October 31st

I really thought I wasn't going to do Halloween this year. Not in a spiteful way, but just because its not big here in Norway and I wasn't in the spooky mood for it. I thought today would just be another day. You know, like October 30th, 31st, then comes November. Hah!

I woke up today super excited and it took me a second to figure out why. Today was a HOLIDAY! I looveee holidays. I'm one of those people that go all out. That sing Christmas carols while grocery shopping and love wrapping presents. Holiday themed candy? Forget about it, I keep stores in business. I woke up excited and then I panicked. I had not done a single Halloween typed thing yet. So naturally I devised a plan and set out to find a pumpkin first. Two hours later I came home with the biggest one they had left (it's tiny) and set to work.

eerie ghosts

RIP tombstones on the window

the pumpkin, with flowers for size!

my first time making a pumpkin roll...it cracked but whatever

a scary warning

homemade pizza dinner

the big picture

Lesson learned: dont try to skip holidays. its my thing.

Things I've learned thus far

1. I have learned to really like chocolate (you're shocked, I know) and Norwegian chocolate is the bomb.
2. I love love love riding bikes. 
3. It's okay to not have direction- who you're lost with is far more important. 
4. If the sun is out AT ALL, get your butt outside. The weather here is...cold.
5. Be kind to people, even if they don't smile and knock into you. It's just a culture thing, aftterall.
6. I have realized that the next time I move, I'm staying put. I've always loved the adventure aspect, but I think I love nesting more.
7. Friends can make your life.
8. Sometimes, in some places (here!), a pizza will cost fifty bucks annnd that's ok! When in Rome.
9. Waiting until Sunday to grocery shop or buy a baby shower gift isn't going to work. Because nothing is open.
10. I've learned that even after 24 years of being me, I'm still learning new things. And I'm so proud of that.

My little secret.

I don't write here, well..ever. That's no secret. I had the best intentions when I created this blog back in may. It was going to be this beautiful collection of my every move (literally) to a new life; it would document all my scary, lovely, surprising moments complete with pictures to tell. Well that didn't happen and I have a very good reason why.

Moving to Norway was scary and lovely and so very surprising.

I had no idea the feelings I would experience over these past six months. Oh my god, it's been six months. I had no idea that I would feel so homesick until month four. That I would feel an overwhelming culture shock that I never experienced in any of the other foreign lands I've stumbled upon. That the very fact that I moved here made everything ten times scarier. But I'm proud to announce I am well adjusted. Things have fallen into a pace you may call routine, and that's exactly what I've been craving.

See, I'm a person of habit. I eat the same bowl of porridge every morning like its my job. I always, always make the bed right after I get out. I never leave a pile of dirty dishes for longer than ten minutes --I just realized I sound OCD--. So this whole 'I don't know what I like because everything in Norway is different' thing really took me for a spin (that's how the expression goes, right?) But really, things have fallen into place and although I appear the same as when I arrived, still looking for work still don't know Norwegian, TRUST ME, a lot has happened.

So what's my little secret, you beg me to tell you. Well that's just it, I'm not telling anyone that I've decided to blog again. For now, I promise to write here. To document the funny and far from funny moments I encounter. To use you, my little diary, as a diary. And I'm not telling anyone about this blog. Because then I might get scared and oh the pressure of updating....