Elisabeth Retteraasen
Photographer and Store Manager
What’s your link to Townsville?
I’m from Norway and had never been to Townsville or Australia before applying to James Cook University. A whole new country and city, completely different from the cold here up in the north, sounded very interesting to me. So I applied, along with some of my friends from school, and we all got in! My Townsville days were amazing. We were all so well-received at the university, by both teachers and fellow students. We got all the help we needed to get enrolled in our classes and connect with other international students. The university had a great atmosphere and many afternoons were spent at the campus.
When we had some time off, we took advantage and went on road trips, to the beach, festivals and tried to explore as much as we could in this country that’s so different from home. I still think about the wallabies jumping around campus, the humidity and high temperatures. To have spent a year-and-a-half on the other side of the world is something I’m proud of.
Where are you now?
Elverum, Norway. It´s a small town in eastern Norway, not far from where I grew up. I manage a jewellery store and I have a sole proprietorship as a photographer. I cover a lot of weddings and baby pictures and hope to expand my horizons soon. Having my own studio and doing more commercial photography are on my to-do list.
What’s happening with your family life?
I got married and we’ve got a little baby boy!
How did your time in Townsville set you up for success?
My time in Townsville was necessary for me to develop personally, creatively and professionally. To experience and live in a city so different from where I come from, meeting new people from all around the world and not to have that safety net of family and familiar environments to fall back on, made me more self-reliant and independent. I also learnt some tricks of the trade that I still use today.