This is why I can't have nice things

...for the next year at least. I think I’ve left my iPod on the train to Sweden, since I can’t find it anymore. I specifically didn’t want to bring anything very expensive or irreplaceable with me because I knew I would run the risk of losing/leaving/breaking pretty much everything I am bringing, but I think it’s interesting that first in line to be lost was the 2nd-most expensive (behind the phone), and probably the least useful. When I’m constantly packing and unpacking, it’s not surprising that something is going to go missing, but I had hoped to go a little longer than 3 weeks before it happened.

My favorite lunch place in Stockholm, the fried herring stand. Only $6 for a herring burger,yum!!

Oh well, on to thoughts on Sweden so far; it’s pretty cool. I think I preferred Gothenberg to Stockholm because Gothenberg is smaller and more manageable, but both seem to be cool cities, and I’m having a good time exploring. I’ve been looking forward to seeing the differences between Norway and Sweden, since I knew very little about either culture before arriving, and there are a couple I’m picking up on, some of which are differences, some are similarities, and some are just unexpected.

Viking rune stone from the Swedish History Museum.
Biggest complaint about Norway and Sweden: not enough Viking stuff!

• The Swedes seem to be a little less reserved than their neighbors; I’ve heard a lot more boisterous laughter and seen more hugging between friends. But they also seem to be a little more conservative in their dress - a little more. I’m talking about the difference between very short shorts and just short shorts here. 
• Sweden also seems to be about 10-15% less expensive than Norway, which isn’t cultural, but it is welcome. 
• I don’t know why this is, but I also seem to be having more trouble deciphering Swedish, which is being exacerbated by the fact that Sweden is slightly less English-friendly than Norway is, in terms of signage and announcements. Don’t get me wrong, everyone still seamless switches to English when I start talking to them, but I definitely detect an undercurrent of “we’ve got a perfectly good language of our own, so don’t expect us to cater to you just because you want to come and hang around” (i.e., what I think of as the “French attitude”). Which is perfectly reasonable, of course, it’s just noticeable after being in Norway. 
• Both countries feel exceedingly safe and comfortable. There are signs everywhere about being on guard about pickpocketing, but there is a vibe you get in cities that are familiar with violent crime, and that feeling is almost completely absent in Norway and Sweden. In fact, the only country I’ve felt safer was Japan. 
• In the same way, one of the most obvious signs of a highly-evolved society has to be clean, free, public bathrooms; I’m not saying Scandinavia has reached this point, but they’re closer than most anywhere else I’ve been. 

And then here are a couple of things that have surprised me.

Stumbled across the "Sweeny Todd Hair Salon" in Stockholm, complete with fake foot-in-a-meat-grinder prop.
This owner has to be an insane theater fan, and not a great businessman.

• I’ve heard as much Bob Marley in Scandinavia as I expect in the Caribbean. The hostels have been playing his music, as was the farmer’s market, and a couple of stores. It’s amazing how a musician whose music is almost all about struggle, religion, and poverty has translated into an international symbol of laid back good times. 
• And speaking of cultural imports, I passed a tabloid with Kim Kardashian on the cover yesterday, and it may me wonder how she can be famous here too. I don’t even know why she’s famous in the States, how can she be a celebrity here? 
• Finally, both Swedes and Weegies seem to be really into tattoos. Hmmm, lots of tattoos, bike-friendly, green, rainy most of the time... In a lot of ways, being in Scandinavia is like being in a very clean-cut, polite version of Portland, Oregon, if such a thing were possible.

Riding the rails to Abisko

As the clock sweeps into hour 22 on the train, I’ve had a fair amount of time to thing about this trip up to Abisko National Park. First and foremost, this is my first time journeying above the Arctic Circle, something I’m quite excited about. Last year I went farther south than I ever had before, this year it’s north, and next year the plans are to swing ever further south than the Cape of Good Hope. After that, if I want to break either of these personal bests, I might as well just head for the poles. More than that, this train ride has been the longest continuous single transportation leg I’ve ever taken (in hours). Apparently, the Swedish rail system is not quite as modern and reliable as other European countries, a fact I began to realize after we had a 4-hour breakdown on the tracks last night, and after a bunkmate in my compartment referred to SJ, the rail company, as “Sweden’s shame.” Best case scenario, I will arrive at my destination almost exactly 24 hours after I left Stockholm; worst case, I’ve given up and relocated somewhere between Kiruna and Abisko stations - send warm blankets and brandy. Still, I had a bed compartment (shared by two recently relocated Somalians, 3 native Swedes, and me), and riding the train, even for a whole day, is so much more pleasant than flying because I can get up to walk around, get a drink in the cafe, and open the windows. Also, the train conductors here are much less diligent than in Norway, and they’ve now failed to stamp my rail pass three times, meaning I’m going to get several trips for free before I leave (shhhh, don’t report me).

Let me also take a moment to relate part of the trip today in a little more detail. I had a reservation from Stockholm to Boden, a point about ⅔ of the way to my destination, where I was told when making the reservation, I would have to disembark and grab the next train to Abisko. Now, because of the delay, I knew I had missed the next scheduled to train to Abisko, so I was planning to have a long wait in the train station at Boden. However, just before we got to Boden, there was an announcement that anyone going north to Narvik (the end of the line) should stay on the train, because they were going to backtrack, pick up more passengers, and then proceed to Narvik. So, knowing that Abisko is on the way to Narvik, I decided to stay on the train and see what happened. Naturally, I started to get a little nervous since I wasn’t certain the train was going to stop in Abisko, only half the announcement were repeated in English, I didn’t have a reserved seat, etc. But then I realized that there was absolutely nothing to worry about; I’m on my own schedule, all my plans are subject to change, I have a rail pass, I know I’m heading in the right direction, I have a bed reserved in Abisko, and I can find somewhere else to sleep if I can’t make it there from some reason. It was such a liberating moment to know that it didn’t matter if I was on the right train or if I got there on the right day, because my primary goal is just to travel for the sake of experiencing the journey, that I hope everyone can travel this way at least once in their life (and enjoy it, because I know a lot of people who wouldn’t). And I hope I can keep that mentality in place at other, more stressful, times that are sure to come.

The reason I’m taking this marathon rail journey is to get to one of Sweden’s favorite parks, Abisko, and the Kungsleden trail, which passes through it. That also means this is my first train trip where 95% of the people on the train are carrying backpacks, wearing convertible shorts/pants, and noticeably overdue for a shower (I told you it was a good thing I can open the windows). What’s funny is seeing all these hardcore backpackers and backcountry campers makes me feel a little bit like we’re all part of a community, even though I’m staying in the lodge and my tolerance for camping maxes out at about 4 days, and the community smells more than a bit like feet. I guess it’s because almost everyone on this train decided to leave mid-week and ride for a full day -- or more, since some of them are coming direct from Germany -- just to get out to where there’s nothing but hiking and fishing and camping and nearly 22 hours of daylight. My trip up until now has been pretty urban-centric, and I’m itching to get off the train and just walk in the woods and see what’s up here. Short, scrawny trees, from the looks of it.

The river draining to Abikso Lake

One other thing I’ve been becoming more and more aware of over the last 3 weeks is the quality of high-latitude light. In short, it is terrible for photography, and spectacular for pasty white boys such as myself. Most of the day, the light is very high, very sharp, and makes everything look flat, which is part of the reason I haven’t taken as many photos as I usually do. However, I can sit out in this sun for hours at a time and not get burned! It’s my own personal catnap heaven; I just better not get used to it or I’m going to be a briquette after my first day in Greece. But meanwhile, in an exceptional bit of luck (aka, thanks global climate change!), the weather is predicted to be sunny and warmer than usual for the duration I’m in Abisko. I was planning on this being the coldest portion of my entire round-the-world, excepting Antarctica, and instead I may have to break out the shorts during the day.

Norway, land of skinny jeans

I'm about to pack up my gear again and take the night train out of Stockholm to go to Abisko National Park, above the Arctic Circle for a couple of days of hiking, and I'm really looking forward to it. But, since I love sitting on the deck of the Red Boat Hostel in the sunshine, I decided to share another random thing I've noticed in Norway.

Oh, hi. Just checking in from the Stockholm office. What's up?

There are usually “tells” for every country that let you know who’s a tourist and who’s a local. For example, I’ve been to countries where only the tourists (like me) wore t-shirts, or where all the local men wore Members Only-style windbreakers all the time, even though it was 90 degrees out. Moving from Norway to Sweden has made me retroactively notice one of the tells for Norway, because while the Swedes do this too, they don’t do it to the same extent as the Norwegians. You can tell a local Norwegian because they are wearing super skinny jeans (non-blue, both sexes), super short shorts (women), converse shoes (both sexes), and deep-v t-shirts (both sexes). I’m sure this is partly due to H&M stores being placed every couple of blocks and 50% cheaper than any other stores, but it seems to be the casual uniform for the average Norwegian. Which, when viewed in combination with the rabid bike culture, could lead you to picture the whole country as some kind of hipster wildlife refuge, but it doesn’t feel that way when you’re there. I think in large part this is becasue of the hair; the men obviously spend too much time making sure theirs look perfectly coiffed in swooping waves to be confused with hipsters, and rarely have scruffy beards or waxed mustaches. Also, everyone is so clean and neat as to practically squeak when they walk. All of which makes me wonder, what do the Norwegian hipsters look like?

This, probably

I’m sure several of you have been wondering why I haven’t been talking more about food, since that’s what I’m typically doing at any given moment, but to be honest the food hasn’t been all that memorable, up until this week. The Norwegians don’t seem to be terribly fond of traditional Norwegian cuisine being served in restaurants, preferring kebabs and pizza, so the best meal I had in Norway was pollo con mole in a mexican restaurant, and although it was great pollo con mole, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.

Breakfast in Stockholm. Note the replica Viking longboat tour in the background

However, in Sweden I’ve been having some great Scandinavian food karma going on, culminating in a tremendous dinner tonight. Over the last couple of days, I’ve had fried herring on toast (yummy and cheap) and  fried cod in cream with peas (rich and hearty fish), and then last night I skewed a little more nouveau-cuisine with a “Swedish pizza” of tomato sauce and mozzarella, topped with sauteed reindeer, chanterelle mushrooms, and lingonberries. I know how it sounds, but trust me, it was delicious and all the flavors meshed very well. 

My yummy "Swedish pizza"

Side tangent - I love chanterelle mushrooms with a passion. To me, they are the fungus of the gods (forget truffles, can’t stand them). However, in DC, chanterelles are the most expensive mushroom you’re likely to find in Whole Foods, usually between $12-15 a pound for dried, and $20 a pound fresh. I always get a little irate when I’m in Seattle in the summer, because you can get them there in the farmer’s markets for around $7 a pound, but I have no way to cook them. Well, yesterday I stumbled on a farmer’s market in Stockholm where they had BINS and BINS of chanterelle mushrooms for about $2 a pound! At that price, I’m tempted to buy a pan, butter, and salt, and take over the hostel kitchen. I can and have eaten a whole plate of them sauteed in butter, they’re that good. 

To give you some idea of the Scandinavian relationship with seafood, they built a fish market in Gothenberg vaguely in the shape of a cathedral, and called it Fiskkyrkan, "the fish church" 

And here's the inside of the fish church

And just a small sample of the fishy delights sold within

Anyway, back to tonight. I wandered into a new neighborhood (one of those neighborhoods that straddles the line between gritty and poser), and came across a restaurant I had previously flagged as a possibility, Restaurant Pelikan. It has the feel of an old upscale pub restaurant, and serves high-quality traditional (mostly comfort) food. I immediately ordered the pickled herring appetizer, since I wasn’t going to be leaving Sweden without trying pickled herring, and then asked the waitress for a recommendation for the main course. She first suggested the Swedish meatballs, or the fried bacon and mashed potatoes, but then remembered tonight’s special: the elk. More specifically, minced elk, blended with cream and egg yolk, and browned in butter. Think of elk meatloaf, as prepared by some kind of culturally-sensitive Paula Dean. There were are also peas, mashed potatoes, and lingonberries on the plate, but with a main course like that, who notices? It was spectacular, hearty, delicious, and that special kind of rich that ends up setting off civil war between your body’s organs. 

Brain: Oh wow. This is fantastic. Eat. Eat. Om nom nom! 

Stomach: Yeah, it’s great, but I’m starting to get full. 

Brain: Eat! Good! 

Stomach: Ok, that was great, but it’s probably time to stop. 

Brain: No way! We’re only half done! 

Stomach: No, really, I’m full. 

Brain: Shut up! Don’t be a wuss! 

Stomach: Ugh, I’m going to burst! 

Brain: Look, you’re basically just an empty bag and I’m in charge! You have one job, so do it! 

Stomach: You’re going to regret this, you know. 

Brain: Don’t care. Two more bites to go. 

Stomach: I hate you. 

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I feel sorry for you.

Even after being in Norway and Sweden for three weeks, nothing has made me more forcefully aware that I'm in Europe than coming across an entire wall of unrefrigerated eggs in the market. Some cultural hangups are tougher to get rid of than others, and seeing this made me think "that's just wrong!"

Country Summary: Norway

From the train ride to Alesund

Have you ever had one of those vacations where you feel like you found all of the best stuff at the end of the trip? That’s how I’m feeling about Norway right now, like in the past 2 days I’ve found the Norway I was expecting, and I’m about to leave. The trip through the Geirangerfjord yesterday was amazing, if a little damp, and the the train ride back through the central part of the country has been absolutely beautiful. If you doubt me, here are some photos...

From the train ride to Alesund

In almost every trip I take, there is a moment where I feel very strongly that I’m actually in whatever city or country, and it’s unrelated to language or food or people; there’s just some trigger that makes me say “there we go, NOW I’m in _______”. I realize it’s based mostly on my own preconceptions and expectations, but it usually causes a place to snap into focus for me. And for Norway, it happened on the cruise through high misty mountains and on the train through scenic villages next to glacial streams. On the one hand, it makes me want to stay in-country, now that I’ve found what I was looking for, and on the other, it just makes me feel lucky that I got those two days. I missed the fjord cruise on Monday, almost missed it again on Tuesday, and then had to take standing room only on not one, but two, trains to make it back to Oslo. So I think I’d rather count my blessings and move on to Sweden as scheduled.

The panorama deck on the ferry

The town of Geiranger

In some places, I get that feeling of being immersed in a place immediately; in others, I never really get it at all. But for your future reference, if you’re in Norway, take the cruise to Geiranger and the Lillehammer train route. They’re both worth it.

On to my summary for Norway:

• Days in-country: 14 How much trouble did I have being understood? None at all, almost everyone spoke English, often with a British accent (i.e., better than I do). And the language shares a lot of words with English or German, so if you sound out a sign, you can usually understand at least part of it.
• Local’s favorite cuisines? When going out for dinner, Norwegians seem to have a fondness for sushi (logical, since they traditionally eat a lot of seafood), but also tapas and pizza. 
• Favorite phrases: “Hi Hi!” (from shopkeepers), and “Oy yo yo!” (from parents with toddlers, which I got the feeling meant “oopsie” or “careful with that”) - I get the feeling the Norwegians like repetitive sounds in their language, so I heard a lot of double and triple repetitions, including the greeting from people behind counters and parents. 
• Would I go back? No hurry. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed, but I would spend a lot more time outdoors than in the city. 
• Was I mistaken for a local? Frequently, by Norwegians and tourist alike.

The Castle in Trondheim

Trondheim waterfront from the old bridge

The Alesund canal

More of Alesund

Pinin' for the Fjords

I’ve discovered another thing that the Norwegians do really well, and it’s ferry travel. I guess it makes sense when you have a coastline that looks like theirs, and the fjords are such a tourist draw, but the scale of it surprised me. As I’m writing this, I am sitting on the 7th floor (the panorama deck) of the “ferry” from Alesund to Geiranger, which I passed by twice looking for the ferry, because I assumed this was an international cruise ship. As I eventually discovered, it is a cruise ship that travels up the Norwegian coast, and they just happen to take on local passengers too. It’s a 4 hours trip on this very upscale ship that goes right up one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway, for the equivalent of $75, as opposed to the $200 the tour company was charging for their “fjord expedition”. Not exactly what comes to mind when someone says “local ferry” (plastic seats, screaming children, seasickness), but I could get used to it. The plan is to take this to Geiranger, the town at the head of the Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site, do some sightseeing in the area, and then take the bus back to my hostel in Alesund tonight. So, if the weather isn’t too bad, expect some pictures of misty fjords soon.

Meanwhile, I’ll take this opportunity to share some more observations on Norway and the Weegies (by the way, I’m aware that “weegie” is also a term used to describe Glaswegians, residents of Glasgow Scotland, but I like “Glaswegian” better because it sounds like something sold on an informercial to clean windows). Hanging out in Norway has been helpful for me to refine what I consider a civilized country; civilized not in the sense of being ethically superior, but civilized in the sense of someplace that has a lot of the things I want in order to live a comfy life, i.e., 19th century British Empire in India “civilized”. So here are some of the things I’ve very much enjoyed in Norway that constitute the start of my “Criteria for a Civilized Country” list.

• Bike friendly. In fact, better than bike friendly. More like “bike I-really-dig-you-and-think-we-should-date”. 
• Heated floors in the bathroom. If you’re in a hotel in Norway and you can’t figure out what that switch on the wall does, turn it on, give it 5 minutes, and then walk into the bathroom in bare feet. I’m willing to bet it’s either the floor heater, or you’ve forgotten to put your room key into the outlet that turns on the room’s electricity. 
• Plentiful green space, coffee shops, patio seating, and access to free wifi. If you’re really lucky, you can find all four in the same venue. 
• A system of currency with no sub-units, e.g., dollars with no cents, pounds with no shillings. It makes transactions so much simpler. 
• Business offices open late and close early, retail shops open late and close at 5 or 6. The only place I’ve found this to be a problem is with the aforementioned coffee shops; for everyone’s happiness and safety, coffee shops should not open at 10. 

 Of course, just like with every country, there are things I find hard to explain, puzzling, or even baffling. For Norway, these include

• The weather in summer would take me a long time to get used to, on the coast especially. It seems to swing from 50 to 85, sun to rain, mist to heavy rain, with no real pattern, and often during the same day. Since I’ve repeated seen the locals get caught off-guard too, I assume there’s no trick to dealing with it, you just suck it up when you get caught in the rain, or sweating in a heavy rain jacket. 
• I’ve seen numerous women walking around with hair color I can only describe as “Daenerys Targaryen (season 1)”. I have a hard time believing it’s natural, so why would anyone want their hair the color of dead bone? 
• How do the locals stay so thin? I’ve said this about the French as well, but here in Norway it’s dark and cold 8 months of the year, their food is fairly heavy, and during the summer everyone seems to eat at least 17 ice cream cones a day, based on what I’ve seen. 
• The popularity of TGI Fridays. Of all the American chains to import, why this one? It’s not particularly tasty, inexpensive, or unique (there’s a Norwegian chain that seems pretty much the same). Yet there are about 6 of them in Oslo, and at least one in all the other cities I’ve visited. I can only assume some sort of kickback was involved. 

 After I leave Alesund, it’s back to Oslo for a night before hopping on the train to Sweden, where I’ll try to gain an appreciation for the culture that goes beyond The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Abba, and the Swedish Chef from the Muppets. And build in more time for updating this blog with photos...I’m already seriously backlogged!

Overnight trains, hiking, and dried fish

It’s a rainy day here in Trondheim NO, so it seems like a perfect time to update the blog and add some of the random photos I’ve taken, which I’ve added to a new page on the left. I’ve been in Norway for about 10 days now and I think I’m starting to get pretty comfortable here, at least in the urban areas. I’ve spent a couple of days in each of the three largest cities (Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim) and so far, Trondheim is my favorite by a pretty wide margin. All three are very walkable, very clean (although with a lot of graffiti), and I’ve only run into two people who didn’t fluently switch to English when talking to me, usually with a British accent. All the locals seem polite and a little reserved, and nice in a Midwestern US nice kind of way, which makes sense when you think where a lot of the Midwesterners came from. I did see a cartoon that seems to confirm or explain my earlier post’s point that the Norwegians (“Nordmenn” being the proper label in Norwegian, “weegies” being the fun term) seem too nice to be the descendants of Vikings, saying that they are so nice now because “they used up all their naughtiness” pillaging the rest of Europe for 400 years.

Oslo is a pretty typical capital city, lots of museums, overpriced restaurants, more homeless (although nothing to compare with the US), and tourists. There’s also a lot of green space, good food, some cool neighborhoods outside downtown, and an amazing transportation system (why, oh why, can’t we get that right in DC?). All of which is great, and maybe I just didn’t spend enough time there, but it just seems to lack that certain something that makes for a great, interesting city. I’ll have to think about that as I travel; what makes a great city great? What gives a city “character”? But whatever it is, I didn’t feel it in Oslo.

Bergen was slightly more interesting, but a very touristy town as “the gateway to the fjords”, so it had that slightly artificial feel that the San Francisco waterfront has; it’s it beautiful historic city, stuffed with ads for tours, big red buses, and TGI Fridays. I will say that the Bergen waterfront is a UNESCO world heritage site for it’s historical importance as a trading hub for the Hanseatic League, and the history nerd in me was quite happy going through the waterfront museums, reading boring facts on how Bergen was the European hub for dried cod commodities. I know, unbelievable? But some of you may remember me raving about the great book I read a couple of years ago, “Cod” by Mark Kurlansky, right? You should definitely read it, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for the value and historical importance of dried fish.

But I digress... Bergen was nice enough, and my hostel was a good one, but the best part of that city was the hike I took outside it. Most of the urban areas are surrounded by a mix of farmland and forests that quickly transitions into heavy forest. And since, again, they have such a great public transportation system (again, figure it out DC!), there is a light rail or bus in every city that will drop you practically at the trail heads, where you can get lost in wilderness, even though you’re 20 minutes from downtown. It’s fantastic because it combines my love of hiking, and also sleeping in a beds! In fact, it’s even lazier than “car camping”, it’s “light rail camping” - you can carry even less stuff! So, I went out on sunny day and walked around in the forest, seeing surprisingly few people and some very beautiful scenery, which ended up at the top of a mountain looking down at the city.

After that, I got on the overnight train back to Oslo, spent a day doing the same kind of hike as in Bergen, then got on another overnight train to Trondheim. In case you can’t tell, I’m loving the train system, especially the overnight trains; I don’t get much sleep, but it’s cheap, it has free wifi, and I start the day in a new city, where I spend the first hour or so drinking a lot of coffee, put my backpack in storage, and go exploring. Trondheim is the home of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and it definitely has the feel of a university town (again, I’m not sure exactly what goes into that, but I know it when I feel it), and it’s a lot smaller than Bergen or Oslo. It’s also an older city, with some great architecture and history still intact, and it just seems to have a more laid-back vibe that I enjoy. Finding good restaurants has not been a problem anywhere, but I’ve been particularly happy with the options here in Trondheim, like reindeer stew and potatoes for dinner last night, with an aquavit after-dinner drink... tasty.

It’s funny, but Norway seems to be one of those countries that didn’t have restaurants that served “local cuisine” for the longest time, and only in the last few years has it taken off. So in all three cities, most of the places serving Norwegian food, were super trendy and/or expensive, while the tapas and Thai restaurants were the cheaper options. However, in Trondheim there are a couple of nice hole-in-the-wall places that serve more traditional food options at more reasonable prices. Of course, “reasonable” in Norway means around $40 for a pretty basic dinner. I’ve already gotten comfortable paying $7 for coffee in the morning, I’m going to need to leave before I stop calculating exchange rates when choosing a dinner spot.

I’ve probably got time to hit one or two more cities before I leave for Sweden, so I’m heading off the train station next to make a reservation to go to Alesund, south down the coast from Trondheim, where I’m hoping to do some bird-watching and/or kayaking, and maybe take one of the dozens of fjord tours. After that, I may head inland to do some hiking in the mountains, depending on the weather. Buying the rail pass before leaving was a great idea. Since I’ve already paid for it months ago, it feel likes free travel!

These people are way too nice to be descendants of the Vikings

I'm happy to say that my luggage and I were reunited yesterday after a three and a half-day absence, and it is a very good thing to be wearing clean clothes again. I arrived on Thursday morning, after a surprising quick flight from Newark, on which I got to sit next to a talkative 10-year old kid on his way to Zurich (via Oslo) to compete in a dirt bike race -- seriously, he's even been sponsored by Monster energy drinks. My thoughts on this were 1) I would never have been allowed to fly alone internationally at 10 years old, 2) Monster energy drinks has way too much money, and 3) do the Swiss really like dirt bike racing?

For my first couple of days, I've mostly wandered aimlessly around Oslo getting a feel for the city, and it's a pretty good feel. It doesn't hurt that yesterday and today were sunny and warm, and Oslo (just like London and Seattle) seems to get a little giddy on days like that. Imagine the first week of spring on a university campus, and it feels a lot like that; everyone seems positive, energetic, and eager to cram as much into the day as possible. Prediction for the rest of the week, by the way, is mostly cloudy and cooler.

Oslo seems like a pretty good city; laid back, walkable, and very cultured (they have a major street named after the playwright Henrik Ibsen, with quotations from his words inlaid into the ground the whole way - can you image that happening in the States...say with David Mamet?). There also seems to be a good restaurant scene, except I can't imagine how anyone can afford to eat in them without taking out a second mortgage. I was warned repeatedly and dramatically about how expensive Scandinavia is, and if anything, those warnings  didn't go far enough. I'm going to splurge before I leave for some modern-traditional Norwegian dinner, but in the meantime I'm getting the most from my hotel's free breakfast and keeping the other meals simple.

Reasons to like Oslo:

• A love of cheese that creates displays that looks more like candy or chocolates, including a description of Hjerterdame as "the one and only romantic cheese." (http://www.mathallen.no/)

• A whole row of parking for tiny, silly-looking electric vehicles

• Vikings! Or at least their ships... (http://www.khm.uio.no/english/visit-us/viking-ship-museum/)

• The fact that it's 11pm and still dusk, and will be for another hour

Reasons not to like Oslo:

• The food prices
• Bad eurotrash haircuts on guys
• So far, that's all I've got

Tomorrow's schedule calls for the Edward Munch Museum to see "The Scream" in person, maybe a return visit to Mathallen market, and the overnight train to Bergen on the coast. Fjords, here I come!

Leave more time, always carry backup underwear, and accept help from friends

As I look out over Newark International Airport, these are the lessons I've taken from my departure from DC, which is probably about the best time to learn if I'm really going to be traveling for a year.

I could tell you a long, tedious story of why I'm in Newark instead of Oslo on the morning of July 3, but now that I'm over the stress and irritation, I'll just say that the move out of my apartment did not go as planned. After my movers showed up a very fashionable 18 hours late and spent twice as long moving out as it took me to move in, I threw my keys and forwarding address into the leasing office and sprinted to National Airport. After that, I had the once-in-a-lifetime experience (I hope) of watching my scheduled flights taking off without me from two airports in the same day.

Now enough of those boring real life troubles; I'm on my way! And already learning valuable lessons! Like I need to pack better! For example, I sincerely doubt this will be the last time I'm running to make a flight/train/camel caravan, and although I was very excited when I weighed my pack and found it came in much lighter than I expected, I've since learned that 40 pounds feels very different holding it for a minute to weigh it that it does on my back while waiting for a cab in DC in summer (weather-wise, analogous to a tropical rain forest). But more than just packing lighter, or building up some actual arm strength, I also found out that I need to pack smarter (sounds like a something from a terrible management-style seminar; "pack smarter, not lighter!"), since my luggage remains checked at the airport and I remain in the same clothes I was wearing while moving my worldly possessions into storage. Despite thinking "I should always carry spare clothes in my carry on bag", I forgot/didn't have time to implement my own wise advice.

That covers "leave more time" and "always carry backup underwear". The last lesson comes from the multiple, repeated offers to help that I turned down over the last week. I've got a great group of friends and I've enjoyed seeing every one of them over the last couple of weeks, but I've refused to take any of their very kind offers or ask for any help, except for the most minor tasks that I would probably do for a total stranger (except for mailing me a package in another country - no way I'm ending up on "Locked Up Abroad"). I've got no doubt that if I had, I would have made my flights and been drinking extremely strong coffee trying to stave off jet lag in Oslo right now. So, yeah, I can survive on my own on this trip and work it out without asking for help, but generally it's much more relaxed, efficient, and fun if I don't have to. And I am also aware it's my friends reading this right now, and you're all muttering "yeah, tell us something we don't know, dummy", but this is my way of saying I admit you're right without having to actually say it....which you probably also know.

Here's the last detail from yesterday: it's been a whirlwind few weeks before leaving with a lot of drinking with friends, wrapping up details, drinking, packing, drinking, packing, drinking, and sometimes drinking while packing. Hey, I may have just realized why I didn't pack smarter! Anyway, after running to the airport, rescheduling, grabbing dinner, and getting on a later flight, I looked out the window of the plane as we're waiting to take off, and I saw the Capital dome and the Washington monument across the Potomac. I usually love that because I think it's one of the best airport views in the world, but this time it really hit home for me that I was leaving, and after years of planning and months of talking about it and weeks of furious drunken preparations (the best kind, I've learned from Mad Men), I thought "AHHH! WAIT, I'm not ready! I don't want to go! I don't want to leave my friends!!" Needless to say, it was a passing moment of panic and mental readjustment, from now on known as "panjustment" since I'm sure it won't be the last, but it did catch me by surprise and I think helped reset my expectations that I'm not just going on another vacation. I think that's a good thing, since I think it will help me be more aware and engaged with where I am at the moment. After I leave Newark, I mean.

So, tonight it's back to the airport and a second attempt to leave the country. On to Oslo!