Aina Kristiansen er min venn (=is my friend)

by Kate Amerikaner

A is for adventurous. Aina is always up for trying new things, and she's not afraid to look silly. She's just out to have a good time! (Who else would put her butt in a cactus-in public-just to take a picture?)

I is for infatuated with The Learning Channel, especially Trading Spaces. But let's face it-who isn't? Plus, the girl has good taste; she realizes that Ty Pennington is too sexy for his tools but not too sexy for her!!!

N is for naughty. Well, sort of. Aina's idea of a wild night is drinking half of a Smirnoff Ice, watching chick flicks, and going right to bed!

A is for AS GOOD AS CHICKEN!!! Better, even.

K is for kooky. When she gets loopified, you'd better watch out!

R is for resourceful. Aina's the only girl I know who doesn't have her driver's license and STILL manages to get places without causing others to feel like her chauffeur.

I is for implicitly DAMN CURVACEOUS! 'Nuff said.

S is for style. Let's face it-the girl is simply ALWAYS put together! Of course, I can never repay Aina for letting me in on her little fashion secret (and helping me break my bank)-we're just going to have to crusade for an H&M store at the new mall!

T is for travel buddy. We've been to California, Norway, and Sketcham together, and I can attest that she is one of the easiest people with whom to travel because she's easygoing yet eager to try new things.

I is for intelligence. This includes book smarts (passing the dreaded J-School Spelling and Grammar Exam), street smarts (avoiding sketchy Greyhound buses at all costs), and people smarts (knowing exactly how to brighten anyone's day).

A is for affectionate. Anyone who hasn't experienced an authentic Aina hug is missing out!!!

N is for not-cheese. Although it would be cool if she were, especially if she were goat cheese cheese. Even though she's not-cheese, she introduced me to gjetost-especially gjetost with jam on Norwegian waffles!-so she's all right in my book.

S is for strength. I am comforted that if I ever had a boyfriend who wasn't treating me right, and I couldn't beat him up myself, that Aina could take him out with very little effort.

E is for email and Instant Messenger junkie. This is great because I know that I will always have a cheerful message waiting for me when I get home from a long day.

N is for neat. Compulsively so. And anyone wonders why we get along so well?

E is for empathetic. Aina's been there, done that, worked that corner, so she can identify with my problems and help me figure things out when I'm confused. Even if she hasn't been through a specific situation, she always knows exactly what to say to make me feel better!

R is for ridiculously creative. If you've seen even the beginnings of her scrapbook from California, you'll know what I mean.

M is for multilingual. Does anyone else think it's amazing that she's better at Taboo than most native English speakers, including English majors/fanatics like me and my mom?

I is for independent. You just TRY to stop Aina from doing something she has her heart set on doing! Trust me, you will NEVER do it again.

N is for non-smoker. (Thank goodness, or I wouldn't be able to hang out with her for long periods of time without choking or barfing!) Plus, she's a wonderful influence on her smoker friends.

V is for vegetarian. Aina is incredibly patient when people forget this fact. Just don't eat anything in front of her that looks like the animal from which it came.

E is for eager to go the extra mile. Aina cares about her friends and their happiness, and she'll do anything to cheer someone up or make a friend's life easier. When she, Amy, and I flew to California, it was her idea to make an amusement bag to help Amy get through her very first plane flight. (Naturally, we couldn't have predicted being bumped up to first class-that was an amusement all to itself!!!)

N is for not a music dork. Aina first started hanging out with the music crowd at the beginning of spring semester, and it didn't take her very long to win over the hearts of every single one of us. She may not play an instrument, but she's crazy enough for ten of us, and that's why we love her!

N is for NOT forgettable or replaceable! (I know it's unforgettable and irreplaceable, but I had the letter "n" with which to work, so deal with it! =) ) Aina may have a different hair style and color every time I see her, but she's constant and steadfast where it matters-in her heart. I know that, no matter where she is and what she's doing, if I need her, she'll drop everything for me. Even when I get busy with work and other activities and I can't see her as much as I'd like, I know that she is there, unwavering in her love of and support for me. Her intentions are pure and her will unflappable, and for these things I am eternally grateful. Without Aina, I would never have had the opportunity to visit Norway and get the "insider's perspective." I would not have learned important phrases like "Kan jeg få et russekort?" Without Aina, I would never know that Vanessa Williams plays tennis. And, more seriously, without Aina I would not be as confident in myself because of her confidence in me. For all this, and many other things, all I can say to her is TUSEN TAKK. No, MILLIONER TAKK!!!