It took another week of planning and securing Maja's flight and boat trips. She was nervous about traveling by herself but more excited about what would be waiting for her once she arrived on Motunui. She continued to talk to Kalani, and she happily provided Maja with the necessary contact information for the other directors on the project, as well as the owner of the Motunui Cultural Center, whom Kalani wanted Maja to meet.
Amidst Maja's planning, she worked on getting the necessary supplies based on Kalani's list and did have to take her parents' suitcases to fit everything. She also acquired hiking clothing and gear; as Kalani mentioned, Motunui was very mountainous and hilly, so she would be hiking around a lot.
But two days before her flight, Katrina wanted Maja to pay a quick visit to her grandmother, Torlaug, who lived about an hour away, so it would be a little day trip for them.
They arrived at Torlaug's home, painted bright red, a common thing for many Scandinavian homes. Torlaug's garden was growing quite nicely, with many native Norwegian flowers planted out front.
"Mormor's garden is really growing," Maja commented as they walked up the stone pathway.
"It is; it's her pride and joy. Though she's been needing extra hands to help since your grandfather is no longer around."
"When I come home, I promise I'll help her more," Maja assured, knocking on the front door, which was immediately opened by Torlaug, a beaming smile on her face as she brought her daughter and granddaughter in for a tight hug, kissing them both on the cheek.
"Oh! It's so good to see you both!"
"Hi mama, good to see you, too," Katrina replied with a smile, returning the affection, handing her mother some cookies they brought.
"Come! Come inside! I want to hear about what you're up to!" Torlaug said, gesturing for them to sit at the kitchen table while she got them tea.
"Well, I have some news to share." Maja began as she sat, Torlaug's eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Oh? Well, don't keep me waiting!"
"So, someone reached out to me with a potential job offer," Torlaug placed a plate of the cookies on the table as the kettle began to whistle on the stove, "and I thought hard about it, and I am accepting it. But it requires me to travel."
"That's exciting! Where are you traveling to?"
"A Pacific island nation called Motunui." Torlaug paused as she absorbed her granddaughter's words.
"I see, I've never heard of it. I know of French Polynesia and Samoa, never Motunui."
"I know, I hadn't heard of it either, so I did some research, and the woman who reached out to me is fully involved in helping me get there. She'll be covering the expenses of the trip."
"That's very kind of her! When are you leaving?"
"In a couple of days. Mom and I wanted to see you before I left."
"Oh, I see. This is a surprise," Torlaug said, seemingly a bit disappointed Maja would be leaving soon. Maja took her grandmother's hands in hers, holding them gently.
"I know, and I'm sorry this seems a bit last minute. I've been doing a lot of planning and making sure this trip goes well. I didn't want to let myself down." Torlaug smiled at Maja, cradling her cheek in her palm.
"No need to apologize, Maja. I understand. I know the world is still suffering and has a long way to go, and we have yet to catch up. I know you'll do what's right for you, and I know your grandfather would say the same."
"I know, Mormor, takk," Maja replied, thankful for her grandmother's support.
The three women chatted a bit more, with Torlaug inquiring further about Motunui. She also asked about Johann and Frederick, naturally. Once they finished their tea and cookies, Maja offered to clean up and take care of the dishes. Torlaug and Katrina went off to the living room, Maja remained in the kitchen, glancing around as she worked at the sink, contemplating her grandmother's words.
Three hours later, after giving Torlaug a hand with a few chores around the house, Katrina and Maja realized they needed to head home so Maja could finish packing.
Katrina went to start the car as Torlaug asked Maja to wait at the front door to give her something. A few minutes later, she returned with a necklace that Maja had never seen before. A dark blue pendant, with an iridescent shell swirl inlay, surrounded by silver stars.
"It's beautiful. I've never seen it before, though?"
"It was a gift from a friend who visited French Polynesia many years ago. I'd like you to have it for your trip."
"Oh, thank you, mormor," Maja smiled, letting her grandmother put it on for her.
"It suits you," Torlaug said, returning the smile, "Have a safe trip, I can't wait to hear all about it. Trust your instincts, if your heart feels it's right…"
"The heart knows best, I know." With another kiss on the cheek and a tight hug, Maja said goodbye, rejoined her mother in the car, and Katrina drove them home.
Fully prepared now, Maja's family and friends took her to the Olso Airport to bid her goodbye, getting the first flight in the morning. She would be able to sleep on the plane, but her nerves were keeping her wide awake. She would have one layover in Los Angeles, which, according to her flight info, would only be about 45 minutes, which was surprisingly quick for a layover, but it would give her time to get food.
"Text us as soon as you land in Los Angeles and Samoa," Frederick said.
"Don't worry, Dad, I will, I promise." Maja assured him with a smile, hugging him tightly, "I'm going to miss you all."
"We'll miss you, too. Have a safe flight, and try to get some sleep," Katrina said.
"I will." Maja turned to Britt, Alessia, and Henry, all three of whom gave her a huge group hug as well.
"Be safe out there," Britt said, wringing her hands out, snowflakes dropping from them.
"I feel I should say the same to you: take care of yourself. Hopefully, you get this situation figured out."
"I'll keep you updated," Britt assured, giving her a quick hug.
"Don't worry, she's got me. Whatever the hell is going on, I'm sure we can figure it out," Alessia grinned, slinging an arm around Britt's shoulders, who crossed her arms and playfully rolled her eyes in response but didn't shake Alessia's arm off.
"And I'll keep you updated on the Star Reader," Henry said.
"Please! I'll do my best to give you a hand if you need it. I'm sure I'll have time to help with an 11-hour time difference."
"Don't stress, this is about you. Do the job, and have fun, too."
"I will."
With a few final goodbyes, Maja checked the time and saw she needed to start checking her bags and have enough time to get through security. She remembered her uncle and aunt talking about the time before 9/11 and not having any issues going through airport security. But the world had changed so much since then, and now, security was tighter everywhere; it was unavoidable.
With her bags and passport checked, Maja made her way through security quite fast, despite confusion about what to keep inside or remove from her backpack. Once that was over with, she scurried to her gate as fast as she could, noting the restaurants and shops nearby, even though she wouldn't have time to get anything.
Ensuring everything she needed was charged and she had the books she wanted to read safely tucked away, as well as her journal, her anxiety dissipated enough to let her relax a little bit.
Soon enough, flight groups were being called, with her being in the third group. She had snagged a window seat on the plane, which was her favorite.
Shuffling through the tight main aisle of the plane, Maja found her seat and quickly shoved her bag underneath the seat in front of her, taking her seat and getting as comfy as she could. She greeted the others in her row with a polite "hello" but didn't converse further.
Even though most people didn't, she made sure to listen to the safety instructions from the flight attendants since it had been so long since she'd flown anywhere. With that done, with the plane finally ready, Maja sent a few quick texts to her friends and family, as well as Kalani, that she was finally on her way.
She gripped the armrests of her seat as the plane took off, and with a glance out of the window, she said goodbye to Oslo.