I'm back!

Back in Norway after more than 10 months away.

I arrived on the evening of May 17th, Norway's National Day. As I was flying from Rome I saw the sky under me accumulating more and more clouds as we got closer to Norway. They didn't have very nice weather for the celebrations around Norway that day, and it wasn't really the best welcome home from the weather Gods I could have had: rain and temperatures so low I could see my breath. At least it was the kind of weather I associate with Norway...

It's strange to be back. It kind of feels like I've never even left. I'm back where my mum lives at the moment, Vestnes. I went for a walk today, hunting down some postcards. I went to the bookshop a few days ago but they didn't have the right place name on them, so I had to walk for an hour to get to the ferry dock where they luckily had the right ones.I can't believe they didn't have the right postcards at the bookshop though, one of two places they sell postcards and they only had postcards with the names of even smaller places on them! I'm in Vestnes, I want to buy postcards that says Vestnes on them!

When I had just left the house to walk to the ferry dock I saw a little squirrel scampering up a tree. It paused when it saw me, and for a little while it was really close to me, but at soon as I moved to get my camera out of my bag it ran further up the tree. It was a nice start to my walk, I haven't seen many squirrels here before.

Can you spot the squirrel?

Except for May 17th the weather has been really nice since I got  back, it was even quite warm today (keep in mind warm for Norway is low 20's), it's like summer had come early. This is when I like Vestnes the most, when the sun is shining and I can see all the lovely mountains surrounding us. Everything looks prettier in the sunlight.

I do like Vestnes, but mostly as a place to go on holiday to, to get away from all the hustle and bustle of bigger places. To relax. Catch up with family. I don't like living here so much. You know in other countries, especially the U.S., Canada and the U.K., when you go to the smaller places people smile at you on the streets and talk to you... Not in small place Norway, not Vestnes anyway. People look really grumpy, I hadn't really noticed before. And because it's such a small place (approx 5000 citizens) everybody knows everybody and there is so much gossiping, double standards and narrow-mindedness. I don't like the people here.

Although I never liked Oslo when I lived there I hope I will like it more now. I am moving to my dad in Oslo in a few weeks, I'm not sure when. My dad isn't really a planner. It's hard to plan when he has a job where he comes in one day and get a message he's going to America for 3 weeks. I've not even been to his new apartment there, or met his new girlfriend, he got both while I was in Australia. It will be interesting.

The thing that annoys me most about this is that I can't apply for jobs in Oslo until I know for sure when I'll actually be available for interviews etc. down there. I hope I won't have to wait too long to get a job, I need to start saving up for America next year.