittleson, BRAVO! student in Dr. Arve Asbjornsen's lab, Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway and UBRPer in Dr. Elena Plante's lab, Speech, Language and Hearing

NOTE: Don't miss Megan's Datablitz on September 14 at Noon in Life Sciences South 240.