These last two days have been a bit shit for me. And it's been drama from home that's been bringing me down. And the fact that my dad told me that my dog Charles got out of the house and got picked up by animal control and had to get a rabies booster. It worries me there because my dog Sydney got really sick after her rabies booster and we had to put her down as a result. So I've been upset and stressed over that. And it's thrown in a tinge of homesickness to my trip.
But I was thinking about it a bit because I don't actually have a home to be homesick about. My dad is moving in a few week (before I get home) so the house I left I'll never be going back too... So I'm not really homesick for a place... I'm more Feelings-sick.
I'm homesick for that feeling of comfort of seeing your friends or cuddling up with your dogs.
I'm homesick for a familiar face and the feeling of being safe.
Now it's not to say I don't feel safe traveling because I do. But you just sleep a bit on edge when you're in a room with strangers. You know. And my dad hasn't been diligent at all about sending me puppy updates. My mum on the other had has been grand... But i really want to see Charles and Will.
And that doesn't even start to cover the whole missing Jameson thing. Because FaceTime is like a bandaid. It doesn't make the missing him easier it just makes it less while we're talking. After I have to hang up I'm mopey for a while. The same goes for talking with my mum or Kelly but well not as clingy missy.
I always get a bit of this thing called "homesick" when I travel. Sometimes it hits me early in a trip. Other times it makes the last week a teary mess for me. But this time it's hit me earlyish... or maybe it's already half way through my trip. I've been away for nearly 3 weeks now. Who knows if I'll make it another 3. I really don't know. My plans are all over the place and crazy and constantly changing. It's fun but at the same time... I just want to lay in bed and have a lazy day. Or walk around without pants on. Or stay up really late and write and not worry about missing breakfast.
I'm missing a lot of the small things right now. So I'm doing my best to do what I always do and just suck it up. I'm hoping London will set me straight. I'm headed off at 6:40 tomorrow morning for my favourite city! I'll have lunch in Trafalgar and grin like an idiot. Hopefully a good dose of London will kick my feelings-sickness for a while. And if it doesn't then at least this trip isn't forever. I'll be heading home, where ever it may be, in a few weeks.
But before I can think of home I need London. It's my unhealthy addiction... Or maybe it is healthy... well either way I love London!
Cheers,
What have I been up to in my blog silence? Well today in day 8 in Oslo. But only my second day exploring the city. I was out of city centre in Ris watching the kids. We ventured into the city to see Frogner park and the Vigeland sculpture park.
And this angry baby is the most popular... why?!
There are some other pretty cool ones (Better non lopsided pictures to come).
There was also a cool kids playground there that the kids played on. And it was cool as hell but I swear America is over protective of their children because some of that equipment would not me allowed in the US.
My first sort of site seeing was Sunday. I met up with a friend and he took me around Oslo on his motorcycle.
We went up to the sky jump area....
Then drove out to admire the scenery. And guess what there are beaches in Oslo!
And it was so pretty!
Then it was back to the kids. And it came time to pack them up. I said good-bye to the family yesterday morning. We pulled it off with minimal tears. Then it was into the city I went! After grabbing a tourist map I made my way around city centre!
To preface all the lopsided/ slightly askew pictures I'd like everyone to know the screen on my camera is busted so my usual walking and picture taking is a lot less straight...
First stop... The Opera House!
A few fun facts about this building, it's marble and glass... you can walk on the roof.
The building boasts three stages and a total of 1,100 rooms.
Also it's fun to walk up and the view is nice and the weather was amazing so it was nice to just sit up there and catch a tan.
I had my pack with me all day so by the time lunch time I had seen all that Karl Johans Gate had to offer..
So I stretched out in the park by the Royal Palace.
I was journaling when I promptly fell asleep. And I took an hour and a half nap. I woke up to find my nice patch of shade had moved and my face now sports the nicest sunburn! But I didn't realise that till I was writing later in the evening and rubbed my forehead only to have it sting. Today I look like a legit tourist.
But it made me think. Normally I don't travel to Europe in the summer. I usually go on the off season. This is in fact my first Summer European adventure!
Then I wandered down to the docks and took up residence at the Espresso House there where I wrote till they closed.
And took to the streets once again! For night time pictures!
I lolly gaged a whole bunch before finally settling down for the night and getting some sleep. But I didn't really sleep. I ended up bothering my friends at home and I got up early. Like 7h00 early. And I figured why not go see the sites again because everything looks so quaint in the morning light. Plus the sky is blue today so everything looks so pretty!
See this just back's up my theory that everything in Norway is beautiful. The country and mountains are gorgeous. Bergen was adorable and now Oslo is adorable as well!!! It's not fair!!! I'm seriously in love with this country. I'm going to have to log it into my top three countries. It's only being beaten out by America (Obviously) and Ireland.
So I'm going to do a bit more writing then head over to the castle and have a stroll around.
Cheers,
I've been off the grid for the last few days. I met up with a family that I nanny for in New Jersey. The dad is Norwegian so they come to Norway every year and they invited me along. It was a good excuse to head to Europe and the trip happened to fall perfectly in the timing of shit hitting the fan at home. I'd been planning on going with the family to Norway since about New Years, so the trip was never new news. The only thing that has really changed is the duration of my trip.
So I hopped on the ferry Saturday from Bergen to Songdal.
It was a four hour and forty five minute ride up the fjord. We stopped at some super small super cute towns...
But mainly it was cruising!
And amazing scenery!
It was legitimately inspiring because I started a new writing project... it's currently just a teasing idea distracting me from my other project but we'll see where it takes me.
And the closer I got the more excited I got.
Then we docked in at Songdal and there were Linda and Nils waiting for me. And it was one of those crazy moments when you see someone you know in a foreign place and it's suddenly very real that you're not in New Jersey any more.
We hopped in the car and were off to Kaupanger. I got to stay in a cabin!! They belong to Nils' parents and it's where they stay when they're not in Oslo. There are three adorable cabins seriously in the woods! It was so amazing and quiet! And we didn't have wifi till last night because it wasn't working or something. But that totally worked for me.
I've actually been hanging out with the kids a lot. We had secret mad lib parties in the "secret room" it's actually just the loft space in the furthest cabin. But they wanted really funny ones and they asked me to write food mad libs. And not to brag they were pretty stellar. All I could think of was how great it would have been to play with my brothers because even when we're keeping them PG rated they always come up with the most obscure words! But the kids were just so funny coming up with words. I knew they were struggling with a crazy one when they'd opt for bookshelf or window.
But we also did some cool things! Like hiking to a glacier!
My very first glacier!
And it was as epic as I thought. And there were warning signs there that I thought were funny. Apparently they have serious meanings....
This one isn't telling you to body surf the waves... it's a warning that flash flood may occur if ice breaks away.
And we have the signs for the two things that could fall. Rocks and Ice!
It was just so pretty.
I also swam in the fjord!!
We went one morning and I knew it was going to be cold so I opted for jumping off the dock over climbing in.
It was a balmy 12'C (54'F)! But it felt so nice after you swam around for a while. And I wish i was a stronger swimmer because I would have loved to have stayed in longer. But I ended up clinging to the dock to give my arms a rest. And when I got out it was so warm.... or maybe I was just really cold...
Either way it was the perfect way to start the day. If I lived in Kaupanger I would totally start my day in the fjord. It was refreshing. Not to mention the view was....
Well amazing!
Just driving around was amazing and everything is so pretty. Like all the stereotypical photos you see of Norway is shit that I've been seeing since I arrived! It's just stunning!
Then we stopped by the church Linda and Nils got married at. And we saw some of the grave stones of his family. There's 300 years worth of his ancestors buried there!
Then today we stopped by another family cabin. They view there was even nicer...
Like holy fucking shit! I could just live there and be happy. Apparently the fjord is only a 20 minute hike away. Perfect!
Then I caught my bus to Oslo. I got to ride the ferry across the fjord.
It was amazing. And now it's rainy and I'm on a bus to Oslo.
I'll be meeting back up with the family there. They have a small rental car and a lot of luggage. But taking the bus suits me because I can get work done... as this post demonstrates.
As nice as it was not to have wifi I missed talking to my brothers and friends. So I'm hoping for wifi otherwise I'll be off to a cafe tonight or tomorrow to post this.
The ride has been nice. I'm sad it's been rainy because the scenery is amazing and rain makes it so tough to photograph. At least I got to see it.
I also started listening to Doll Bones by Holly Black. It's addicting and I'll probably go back to that after this post. I'm already on chapter 9 and it's good! I also really like the guy who reads it. Actually I think that catches you up so I'm back to Doll Bones!
Cheers,
