I was born in 1943 in a sailor family on the west
coast of Norway. In my childhood I experienced that
my three younger brothers after confirmation signed
on ships that sailed all over the world. As a girl, I
had the same longing to travel, but life at sea was
reserved for men. My dream was therefore to fly - to
work as an airline hostess, a dream of many girls in
the 1950's and -60's, a position then considered
highly prestigious, glamorous, exciting, sought-after
and for the few. When I finally got my "Green Card", I
left promptly for New York City, where I in 1966 was
hired as a flight attendant for Overseas National
Airways. 
 
In 1968 I married a Norwegian, gave birth to a
daughter and left ONA. After two more years in New
York I returned to Oslo, to give my daughter a
Norwegian upbringing and schooling.
 
In Oslo I received my pre-school teacher diploma,
and for the next 20 years I had an absorbing career
as a consultant at the Municipal Kindergarten
Administration of Oslo. Meanwhile my daughter had
finished her Junior College and decided to leave for
Hawaii to start her University studies.




Aerial view of Coconut Island in Kane‘ohe Bay showing 
the location of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology 
and some of the surrounding reefs. 


In 1995 I felt burnt-out in my job and decided to
leave for Hawaii too, where I studied Journalism and
Marine Biology at the University of Hawaii. 
For my Marine Biology paper. 
I ended up writing a book about
Whales and Whaling, based on my father's and
grandfather's whaling experience. The book "From
Norway to the Icy Waters of Antarctica" was
published in Norway in 2000.


The book title in Norwegian is
FRA Haugesund Til Isodet I Antarktis
by Karin H. Evensen
Akademisk Fagforlag As
ISBN: 82-7868-030-2
copyright 2000





In 2005 I published a historic book about my home
town. Since then I have settled in Oslo, working as
a kindergarten teacher and writing children's books
as well. My granddaughter of five is living in Hawaii,
so I shall still be visiting America on a regular
basis.
I also look forward to meeting former colleagues
from ONA!  
 
( For the past 40 years I have kept contact with ONA
flight attendant Mary(la) Reznik Finelli, who lives in L.A.) 
 
Sincerely,
Karin Baardsen Evensen