The only constant is change
The only constant is change. This is especially true for Norway. Today I sit on our balcony, feeling the warmth of the sun burn into my skin. Watching almost exclusively blonde haired groups of children walk home from school. Some stop to kick a ball in the sunny, green expanses that were slushy and white not too long ago. Bicycles coast along nearby paths, their riders finally shedding the bulky clothing of last season. I listen to the chirping birds, the fat lazy black bees, the cheerful chatter of happy norwegians and I am amazed at how easy it is to forget the long, cold winter we’ve just all emerged from. Norway is a place of constant change, beautiful extremes and a lot of introspective thought. Just when you’re wondering why you ever found this place a challenge, the leaves begin to brown and the ocean breeze turns a little too crisp for comfort. And then you remember. But for now, it’s Spring. And what a gorgeous spring day today has turned out to be.
Dan and I gave our 3 month notice a week ago at work. Yep that’s right…3 months! Actually it’s possibly 3.5 since we were told that notice starts on the 1st of the next month. Already we are finding this an interesting challenge. Since we made it official I am drifting into daydream thoughts of back home more and more often, but remembering it is still months away usually snaps me out of it. It is easy enough to be here when the days are bright and sunny (and finally warm!) but it also makes it a little harder because the sunny weather reminds me even more of home.
We will have been overseas for 2 years by the time we leave. That feels like just the right amount of time for this experience. We are both now needing to reconnect with family and start the journey titled ‘the rest of our lives’. Will it include kids? A dog? Being able to work from home and therefore having a choice about where to set up a family home? These are questions we are asking ourselves a lot more lately. Yep, I think it could be to do with turning 30. Suddenly 35 doesn’t seem that far away. We really want to give freelancing a go and now seems like the perfect time to try it. No kids, no mortgage. Time for the next chapter of our lives. And it’s a nice time to leave Oslo too…with warm, green, cheerful, sunny memories of the place. Damn it’s good here in Summer. But don’t blink or you could miss it! 