This question can look very different depending on where you grew up.
In my case, the education system in Norway does not match the college/university system used in many English-speaking countries.
Below, I share my educational journey using clear explanations and English equivalents where possible, so readers from different countries can follow along easily.

After compulsory schooling, I attended Almenfag, which in English would be closest to general studies or academic studies — a broad, theory-based upper secondary education. It was meant to be a three-year programme, but after the first year I couldn’t cope. So I did what felt necessary at the time: I took a gap year and went out to work.

Later, I completed two years of vocational studies qualifying me to work with children and young people aged 0–18, with special focus on children with disabilities or chronic illnesses. This path felt meaningful and aligned with who I was.
Seven years later, I returned to education and completed what in Norway is called Fagbrev / Svennebrev in Barne- og Ungdomsarbeider.
In English, this would be best described as a Trade Certificate / Vocational Diploma as a Child and Youth Care Worker.

A year later, in 1998, my life took an unexpected turn. After a tick bite, I became seriously ill. For years I had felt unwell without clear answers, until doctors finally diagnosed Lyme disease (Borreliosis). By then, it had caused permanent damage, including to facial nerves and other parts of my health. As a result, I was placed on disability pension.
Life didn’t stop — it simply changed shape.

In 2009, I began working one day a week in a herbal shop, reconnecting with natural healing and gentler rhythms. That same year, in September, I enrolled in an astrology school. The studies lasted two years — one weekend a month in school, with the rest being self-study — and I received my astrology diploma.
In 2011, we made another life-changing decision:
we moved from Norway to the Canary Islands, seeking a more stable climate for health and well-being.
Looking back, my education hasn’t followed a straight line.
It’s been shaped by health, circumstance, curiosity, and resilience.
But every step taught me something — about care, patience, learning, and adaptation.
And maybe that, too, is a form of education.
💜

💫Maggie

The Afterlove Voice 💫