I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. I have absolutely no desire to smoke a cigarette at any point in my life...ever. But if you walked into my room right now, you would find an almost full carton of Marlboro Light cigarettes.
Before coming to Europe I used judge (negatively) any person I saw smoking a cigarette. The first thought into my head was always "Really? Your smoking?" whether I knew the person or not. And while this may have been an unfair judgment of character and personality based on one bad addiction/habit, it was the reaction I had. I couldnt understand why anyone could smoke knowing how bad it was for their health....I mean there is rat poison in cigarettes! What kind of person would knowingly subject themselves to such blatant poisoning? And the answer is, lots of good people. Since coming to Europe, and being exposed to a culture of smoking that is very different than that of the United States, I have come to realize that smokers are people too. This sounds childish and obvious, but it wasnt before. Its not that before, I thought smokers werent real people, I simply judged them prematurely as people that I would not associate with and could not relate to...because of the culture and societal taboo that surrounds smoking in America today, I never saw smoking from the other side....which is exactly what I have had the opportunity to do since coming to Oslo.
The first person that I met here at the university, my good buddy of mine, smokes. Now he doesnt smoke often, and has "quit" in the past, but as he would tell you and as every other smoker would tell you, it is an addiction. It is not easy to simply drop it cold-turkey and leave the nicotine behind. After initially meeting him, he introduced me to some of the other people he had met (roommates, friends, etc) which now forms the close circle of friends that we have. Of those friends, a few smoke....again, the amount that they smoke differs between them, but they smoke nonetheless. At first I was unsure about it...the questions of "Why? Do they know they are smoking rat poison? Have they tried to quit?" all resurfaced as my societal bred insticts about smoking resurfaced. But as I have gotten to know them (and we are talking about some of my closest friends now), and talk about smoking with each, one thing is clear...they all want to quit. Most of them have tried before but for one reason or another fallen back into the habit. I have learned that its not only the addiction to nicotine thats hard to push, but the habititual action of actually smoking a cigarette. It is an action that becomes a part of you life if you smoke, and its not easy to drop.
Over the semester I have kidded a bit with my smoking friends about how they should quit for real....I lovingly remind them once in awhile that "smoking kills", "that there is rat poison in that cigarette", and of course "that smoking is bad for you". These reminders are all given in a non-threatening, non-agressive way all with their health and well-being in mind. They have all taken it in good humor and jokingly tell me "after the next pack I will quit"....riiight. Until one day, when a buddy of mine decided it was time to quit, for real. He told me that while he would like to quit cold-turkey, he knows that if he did that it would not last....this quiting attempt, if it is to be for real, needs to be a planned, gradual process. So we made a plan of a daily ration that would decrease with time. It started out with something like 6 cigarettes a day for the first two weeks, and then decreased by one cigarette per day each of the following two weeks until it got to zero a day, when theoretically he would not need or want one. In order to truthfully stick to the plan, he decided (I repeat, he decided) that I should hold the cigarettes and give them to him...as sort of a reminder to stick with it. We made a deal that the carton of cigarettes he purchased at the start of the plan would be the last cigarettes he bought in his life...hence the nearly full carton of Marlboro Lights in my room.
So far the plan is working fairly well, he is down to 4 cigarettes a day for the rest of this week and next, and has agreed that he is already feeling better because he's smoking less. And while he is moving towards dropping a bad habit, I have had a first hand view of the quitting process. He has shown me the difficulties of an addiction, and while I cannot relate from personal experience, I can and do appreciate the effort he is exerting to kick it...and it is the least that I can do to help him out along the way. I am humbled and honored to be a part of such a significant change to my good friends life. And I think that throughout this process of quitting and exposure to the culture of smoking, I have been able to really see, that smokers are people too...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Show and Tell
So for the most part life around Oslo has been relatively laid back and normal as of late. I have really been able to settle into life as a Norwegian, complete with a regular schedule and regular commitments. But starting with last weekend my life has been and will be a bustle of activity, travel, and visitors. This past weekend, a good friend of mine from the University, Laura, came to visit me in Oslo. She is studying in Paris this fall and originally we had planned to meet up somewhere in Europe really cool (like Istanbul or Rome or Prague or something), but since I have been raving about Norway since the plane touched down, we decided to rendezvous here in the super cool, western-most Nordic country.
And I was excited for her to come for two reasons...one, it would be really good to see her and spend time with a good friend...someone I hadnt seen in many months. And two...do you remember the feeling that you had back in elementary school when it was show and tell day and you got to bring in your favorite toy or possession to share with all your classmates? Do you remember the excitement and joy you felt as you were able to share with you 4 foot tall friends one of the things that made you the most happy? Well thats kind of how I felt about having Laura come to Oslo...now I am not still in elementary school, Oslo is not my prized possesion, and I am definitely not 4 feet tall anymore, but the feeling of excitement and joy at the chance to share one of the things that makes me most happy was present nonetheless. Having her come was providing a great opportunity for me to show someone from home a little bit of what I love so much about Norway. I can write in blogs, I can take pictures, I can tell stories, but there is an element missing in all of those and that is the element of personal experience. It is very hard to grasp how massive a glacier is unless you are at the edge of it. It is difficult to try and get to know the awesome, awesome people I am meeting here unless you have met them in person. And while I am doing my best to paint the most realistic and accurate picture of those things and my life in Europe possible through my blog, my pictures, my stories...it is just different when you see it in person. So I was thrilled to have Oslo and Norway to show and tell.
Anyways, so she arrived on Thursday night and from then on it was a truly epic and awesome weekend. First of all, the weather was beautiful all weekend, which made showing off Norway very easy, because when the weather is nice here it is one of the best places on Earth. So with nice weather, we went hiking up near and around a lake in the hills just north of Oslo. The nature was pristine and we even stumbled upon a second lake that I did not know exsisted...ha hah! We also saw most of the main sights in Oslo (there were a few museums and such that cost some money, and as college students in Europe we decided against those options), including quite a bit of time in Vigelandsparken (it is a famous scultpure park in Oslo with interesting and compelling statues). We had a small cameo/extra role in the longest running Norwegian soap opera, "Hotel Cæsar". We hung out with my friends here in Oslo having tea, making meals, seeing the sites, dancing, and otherwise just chilling....basically it was just a great weekend.
I think that in the end, I was able to adequetely share and show my new city, my new friends, and this life that I have been living and loving for the last few months...my elementary school teachers would have been proud.
* ed note: While at Vigalendsparken, we (Laura, myself, my friend Kate, and my friend Kristina) were sitting on some steps enjoying the sun and the view, and the soap opera was filming near by. Then at one point the director came up to us and said, "Just so you know, you are in this shot, which is fine, but please dont look at the camera, just conintue to talk amongst yourselves and act like the actors arent there." And so they continued to shoot the scene, with us, two Americans, a Canadian, and a Norwegian as extras...so yeah, I have been in a soap opera.
And I was excited for her to come for two reasons...one, it would be really good to see her and spend time with a good friend...someone I hadnt seen in many months. And two...do you remember the feeling that you had back in elementary school when it was show and tell day and you got to bring in your favorite toy or possession to share with all your classmates? Do you remember the excitement and joy you felt as you were able to share with you 4 foot tall friends one of the things that made you the most happy? Well thats kind of how I felt about having Laura come to Oslo...now I am not still in elementary school, Oslo is not my prized possesion, and I am definitely not 4 feet tall anymore, but the feeling of excitement and joy at the chance to share one of the things that makes me most happy was present nonetheless. Having her come was providing a great opportunity for me to show someone from home a little bit of what I love so much about Norway. I can write in blogs, I can take pictures, I can tell stories, but there is an element missing in all of those and that is the element of personal experience. It is very hard to grasp how massive a glacier is unless you are at the edge of it. It is difficult to try and get to know the awesome, awesome people I am meeting here unless you have met them in person. And while I am doing my best to paint the most realistic and accurate picture of those things and my life in Europe possible through my blog, my pictures, my stories...it is just different when you see it in person. So I was thrilled to have Oslo and Norway to show and tell.
Anyways, so she arrived on Thursday night and from then on it was a truly epic and awesome weekend. First of all, the weather was beautiful all weekend, which made showing off Norway very easy, because when the weather is nice here it is one of the best places on Earth. So with nice weather, we went hiking up near and around a lake in the hills just north of Oslo. The nature was pristine and we even stumbled upon a second lake that I did not know exsisted...ha hah! We also saw most of the main sights in Oslo (there were a few museums and such that cost some money, and as college students in Europe we decided against those options), including quite a bit of time in Vigelandsparken (it is a famous scultpure park in Oslo with interesting and compelling statues). We had a small cameo/extra role in the longest running Norwegian soap opera, "Hotel Cæsar". We hung out with my friends here in Oslo having tea, making meals, seeing the sites, dancing, and otherwise just chilling....basically it was just a great weekend.
I think that in the end, I was able to adequetely share and show my new city, my new friends, and this life that I have been living and loving for the last few months...my elementary school teachers would have been proud.
* ed note: While at Vigalendsparken, we (Laura, myself, my friend Kate, and my friend Kristina) were sitting on some steps enjoying the sun and the view, and the soap opera was filming near by. Then at one point the director came up to us and said, "Just so you know, you are in this shot, which is fine, but please dont look at the camera, just conintue to talk amongst yourselves and act like the actors arent there." And so they continued to shoot the scene, with us, two Americans, a Canadian, and a Norwegian as extras...so yeah, I have been in a soap opera.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do
I like to sing...no, in fact I think I love to sing. I am not much of a soloist, much to the chagrin of some friends here in Oslo, but I do enjoy singing in a choir. Since coming to Oslo I have joined a choir here, Angelos Koret, in which I am part of the bass section. For some of you who knew me in high school that may come as a surprise, as in high school I was a tenor...now I know what your thinking, "Oh Tallis, how great! You have matured, your voice changed and now your a bass...congrats!"...and I can tell you that that is not the case, in fact in high school I could sing bass too, but I sang tenor because thats what was needed...now I sing bass, cause thats what was needed. Nonetheless, I love it. There is something about singing bass that is quite enjoyable...maybe it is the really low notes, or the powerful simplicity of the bass line...either way, joining a choir and singing again has been a wonderful part of living in Norway. The choir is something of a community choir, its not part of the University but there are many university aged people in the choir. We practice on Tuesday nights at an old Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oslo. I got involved in the choir kind of by chance...when staying in Notodden in August with Kjersti and Jan, I was introduced to Kjersti's nephew Gaute, who is also a student at the University here. Over the course of our conversation the topic of singing came up, and he asked if I sang, and if I would want to check out a choir he was in, Angelos Koret. I told him that I had back in high school, but that that was over two years ago (since when did I get so old?) and I that hadnt sang since...but being as I am in Norway trying new things, I decided to check out the choir and am I glad I did. The choir rehersals are conducted and run completely in Norwegian...which one would think would be difficult seeing as the amount of Norgwegian I know is just about nothing, but since I have been in choirs before and am not completely tone deaf I am able to follow along for the most part. I am the only english-as-a-first-language member of the choir, so my fellow choir members have been very helpful in translating for me when needed, giving me pronounciation tips, and making me feel welcome.
Last night we had our first concert of the semester (there is another one in December), and I would say it went very well. It was a fundraising event to raise money for a new organ in the church where we practice...but despite the 100 NOK ticket price (equivalent to about $20) I still had quite the fan section. Tim, Eamon, Max, Steve, Kate, Kristina, Marianne, and Carine all came in support...for which I was very grateful. It is always fun to share with friends some of the things you truly love to do, and so being able to share my previously-forgotten-but-now-found love of singing, was a true delight.
Last night we had our first concert of the semester (there is another one in December), and I would say it went very well. It was a fundraising event to raise money for a new organ in the church where we practice...but despite the 100 NOK ticket price (equivalent to about $20) I still had quite the fan section. Tim, Eamon, Max, Steve, Kate, Kristina, Marianne, and Carine all came in support...for which I was very grateful. It is always fun to share with friends some of the things you truly love to do, and so being able to share my previously-forgotten-but-now-found love of singing, was a true delight.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Cappaccinos are supposed to have lots of foam...
As some of you may or may not know, I have been working (well volunteering really) at a student-run cafe here at the University. At every faculty on campus (Humanities, Math and Natural Sciences, etc) there is a student-run cafe-by-day/pub-by-night where students from that faculty can go and hang out, do some homework, catch up with friends, etc. Most of the time the people that work there are in the respective faculty (thus providing a means for fellow students to meet others studying similar things)...I however have been working in the Social Sciences cafe/pub called U1. I started there on a recommendation from a friend, and I can safely say that it is one of the best decisions I have made. I work in the cafe every other week on Friday afternoons serving coffee, tea, lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, etc to the faithful patrons. And while my barista skills are improving (at first there was absolutely no difference between the cappuccinos and the lattes I made), it is the people I have been meeting that are truly making my time there wonderful. I know I have talked about "the people" before, but I dont think that I can stress that element of my experience enough. Just this past week, one of my "bosses", Marianne (she is on the board of directors for U1, and is a champ...one of the nicest, most fun people you will ever meet), had a few of the international students who work at U1 (there are maybe 6 of us) over to her apartment and made us a 3-course, traditional Norwegian meal....it was amazing! She absolutely did not have to have 10+ people (some of the other Norwegian U1ers also came) over to make a traditional meal...but she did because thats just the kind of person she is. Or there is another one of my "bosses", Carine (she is one of the two people in charge of the cafe), who after a conversation about the financial crisis a few days before, saved an article she found in a Norwegian newspaper about it and translated it for me (she also works at a bank which is how the original conversation got started). Or there is Peter, who is one of the DJs at the pub on some Friday nights, who will come in once and awhile to the cafe and we will talk shop about new music, or politics, or whatever (he also studied last semeseter at UC-Berkley and spent some time in Minneapolis this summer, so we talk about some of our similar experiences in CA and MN as well). These are just a few examples of the awesome people at U1....none of whom have to take time out of their day to make international students, like myself, feel welcome...but they all do, and because of it I am making friends that will last a lifetime.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Running With Royalty
This past weekend I participated in the Oslo Marathon...it went well, I felt good throughout the race, the weather was absolutely beautiful, the course wound through the streets of downtown Oslo as well as along the fjord harbor, I was running with a friend which always makes runs more fun, I got a really cool race shirt and medal for finishing, lots of free bananas, AND the Crown Princess of Norway was running...so all in all it was a great experience.
...oh, I am sorry, did I forget to mention that I was running the 10k race and not the full 42k marathon? My bad...you know how those details sometimes just slip your memory...
Yes, I ran the Oslo Marathon 10k race with a friend and all those other things I mentioned and I really did have a great time...because whats not to love about running with royalty?
...oh, I am sorry, did I forget to mention that I was running the 10k race and not the full 42k marathon? My bad...you know how those details sometimes just slip your memory...
Yes, I ran the Oslo Marathon 10k race with a friend and all those other things I mentioned and I really did have a great time...because whats not to love about running with royalty?
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tents with Windows and 1 Liter Steins...
The other day a couple of friends and I took this quiz found about 75 things to do before you die. The list had quite a few things on it (well, 75 to be exact), and as it turns out I have already complete 29 of them. One item that was not there, though an argument based on personal experience could be made for its inclusion, was taking part in Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Yes, what I am implying is that I have experienced, in person, the real Oktoberfest. I am sure some of you already knew this, as I have posted many, many pictures both on Flickr and on Facebook, but I thought that I would still try and recount the experience a bit.
And I think that that is the best word to describe it, an "experience". Before going in I did not know what to expect. I knew all of the stereotypes about how there would be lots of tourists, no Germans, lots of messy drunks, etc. and to be honest, that wasnt exactly my idea of a good time. But as the weekend went on I was pleasantly surprised by the event.
Our (myself and four other friends from Uni here in Oslo) trip started with a flight into Frankfurt, Germany on Friday afternoon. For those who are wondering, no, Frankfurt is not really that close to Munich. In fact it is a few hundred kilometers north west, so we rented a car (a Fiat Punto to be exact) and set off down the German Autobahn with a map and a vague idea of where to go...and since I was the only person among the 5 of us who drives on the right side of the road at home, I was the only person among the 5 of us who was going to be driving while in Germany. After 4+ hours of flying down the Autobahn (in many areas there are no speed limits, so I was free to drive as fast as the car would allow) at an average of 90+ mph, we finally arrived in the Munich suburb where we would be staying, Dachau. I suppose I should qualify that statement, for the first night (and really the entire weekend), we were not exactly sure where we would be staying. We had a friend of a friend who we thought we might be able to stay with....but in all reality we were prepared to sleep in the Fiat. Luckily the friend of a friend came through and we had a roof to sleep under for the weekend (even if it meant sharing single beds).
After arriving in Dachau late Friday night, we were up early on Saturday and into Munich to get in line for one of the famous beer tents (my alarm went off at 6:30 AM and we were in line at 8 AM and beer was first served at noon). You might ask, why get up so early just to stand in line? Well in order to truly experience Oktoberfest, it is imperative that you find a seat at a table inside a beer tent, for it is inside these tents where the traditional atmosphere of the festival is found. The "tents" are massive structures that are really more like temporary buildings (they take 4 months to set up and 1 month to take down), and each one can hold at least 1,000 people, most of who are dressed in traditional German dress, also known as lederhosen (the amount of traditionally dressed Germans depends entirely on the tent you go in...we sought out the tents with more Germans to get a more traditional atmosphere). Some tents have bands playing in the middle, there is dancing both on the ground and on the tables, there are different kinds of food (both traditional German and other) being served, lots of singing, and of course there is beer. Each tent is run by one German beer company, so each tent is serving a different kind of beer....but it is not just any beer, it is really good beer...and it comes in large quantities (the beer is served in "steins" or 1 liter mugs, and the waiters or waitresses carry them out by the dozen...a very impessive feat considering I had trouble picking up 5 at once, much less 12). As I have been in Europe and tried different kinds of beer, some good and some bad...but nothing compares to the beer served at Oktoberfest. It is far and away the best beer I have ever had (granted my beer tasting experience is relatively low...but I have a feeling that I have now reached the pinnacle of beer quality and it is all down hill from here). Each brew was a full, smooth, beautiful tasting beer that went down very nicely. So as you might be able to imagine, with a beer in hand and lederhosen clad Germans all around, the atmosphere was a lot of fun.
In addition to the beer tents at the Oktoberfest ground, there is also a massive carnival taking place (again, see pictures). There are more rides, carnival games, lights, and giant stuffed bears than you can shake a stein at...I would imagine that it was something like the Minnesota or Wisconsin State Fair, only it was taking place concurrently with one of the largest beer festivals in the world. Now, some of you may be wondering, did I go on any rides? And the answer is no, I decided given the amount of food and beer I consumed, that any ride where I am being spun in circles 60 feet off the ground would be a bad idea (for the record, I think being spun in circles 60 feet off the ground is a bad idea anyways). But despite not going on any rides I still thoroughly enjoyed wandering through this massive carnival people watching (Amy, Andy, Meg, and Sarah this event blew Summerfest out of the water in terms of people to people watch) and taking it all in.
After a very full and eventful day, we made our way back to Dachau for a good nights sleep, only to get up and do it all again on Sunday. Which sounds crazy I know, but in the grand scheme of things we were only at Oktoberfest for 2 days out of the three weeks it goes on. And yes they were action packed, carbohydrate filled days, but my motto is that you only live once, so I could not pass up this opportunity to experience a German traditional festival....and thats what it was...an experience.
And I think that that is the best word to describe it, an "experience". Before going in I did not know what to expect. I knew all of the stereotypes about how there would be lots of tourists, no Germans, lots of messy drunks, etc. and to be honest, that wasnt exactly my idea of a good time. But as the weekend went on I was pleasantly surprised by the event.
Our (myself and four other friends from Uni here in Oslo) trip started with a flight into Frankfurt, Germany on Friday afternoon. For those who are wondering, no, Frankfurt is not really that close to Munich. In fact it is a few hundred kilometers north west, so we rented a car (a Fiat Punto to be exact) and set off down the German Autobahn with a map and a vague idea of where to go...and since I was the only person among the 5 of us who drives on the right side of the road at home, I was the only person among the 5 of us who was going to be driving while in Germany. After 4+ hours of flying down the Autobahn (in many areas there are no speed limits, so I was free to drive as fast as the car would allow) at an average of 90+ mph, we finally arrived in the Munich suburb where we would be staying, Dachau. I suppose I should qualify that statement, for the first night (and really the entire weekend), we were not exactly sure where we would be staying. We had a friend of a friend who we thought we might be able to stay with....but in all reality we were prepared to sleep in the Fiat. Luckily the friend of a friend came through and we had a roof to sleep under for the weekend (even if it meant sharing single beds).
After arriving in Dachau late Friday night, we were up early on Saturday and into Munich to get in line for one of the famous beer tents (my alarm went off at 6:30 AM and we were in line at 8 AM and beer was first served at noon). You might ask, why get up so early just to stand in line? Well in order to truly experience Oktoberfest, it is imperative that you find a seat at a table inside a beer tent, for it is inside these tents where the traditional atmosphere of the festival is found. The "tents" are massive structures that are really more like temporary buildings (they take 4 months to set up and 1 month to take down), and each one can hold at least 1,000 people, most of who are dressed in traditional German dress, also known as lederhosen (the amount of traditionally dressed Germans depends entirely on the tent you go in...we sought out the tents with more Germans to get a more traditional atmosphere). Some tents have bands playing in the middle, there is dancing both on the ground and on the tables, there are different kinds of food (both traditional German and other) being served, lots of singing, and of course there is beer. Each tent is run by one German beer company, so each tent is serving a different kind of beer....but it is not just any beer, it is really good beer...and it comes in large quantities (the beer is served in "steins" or 1 liter mugs, and the waiters or waitresses carry them out by the dozen...a very impessive feat considering I had trouble picking up 5 at once, much less 12). As I have been in Europe and tried different kinds of beer, some good and some bad...but nothing compares to the beer served at Oktoberfest. It is far and away the best beer I have ever had (granted my beer tasting experience is relatively low...but I have a feeling that I have now reached the pinnacle of beer quality and it is all down hill from here). Each brew was a full, smooth, beautiful tasting beer that went down very nicely. So as you might be able to imagine, with a beer in hand and lederhosen clad Germans all around, the atmosphere was a lot of fun.
In addition to the beer tents at the Oktoberfest ground, there is also a massive carnival taking place (again, see pictures). There are more rides, carnival games, lights, and giant stuffed bears than you can shake a stein at...I would imagine that it was something like the Minnesota or Wisconsin State Fair, only it was taking place concurrently with one of the largest beer festivals in the world. Now, some of you may be wondering, did I go on any rides? And the answer is no, I decided given the amount of food and beer I consumed, that any ride where I am being spun in circles 60 feet off the ground would be a bad idea (for the record, I think being spun in circles 60 feet off the ground is a bad idea anyways). But despite not going on any rides I still thoroughly enjoyed wandering through this massive carnival people watching (Amy, Andy, Meg, and Sarah this event blew Summerfest out of the water in terms of people to people watch) and taking it all in.
After a very full and eventful day, we made our way back to Dachau for a good nights sleep, only to get up and do it all again on Sunday. Which sounds crazy I know, but in the grand scheme of things we were only at Oktoberfest for 2 days out of the three weeks it goes on. And yes they were action packed, carbohydrate filled days, but my motto is that you only live once, so I could not pass up this opportunity to experience a German traditional festival....and thats what it was...an experience.
Monday, September 22, 2008
"home"
Over the past few years my definition of the word "home" has changed, morphed, and matured to a point now where it is much different than what it used to be.
In the days leading up to my departure for college my freshman year, I had a "mental breakdown" of sorts as I came to the realization that "home" as I had always known it was about to change. I was leaving the neighborhood, the street, the bedroom, the city, the people, the lifestyle, etc. that I had always known, loved, and felt safe in for a new city with a dorm room where my lifestyle and friends would surely be different from anything I had ever known. At that moment I thought that I would never really have a "home" again until the day some time down the road when I got married, had kids, bought a house, etc. I thought that I would never be able to consider a different place home (of course my Mom, being the loving and concerned parent she is and was, assured me that I always had a home, that being the house she lived in...thanks Mom)...and at that time in my life, as a not even college freshman, such notions were terrifying. However it did not take long for those fears and notions of "home" to be written off as ill-conceived.
As I am now living in my third place in as many years, I am comfortable with the idea that "home" does not have to be and is not the two-story, suburban house with a yard to rake and a basketball hoop that was normal of my childhood. I love the fact that my "home" in the last three years has been in three different rooms, in two different cities on two different continents, with different people, cultures and languages...it is simply a testament to where I am in my life.
So as I continue to live that life, my life, here in Oslo...I am happy to say that I have found a new "home". And while my time of residence here may be temporary, my experiences and feelings are true and lifelong....I am right at "home".
In the days leading up to my departure for college my freshman year, I had a "mental breakdown" of sorts as I came to the realization that "home" as I had always known it was about to change. I was leaving the neighborhood, the street, the bedroom, the city, the people, the lifestyle, etc. that I had always known, loved, and felt safe in for a new city with a dorm room where my lifestyle and friends would surely be different from anything I had ever known. At that moment I thought that I would never really have a "home" again until the day some time down the road when I got married, had kids, bought a house, etc. I thought that I would never be able to consider a different place home (of course my Mom, being the loving and concerned parent she is and was, assured me that I always had a home, that being the house she lived in...thanks Mom)...and at that time in my life, as a not even college freshman, such notions were terrifying. However it did not take long for those fears and notions of "home" to be written off as ill-conceived.
As I am now living in my third place in as many years, I am comfortable with the idea that "home" does not have to be and is not the two-story, suburban house with a yard to rake and a basketball hoop that was normal of my childhood. I love the fact that my "home" in the last three years has been in three different rooms, in two different cities on two different continents, with different people, cultures and languages...it is simply a testament to where I am in my life.
So as I continue to live that life, my life, here in Oslo...I am happy to say that I have found a new "home". And while my time of residence here may be temporary, my experiences and feelings are true and lifelong....I am right at "home".
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