NORWAY, EASILY THE BEST TWO WEEKS OF MY LIFE

Norway, easily the best 2 weeks of my life. Truth.

Pictures

Intro

The title is no joke. My trip to Norway easily became the best two weeks of my life. Not everything went smoothly, not all of it was good times and good attitudes, and the sun wasn’t always shining on me during my solo journey through the most beautiful country in the world. But everything came together just how it should have, and I could not be happier with the journey that I put together.

There is no possible way for me to explain the feelings and such that I’ve taken away from this life-adventure of mine. And there’s no possible way for the pictures and videos I took to fully describe everything I saw and did. It was unreal.

But here’s what happened. We’ll pick it up the day before the trip.

26.06.2014

Before I left for the trip, I was put into a bit of a pickle. My job offer was taken back from me without warning or expectation, which left me trying to decide for a couple of different outcomes, which was really weird. I could go back to the US, see friends and family, then make my way back to Portland and start looking for jobs. I’d keep looking in Europe, but being so far away would make it a little harder. Or the second option was to come straight back to Hamburg after the seminar in New York and put some very concentrated time into a job search over in Europe.

I had absolutely no idea what choice was better for me. Normally I have a subconscious tendency one way or the other, but not on this one. This was wide open for me, and I was not sure where to go. So I was going to use my trip as a time to think and slowly decide upon what I'm going to be doing in the next few months. Regardless, there were a lot of possibilities for me, and having so many options is a little nerve-racking. But, I got packed and ready for my trip, as well as packed up my whole room and life in Germany ready for whatever outcome came out of the trip.

After that, I met up with Sam (‘Laska), Quinn (his brother), Tyra, Matt, and Derek for the USA – Germany game, which was nice. With our little US Support Group, we went to the Public Viewing in Hamburg to cheer on the Red, White, and Blue. The loss was really disappointing, but most people were pretty friendly and only a little jostling was had. Afterward, we picked up some beers at a kiosk and chilled out at the Rote Flora, a great little last hurrah for my little group in Hamburg.

I went to bed that night really unphased that I was going somewhere. It really hadn’t hit me yet. I knew I was going, but I think it was just so surreal and amazing, I hadn't been able to wrap my mind around it.

27.06.2014

It was an early-ish morning, but a good early-ish morning. My 9am flight to Oslo helped the excitement just keep building. It finally started to set in at the airport, but I had a feeling I was just going to be astounded the whole time. I was so pumped to get it started!!!

Well, the plane did its job, and we got up to Oslo. It was a cloudy entry, but even then, the amount of green I could see made quite an impression. I jumped on the express train to town, and did some walking around to get the Oslo Pass for transit and museums stuff. I quickly found out how out of shape I was, and got a locker for my 20kg pack.

Police sirens in Norway are just like in the USA!!!

In Oslo, and all the other cities, I did my city routine. Walked around or got to all of the sights, explored and saw them, and then kept on going. When I don’t have anyone to explain the history and the background of things, I revert to my visual tendency and soak things up through my eyes.

On the first day in Oslo, I walked around a lot. Went to the famous Oslo Opera House, walked around the harbor, and went to Akershus Fortress and took the tour for a little insight and some stories of the monarchy. I find it kind of weird that they elected Danish royalty to take over as king of Norway after the separation from Sweden, but very interesting nonetheless. And in general, I find the whole Monarchy thing, although mostly ceremonial, somewhat cool and uniting. Countries like Norway and Denmark and Great Britain, although the royal family doesn’t play much of a political role, I still think it’s cool to have such a head figure of a country.

I then kept on going further around the harbor. Past the City Hall, which is actually quite ugly from outside. I wasn’t too impressed. But then I went inside and it was a whole different story. The main room is gigantic, and completely covered in paintings/murals. Not just the big room, but the little rooms too. Quite an artistic piece as a whole.

Well, I continued my awesome-possum self-guided walking tour, and hit up the Nobel Peace Center, walked by the harbor (which was really cool and chill), past the Modern Art Museum and the sort of cool/new district, and kept on going. After going back to the main area of town and walking around the Royal Palace, I headed over to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Worth it.

Ok, so, the Vigeland Sculpture Park is quite the place. It is a park full of a ton of different statues, all realistic, life-like statues, but in ridiculous positions. Some throwing people around, some balls of babies, and just tons of randomness and ridiculousness. I was cracking up for a good portion of my walk through the park, and spent a good time just laughing at whatever the hell was going on. Take a look.

I felt like I was in the mind of Steven Kim. All of it was absolutely weird and hilarious. But definitely well worth the trip.

After my little jaunt around the park, I made my way to the end of one of the tram lines, found my first place to camp next to a water reservoir, set up, and hit the hay. A successful first day in the beautiful land of Norway.

28.06.2014

For the first night, I slept like a baby in my nice little tent. Quite the wonderful little treat, and surprisingly enough, this happened for the majority of my trip. Not a bad thing to be blessed with.

Overall, I had a great start to the morning. Then, I left my wallet on a fucking bus. Holy shit heart attack. I had no idea what I was going to do. I knew I just left it sitting on the seat, and tried to get a hold of the bus driver through another bus driver to get a hold of it. Thankfully, I had the miracle of miracles, and got it back with everything still inside. Holy crap was I lucky. I don’t know what kind of magic was in play, but I was the luckiest of luckys. I jumped on a ferry and took an hour long boat ride to cool off.

After my boat tour of the Oslo islands, I met up with an old friend, Stig. It was great to reconnect, and see a little bit of the city with a local, which is always a great treat! I went to the Euro pride parade and watched the festivites with him, then we grabbed lunch and a beer and walked around the pride park. It was really great to catch up and get to know him better, and I got to hear about different aspects of Norway, different stories in world history, and some very interesting anecdotes from his life, such as living in India/Pakistan during the coup. Holy cow.

Norwegians are a very open people once you get to know then. Very welcoming and kind.

After I saw Stig, I went to meet up with an old friend from Olympia and his wife. I had a great time catching up with Kyle and his wife Anne. We watched some football (World Cup), ate some pizza, and talked about what's been going on. Again, absolutely wonderful to catch up with friends!!!

After dinner and hanging out, I went up to a different area outside of town and found a camp spot. I found a better lake this time, and it was pretty pretty. Not bad for the second night in town.

29.06.2014

Well, I slept like a baby again. That was something I could really get used to. It definitely helped having some earplugs and an eye-cover. Winning combo.

Oslo is literally a ton of sculptures with buildings interspersed around them. There are a ton of sculptures here. Crazy.

I packed up my camp and made my way to some museums. First stop was the Norwegian Culture museum. This place provided some cool insight to the country's history and traditions, especially related to farming and the countryside. It was also really interesting and cool to learn more about the indigenous Sami people, who are native to the very northern part of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, and how they make a life out of their very harsh region.

Stave Church at the Norwegian Culture Museum

Next was the Viking Museum (woot!!!) and the Fram museum. I learned a good amount at each museum, but then got a little museumed out. So I then headed up to the ski jump for a relaxing and beautiful view of Oslo and the Fjord. Absolutely gorgeous.

That night I spent back at Kyle and Anne's place. Me and Kyle chatted for a while, watched some football, then hit the sack. Another great night to cap off an informative day.

30.06.2014

This was the day that the adventure of the adventure began. I caught an early morning train from Oslo, and made my way off to Flåm.

It was an absolutely B-E-A-Utiful train ride (when we weren’t in tunnels). The tracks took us through valleys next to lakes with mountains on each side, and was just gorgeous. It’s no wonder that the Oslo-Bergen railway is named one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. And you can watch the whole thing from the comfort of your rocking chair. LINK!!!!!!!!!!!

It was pretty annoying, but there was an undesired disruption halfway through. A huge group of chatty-Kathy Asian tourists got on board. Filled up the whole car and were all over the place. Not ideal. But they didn’t stay on for too long.

We eventually got to Myrdal, where I transferred onto the Flåmsbana, the steepest stretch of train tracks in the world. It took 20 yrs to build, opened 1940, and carves its way from the waters of the Sognefjord in Flåm up to Myrdal at around 800 m.a.s.l. There were some absolutely amazing views coming down into the fjord. It’s no wonder why it's such a tourist attraction, but it was just gorgeous and totally worth it.

On the way down I met a couple of Canadians (Paul from Vancouver and another dude from Edmonton), and got really jealous of some mtbers I took a picture for. It was a perfect day for a ride. I need to move somewhere with trails and find riding buddies.

Here is where the fun began. Flåm, literally just a cruise ship stop is a tiny little spot/town, but gorgeous. It is located at the very end of the Sognefjord and very picturesque.

Well, Flåm is really small and not exactly a bustling place. So I walked my way over to Aurland. It took a while, and after 3 hours, including nap breaks, I got there. I plopped down on the grass and just stared in awe at the giant mountains of rock staring back. One looked like tree beard, and the other looked like he was trying to pull himself on top of a table. Pretty cool how these giant heaps of rock can come to life.

After walking a little bit further, I was surprised with a free pizza dinner with Paul, Kathy, and Doug from Philadelphia. What an absolute blessing! We had some great conversation about a ton of different stuff, and I was lucky to be treated so well by such great people. Super cool.

After that, I kept walking, and started the ascent up to Stegastein. It was later at night, but I gained a walking buddy for a short while. Pierre, from Denmark, was writing a book on Norway, and provided me some great advice for the remainder of my trip. He was very gentle and calm, and seemed like a very wise and journeyed man.

Overall, it was an exhausting day. I walked over 14km with my 20kg pack, the last 4km of which took me about 350m up. My legs were beat, my right knee hurt, but I met some fun, generous, and wise people today. A personally-constructive day.

01.07.2014

I again slept like a rock, for over 12 hours. I really needed it... And, as a bonus, I woke up to these giant fjords staring right at me. Holy wow.

After a little awe and admiration, I packed up camp and kept on going. Another hour and a half and I finished the last 3-4km and ~300m up. It was tiring but I did it. And the view was amazing, totally worth it. But I was looking to find a ride down, my water bottle was empty and my legs were a little weak...

At the top I had a wonderful chat with a couple from Wales. They retired early and travel now. We talked about their trips, and was told Iran is a must see.

I got lucky with a bus back to Flåm at the viewpoint. It cost only 100 kroner to get back. Not bad, saves time, pretty cheap, and talked to a hot Norwegian chick and a dude from Minnesota. What took me 9 hours, 2 samiches, a nap, 12 hours of sleep, and free pizza, took a bus less than 40min to do. I wish I had a car...

Once I arrived back in Flåm, it was nap time in the park. I made a sandwich, laid back, and caught some super awesome z’s. I saw a seagull dive bomb a black lab a couple of times. It was pretty funny.

The walk/hike up to Stegastein really took a lot out of me. My legs were shot on the way down, and slowly recovered. Being dehydrated didn't help, thankfully it didn’t do any damage, and helped me focus on keeping that in check for the rest of the trip.

The beach at Flåm is a rock skipping paradise. I got a little more consistent with my technique and results, and got a couple up throws up to 9-10 skips, I think. Super cool.

After I picked up some more groceries, I met Neil from Colorado and Sindre from Norway/California. We talked about random USA stuff, grabbed some yummy and expensive beer from Aegir Brewing, posted up at a park and made shanty camping food, and then went to a café and watched the USA Belgium game.

Either I'm really bad at finding a place to camp in a reasonable amount of time, or it's really slim pickings in the fjord near Flåm. These Norwegians have farmland everywhere they can muster, not leaving much room for us bums... It took me a bit of walking, but I eventually found a spot in a dry grove under some pine trees. Camping commenced.

02.07.2014

This much walking was really killing my legs. It's was not going to let up the rest of the trip, but boy were they tired... Here’s to trudging on.

Despite my camp spot being way out of town, I went a little further up the road and ate next to a beautiful reservoir to start the day. Just gorgeous. I then took a slow and tiring walk back down to Flåm, ~4.5 km. and had a couple of hours to enjoy before my ferry made it's way over to Bergen!

While I was chilling around, I saw an Asian lady with a breathing cover over her mouth. Seriously? This ain't Hong Kong. This is Norway, some of the cleanest and freshest air in the world. Granted, she might have had a legit problem, but even then, breathing in arguably the cleanest air you can find might do you some good.

Ferry ride through Sognefjord. Wow. It was absolutely gorgeous, although really windy. It was crazy seeing power lines going all the way across this giant fjord from one side to the next. Beside that, ummmm, Fjords. Holy crap. Huge, picturesque, amazing.

I got a headache from the wind and standing up front for the majority of the time. So I took a nap (the answer to all of life's problems!!!), got my earplugs, and tried again. Boom. Combo.

Well, we slowly got into Bergen. My first impression, Bergen seemed like a cool town. Pretty small, not too big, but it seemed quaint enough to be just where you'd want to be.

There were some really big ships coming into Bergen, not sure what they're for though. They looked like the pickup trucks of the sea.

When I got in, I walked around a tad, then took the funicular bahn up to the top. Twofold, great view of the city, and found a camping spot. There were a ton of Italians up there, ‘grazi Mille’ every ten seconds. Seemed like a fun group.

The whole sleeping in a tent in cities and stuff really started to make me feel like a bum/vagabond. I felt like I was looked at weird and that I was going to get caught and told to leave or something. Although there's the Allmannsrecht, I felt like I was out of place and doing something wrong...

No sooner had I got my tent set up and jumped inside when it started raining. Got lucky on that one, for today...

03.07.2014

Well, it rained most of the night, which made me just want to lay around in bed. But, I mustered up the courage to get up, and found puddle under the tent that soaked up my stuff. Thankfully not everything was wet, but I got all packed up and walking out when it started to rain again. I talked to a lovely old couple from Melbourne to pass the time under a picnic shelter, then made my way back to the city for some wandering.

City wandering, Nial Style. Did a little bit of random meandering, then went to the Hanseatic Museum. Did the guided tour and that was not very informative. Stuck around and read some stuff, then stumbled upon a better and more informative tour. Win.

I then wandered around Bryggen, the UNESCO Heritage site. The old wooden wharf that has been there (despite numerous fires) for ~900 years. This was pretty cool. Despite all the toursity shops and stuff in it, it was pretty cool to walk through a place with so much history and just check it out.

I kept going and saw those big red ships from the ferry ride in the day before (Far ____) up close. I still need to find out what they're for, but they look super cool.

Walking around and overheard a kid ask his mom, "Mom. Can boats...go backwards?" Teeheehee.

Either the rain really affected my mood, or it just coincided with a lot of concentrated melancholy and uncertainty from me. I started to get a little worried about the rest of the trip, what to do, where to go, how to pay, etc. It brought me down for a bit, but thankfully not for too long.

Thankfully the sun came out, which led to a better mood. I kept walking around and stuck to my style of city exploration, i.e. walk through and just look at everything.

I honestly found that one day might be enough for me in Bergen. It's an absolutely beautiful city, very quaint, but not a whole ton to do that I'm interested in. However, if I had a few friends and a lot more money, I think that would be completely different. The city is all about atmosphere.

Well, I caved and got a hostel for two nights. Oh well, a little pampering before straight camping wasn’t a bad decision. It gave me the chance to air out and dry off my things, and a stable place to be in Bergen.

That night I met back up with the Californian and Norwegian from the US, and we hung out. We grabbed food, then went to a couple bars to get a little dabble of Norwegian beer. We went to a rock bar, and talked about awkward sex stories. Then went to this dive place and chilled outside. Pricey pricey pricey, but I snagged a glass from each place. SCORE.

My plans were up in the air a little bit as to the rest of the trip. I thought about going to Trolltunga but then I checked the weather. Nope nope nope. It was supposed to rain like hell when I wanted to go, so that sent me back to the original plan. And oh baby did that work out just dandy.

Got back to the hostel and hit the hay. Another successful day in wonderland.

04.07.2014

Happy Birthday America!!!

It was pretty nice to sleep in a bed under a roof. I caved and it cost a bit, but hey, oh well, I enjoyed it.

That morning, I jumped on a bus out to Fjell in hopes of checking out the Fjell Fortress, a former Nazi compound built during WWII to protect Bergen from an Allied Invasion. I felt a little lost at first, but eventually found the trail up and made my way. Had "the ants were marching one by one hurrah hurrah" song stuck in my head, and now I really want to re-watch Antz.

I finally got up to the museum and then walked around a little bit. It was a big fortress, but not many openings to explore outside of the museum. I went to go into the museum, but it's only open on Sundays. Boooooooo. There was a lady in the cafe making pancakes and they smelled really good. I was jealous. Well, unable to go in and see the fortress first hand, I walked back down to the town, grabbed some food, and waited for the bus back.

I know I've shared with some people, but the best foods are the foods that use other foods as utensils. Nachos, burritos, sandwiches, etc. the best.

As I was waiting at the bus stop, I had some time to think and chill. I figured out I only had one option up to Ålesund in the morning (literally only one bus that was going that day), so that saved me a day of travel. I then talked to a guy from Hong Kong now living in Norway at the bus stop. He was a nice, jovial dude and I even got to speak a little German with him!

I got back to Bergen, and planned to take it easy until the morning. I went on grocery trip past Bryggen to explore/walk through it again, and on my way back, a military parade strolled by. That was quite crazy and random, but was really cool to see. Apparently the military band was on tour through the country, and I hit it just right.

I went to another grocery store to get an onion, and there was a little girl using heads of lettuce as bongos. That was pretty funny. Also, I snagged a Fish Cake. Omnomnomnomnom

As I said before, Bergen is a cool city. I felt anxious and weird here mostly because of the uncertainty of my trip and the self-consciousness I gained because of my camping. But, those dumb feelings aside, Bergen is a really cool city, mainly because of its awesome atmosphere. It's definitely a sea-town, and I want to come back here next time with some cool people and just chill at a few cafés along the wharf. I feel like that is the main attraction of this city, soaking in the great feeling it gives off.

I made my samiches for the bus ride tomorrow, and I took my dinner out to the harbor. Such a cool and relaxed vibe. Tons going on here, boats coming and going, cars and people all about, but just the water and the breeze and the birds and all else just make it so peaceful.

Back to the hostel to prep for week two in the middle part, and BOOM Germany France game. We won, woot woot. In between I was charging stuff, and doing research on Ålesund, Geiranger, and Lillehammer. Got a list of stuff to see and hikes to do in Geiranger, and got stuff planned out for Hafjelll Bike Park, HOLYSHITICANTWAIT!!!! It wasn't gonna be cheap, but I was planning on going for a day of downhill mountain biking near Lillehammer at the downhill park. I was so freakin pumped.

While I was sitting in the media room at the hostel, it ended up being me from Oly, a guy from Portland, a guy from Bend, and a guy that went to UW. PNW represent.

I also went back and re-read some journal entries from years past. It’s pretty amazing just how relevant they still are and how all the little pep talks I gave myself still apply to my life today. I gotta say it, pretty cool me, pretty cool.

05.07.2014

Early rise and shower (yay!!!) and off to the bus. I was a little worried it'd be all sold out, but it was not even close to a problem. I got my ticket with a student discount, and looked forward to a 10 hour scenic ride up to Ålesund.

Norwegians are really into the crazy, bright colored athletic clothing. Bright shoes, black skin tight pants, and really bright jackets to go with it.

The amount of tunnels in Norway is absolutely unbelievable. They are everywhere. It makes sense due to the landscape and how trying to take a road up 300m and then back down again around a cliff over water would not be as easy as just going right through the mountain, but still, it’s nuts.

The bus ride was absolutely gorgeous. The landscape was absolutely beautiful, and constant the entire ride. Also, I found a kroner on the bus. It was just a kroner, but it amounts to like €0.15. Woot.

As we were driving between Ålhus and Skei, we got to see a glacier in Jostadalsbreen NP. That was kinda crazy. Just a big block of ice on a mountain, but I had never seen one before. Cool cool cool.

Norway, the whole country is a postcard.

To this point, this had easily become the most pleasant and enjoyable bus trip I'd ever been on. The Norwegians have a great system and network, and amazing scenery just turns a standard bus ride into a scenic tour of the country.

We eventually moseyed our way up to Ålesund, which is quite a small town, but gave off a very similar feeling to Bergen. Apparently it is the most important fishing town in Norway (still) and has a very sea-like atmosphere. And a lot of stone buildings. Almost all of the city is in the Art Nouveau style due to a devastating fire in 1904. I’m not normally one to notice architecture, but it really looked really cool. I found a great view from a bench on Brosundet (yes that's the real name) of the small inlet/bay/river right through the main part of town, and spent some time just chilling out enjoying the atmosphere.

Later on in the evening, I made my way up to the lookout just overlooking the city. I got a beautiful view of the town, surrounding islands, and mountains from the Fjellstua lookout. Wow. It’s such a quaint setting, and so picturesque with the small city on a couple of islands in the foreground, and then big expanses of water separating the city from the other islands nearby. I spent a good amount of time just staring and enjoying the view. That's definitely my favorite thing to do in a city. Find a viewpoint and just soak it in. And this was an amazing place to do so.

While I was up there enjoying the beautiful view, there were a couple of screaming Spanish ladies that came up to the park. Not gonna lie, it was kiiiiinda scary. Then there was a big brother chasing his younger sister around with a small tree. Child laughter is absolutely contagious, and of the best sort. I love seeing things like that, it instantly brings a smile to my face.

Surprise surprise, there were bunkers at the top of the hill!!! I busted out my headlight and got some bunker-spelunking in. Money. There wasn’t a huge network to explore, but a little bit to see, and it was super cool.

Why does salt kill slugs? I know it does, but what’s the science behind it?

I did some fun wandering around to find the night’s camp spot. And, cool and weird enough, it ended up being inside an old German WWII Bunker. Boom, sleepy thyme.

06.07.2014

It rained hard and early, and I didn't want to get out of bed. It felt weird, I could hear a couple people coming into the bunker as I was still laying there, and I felt on display... But hey, I stayed warm and dry in the night thanks to my concrete shelter. No complaints here.

There was fog like woah as I woke up. I went back up to the top, where I was the night before. It was above the fog line, and I couldn't see a thing from there. Crazy. But I went a little further down and got a foggy view of the town and the area.

Engineers have no emergency societal services. Doctors can heal and treat people and lawyers can give legal advice in accidents. But engineers? No such purpose... ☹

I marched my way out to Tueneset and WAS going to go to the salt water aquarium, but 155kr and no student discount was not something I wanted to put so much money towards. Booooooo.

So instead, I did some walking on the trails and slowly made my way back to the main part of town. I made a baller baguette with some somewhat questionable mystery meat, and then found a HEATED BENCH!!! So much win. It felt amazing on my butt.

To be honest, I felt kinda bad leaving Ålesund only after 24 hours. It was a quick stop in such a beautiful place. But it's my trip and I did what I wanted. I saw the city, got a taste of the atmosphere, and enjoyed it. And honestly, it’s a city very similar to Bergen. Not a ton to see, but an awesome atmosphere and vibe. I know I need to return with a few chill friends and soak it all in. It ended up downpouring as I was waiting for the bus, so I ended up waiting at the bus stop for a bit to my ride to Geiranger.

It was kind of a good thing that I had not driven in Norway, because I would be stopping every 10 minutes to take a picture. There’s just so much to see and it’s gorgeous from every angle. Needless to say, the bus ride was gorgeous.

There is black lighting everywhere. Most notably in almost all bathrooms, and buses, and god knows where else.

The bus stopped at a ferry point for passenger pickup, and I got out to take some pictures. It was absolutely gorgeous. Then all of a sudden I hear an engine rev, and it ALMOST left without me. That would've sucked...

Why do I have "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" stuck in my head?

Driving into Geiranger, it was completely fogged in. We got to see a little bit of the fjord at the top before the descent, but after that, I was straight white. All the way to the bottom. Kinda disappointing...

...until BOOM the fog clears up and HOLY SHIT. This place was gorgeous, and huge, and majestic. I really hoped the fog would go away at least for a little bit while I was there, because I really wanted to see all of this in its full glory. Ah mazing.

When we pulled into town, I hit the ground running. I made dinner down by the water, then saw the hiking trails up to all the view points and I was off. I stocked up again on groceries, and then headed up a ways to camp.

Kinda like in Aurland at Stegastein, I just kept going. I almost got to the upper parking lot (~300m) before I set up camp. I found a nice kinda-dry spot under a tree for the night, and then proceeded to grab some shut eye. :-)

07.07.2014

It's kinda weird going to sleep in a fjord. You fall asleep, just like every night, and your mind slips into unconsciousness. You wake up, no biggie, but then you realize as you wake up and come out of your tent, HOLY SHIT IM IN ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS PLACES IN THE WORLD!!!

Woke up, got up, packed up, and headed up the trail. First stop was Løsta, a lookout about 500m up from the water. I ate breakfast on the way, and eventually made my way up. I ended up sitting at Løsta for a while. It was just gorgeous. About 500m up with an amazing view of the area. Just breathtaking. Monstrosities of mountains coming straight up on either side of the water. It was absolutely breathtaking seeing the extreme nature surrounding me, and how anything manmade was just completely dwarfed in size. It is a fairly humbling experience.

I would love to see an F-16 come flying by through the fjord. And I would love even more to be in that F-16 and do a fighter jet tour of the fjords.

I'm not the biggest fan of hiking. But, I am a big fan of walking up hills and trails, potentially getting a good workout along the way, to absolutely amazing viewpoints. Yessir. I was definitely in the right place for that.

This place is amazing. So unbelievably gorgeous.

The hiking here is great, despite the occasional tour group. They've got a bunch of informational signs through the trails detailing the certain areas and fauna and such around the area. Very cool!!!

I want a cave palace. A giant thing like Moria or the Misty Mountain. How badass would that be?

Waterfalls are powerful. I hiked up to one, and after the tour group left, I hiked down and behind it to really check it out. Water is a very powerful substance. The noise and flow volume was intense. And it was another beautiful place.

Europeans are quite the illogical bunch. A couple came hiking up to a lookout point, and they do the whole tongue out and panting thing to signify how hard the climb was. I laugh and agree. They plop down on the grass straight to a good-day stretch, and then the dude whips out a pack of cigarettes. Seriously? You couldn't be dumber.

The entrance of a rain front into the fjord is pretty epic. You see it come over the ridge, a white wall. Then as it gets closer you see the swathes of rain coming down before it slowly gets to you.

It's all fun and games until someone turns on the shower. It started off as a mist, but a couple fronts later it became a downpour. My jacket was useless and my shoes got soaked right away. Not the best... It was kinda miserable there for a bit. I was soaked, my feet were soaked, and the trail was soaked too. That makes things a little less enjoyable.

I had no idea what to do after I got back to the middle parking lot/restaurant. I had nowhere to go that wasn't cold or wet. I sat there for a good 30-45 minutes jut like, hmmmm. I finally decided on trudging through the rain to the upper point of the road where it comes into the fjord. Not too far.

I got there and sat in the bathroom to dry off and warm up. The rain was gone as I came out, so that's a positive. Then I went up to the view point, made and ate dinner, and further contemplated what to do and where to go while enjoying the amazing view.

I walked a bit down from the viewpoint to a viewpoint rock (just go with it) and was looking out at the fjord. I could see a small cloud clump hugging the right side of the fjord, and thought it looked cool. Continue on and a few minutes later, it's bigger and closer. A few more minutes and it's right under us the whole width of the fjord. Took about 5-10 minutes, but it slowly rolled up the hill and engulfed where I was at. The whole place was just pure mist and fog, cool and crAzy. It eventually blew away, but was really awesome.

Watching the port boats of cruise ships go back and forth from the ship to the quay side is like watching little worker ants hustle and bustle for the queen.

It was extremely peaceful and rhythmic to watch the clouds/fog roll and slide around the fjord. Right after a good rain, there were plenty of cloud wisps loitering in the fjord area, and it was really cool watching them roll around and do their thing.

How do trees know to grow straight up?

I ended up finding this cool chair overlooking the fjord, and after some other people left, I ended up sitting around on Queen Sophia's chair for a while. A little while in, the clouds just opened up and sunlight came down to other parts of the fjord. Beautiful. And then boom, warm golden rays of sunlight shining down on me and drying my wet clothes. Ooooooooh yes.

I discovered a very fitting theme song for my trip, and life in general: “Everything Will Be Alright” by The Killers. Life ain’t always perfect, and you may not be in the best spot. But eventually, things will work out.

The constant roar of waterfalls that surround the fjord is quite astounding.

So. Funny story. There was a dude with a Tom Sellick mustache going all crazy into a picture of himself. First, he came out to scope the area then left, I thought nothing of it. A few minutes later, he came back with his tripod to set it up. He took some test shots, but wasn't satisfied and left. A few minutes after that, he came back with an external flash and did about 30 practice shots with an without flash to check it out. He sat and waited for the sun to go away, then when it hid behind a cloud, he jumped down and took a good 6 shots. Went back to check them, seemed unsatisfied, waited for more shade. He did this at least 10 more times, each with at least two pictures. And after a while he muttered some kind of curse to the gods in his native tongue. After more test shots, with and without flash, with minor adjustments each time, he let out a big sigh of disgust, folded up his tripod, and left. I'm sure he came out disappointed, but that was entertaining as hell. As soon as he left, I turned around and snapped a quick selfie. I’d say it turned out alright.

Why do some cultures not smile in pictures? Like, when you're at some pretty place and you want a picture of yourself, why wouldn't you smile? Wouldn't you want to give off the impression of being happy?

Well, after chilling around for over two hours, Queen Sophia's chair definitely became my favorite spot in Norway. An unbelievable view and a perfect place to watch the world pass in peace.

I headed back down through town along the windy road. And decided to make my way to the next days hike. I did that, and about a half hour up the trail, found a nice place under a tree to pitch my tent. An interesting day, with emotions and feelings all across the board, but in the end, everything turned out alright. ☺

08.07.2014

After over 1000m vertical up and down the day before, I let myself sleep in. I figured I earned and needed it. Well, when I woke up, it was nothing but sunshine. I excitedly packed up and had a yummy breakfast overlooking the fjord.

My legs were still beat and exhausted from the day before, and the first few km of up up and up did not help. But I kept chugging along, despite the tiredness. It was sunny and warm too, so altogether a pretty hard start.

But then I found my new favoritest place in Norway: Homlongsætra. An old farm house at 544 m.a.s.l. Absolutely unbelievable. A perfect 180 degree view of the fjord and mountains and waterfalls and flowers and all of it. It was so peaceful, the dribble of a creek, the roar of a waterfall, the sun beating down, and just everything too amazing to describe.

It's crazy how there are valleys between mountains that are on another level above the fjord. There was one straight across from Homlongsætra, there's three peaks, and they come down to a bowl with the bottom of that bowl at around 600-650m up from the fjord. This bowl then trails slowly down, and finally to a jagged drop right down to the bottom. And there was a couple more of these to either side. It was kinda cool.

These kinds of places are where I think. Just peace and quiet, and I can let my mind tackle what's at hand or what's at large. A great view and solving my current agenda. Now to find a place somewhat like this closer to my daily routine.

I got to talking with a nice German couple and their gorgeous Alaskan husky. Awesome dog and nice people.

I kept on going along the trail and came to another amazing lookout, even better than the one before. This one peeked over the fjord and down towards the mouth (along the direction I've been hiking). Again, unbelievable. More waterfalls and microscopic boats and kayaks, the lighting was perfect, and there was no one there, just peaceful and awe inspiring. I took a good, long break there to soak all of the view in.

This place easily became my favoritest place in the world. Such an unbelievable and unforgettable view, far enough removed from people where it is somewhat removed from everything, but with just enough activity to add the right amount of excitement and fun. Just unbelievable.

Imagine picking up an ant and throwing it. Could you imagine if there was a being big relative to us like we are to ants, that would pick us up and throw us? (Analogy - being:us :: us:ants) that would be crazy. We'd fly all over the place, and probably die before they let us go.

I left my little paradise, and continued on my merry way. Met a wonderful old Swiss couple and we quatsched about a few things and watched a big ole tiny cruise ship come into the fjord.

I kept on going and made it down to Skageflå, a farm situated directly on a 250m vertical drop. They had another informative plaque to inform about the farm in use since the Middle Ages, and it explained that they had to tie up the children when they were outside playing so they wouldn't fall off the edge. Woah.

My original plan was to make it all the way down to the water, but that was another 250m down (hard on the knees) and 250m up (hard on the body). Some would say I chickened out, but I made the executive decision and cut that part out of the plan. Plus I had to get back to town and watch the Germany Brazil WC game!!! So I hung out at Skageflå and enjoyed the (as always) amazing view.

It would be really weird to live in a place like this. Somewhat cut off from the entire world halfway up the side of a mountain, accessible only by a long hike.

Decided to put my camera away and just enjoy the moment. It was wonderful. Wandered around the farm a bit, waved to a couple ferries passing by from far above, and just calmed myself. And since it had been over a day since I took a nap, I laid down on the grass and dozed off for a bit. Baller nap time location as well.

Why do I think of doomsday or worst case scenarios when my mind wanders off? What would happen if I jumped off this cliff? Don't make sense.

Goddamn I love naps. Oh yes.

Watching boats from high up is really cool. How the wakes shape and diverge from the boats path is awesome. And the reflection of light off the waves adds to a really cool look.

What felt like a snail walk actually went pretty quick. I took a couple of water breaks, but got back up about 400m in around an hour back to my favoritest place in the world, just in time to watch a couple cruise ships have a battle of the horns.

If I could choose to teleport to any one single place in the world on a moments notice, it would be here. A place to be in awe of nature, to feel so small compared to the mountains around you, yet so big looking down into the fjord an the dots of boats and people sailing by. A place to come and listen to the waterfalls and watch the weather and the world pass by. A place of peace and nature, a place of calm and awe.

I am so unbelievably lucky to be able to come to Norway and see and do what I have done. I wish I could take it with me wherever I go, but what I have done here will be with me forever.

After coming off the mountain and walking back into town, I felt very accomplished, and in overall great spirits. The last two days I had pushed my body to its limits, and it came through and took me to some absolutely beautiful places. I am lucky, and happy and proud I was able to do it.

And what do I give myself as a reward for my awesomeness and hard work? A banana and two, yep, count em, TWO ice cream sandwiches. Mom, you woulda been jealous!

I randomly met a great young pair from Poland looking for work in Norway. He was wondering about my camping gear (unfortunately REI isn't sold in Europe) and we had a nice little chat about some stuff.

I eventually made my way up to the Hotel Union for the Germany World Cup viewing. Little did I know this was the ritziest place in town. I walk in smelly and dirty from two days of hiking and ask where the World Cup viewing was. The lady seemed reluctant to tell me, that's an understatement, but eventually did. I think I got lucky on that one.

Well, I get in and charge up my camera battery, and then go get a beer. Although it was easily the most expensive beer of my life, it was still delicious. The Nøgne Ø Porter. Yum.

Things roll along, the game starts, then a paramedic sits next to me. Long story short, I met a Norwegian named Erik, who is a total petrol head. We talked about his boat (the cigarette boat from seasons 2 & 3 of Miami Vice), fly boarding, dirt biking, hunting, and Norway and stuff in general. A really cool dude who really knows how to find his thrills outside of work.

The game itself? Holy crap, 7-1, not much of a game. But.... AUF GEHTS DEUTSCHLAND!!!!!!!!!! I was pumped to keep watching my second home country romp their way through the games.

I was then off for a good night’s rest at my first camp spot in Geiranger to catch some z’s. Well, as luck and the perfect day would have it, not 100m into the ~2km up to my first spot, I spot a grassy glen, perfect for camping. So in the time it would've taken me to walk a quarter of the way up, I was already set up and in bed.

This day was literally the perfect day. I worked and sweat my butt off, it paid off in once in a lifetime views, the weather was spectacular, I had two ice cream sandwiches and the most expensive beer (and a tasty one at that), met a cool Norwegian, and found a plush camp spot. Cue the music (perfect day song).

09.07.2014

I made a leisurely time of getting up and packed for the day. I walked over to the fjord center and made breakfast before going in.

This was a really cool and informative center. It had a great slide show of the fjords through the different seasons, exhibits on life in the fjords throughout the years, and some really cool info on the background of how the fjords were shaped. Excellent info with some really intriguing things.

I walked down to the harbor/waterfront area, and watched a cruise ship come into port. This was pretty cool. It essentially did a really sweet drift, like into a parallel parking spot, but in super slow mo.

I ended up just bumming around Geiranger all day. It was kinda nice to take it slow and not do anything. I jumped into the fjord for a bit to cool off. Man that's some cold water. And then I ended up dropping my camera and shattering the lens filter. Thank god that was on there, saved me from a shattered lens. Plus I had an extra filter, so I had a new layer of protection to throw on there.

I hate asking other people to take a picture of me, because they always go for the full body. I don't care how my legs look next to a waterfall, just get above my chest and you're good to go. Man.

I had another beautiful ferry ride through the fjord up to Valldal. The wind was calm, the fjords were beautiful, and the sun was out. Quite a great ride. For some reason, I got really tired during the ride, but still enjoyed the picturesque boat ride. And even got in a quick shave.

I got off the boat and planned on hitchhiking up the road to Trollstigen for the night. I was ready to throw a thumb up, but there were already some hhers there on the corner. I milled around a bit until they got a ride then got over there. I was nervous I wasn't going to get a ride, but no more than a half hour in and I got picked up by this cool dude name Glonn, and we were on our way. We ended up picking up the people that were there before me too.

We got up to Trollstigen, and the ride leading up there was unreal. A totally and completely different landscape than the fjords. Huge peaks but very few trees. It felt a little alien, to be honest.

But Glonn dropped me off at the visitor center area, and I did my thing. I got to the viewpoint and read all the signs for a bit, then headed out to the overhang. Wow. Just wow. What a huge valley with monstrous mountains dwarfing it on either side. The cut of the valley in an almost perfect U-shape was quite impressive. All of this great view was awesome to see. I was tired and planned on hiking from up top to Åndalsnes for my train the next day, so I called it a night.

10.07.2014

Another decent nights sleep, waking up to mountains and sunshine. You just can't beat that!

I went back to the lookout on top to eat my breakfast and take it all in in different lighting. Still gorgeous. After a bit, I made my way down the trail to the bottom of the valley. That was a nice hike, and, as expected, gorgeous. Zig-zagging down the hill with the road and getting different glimpses of the mountains and valley along the way. It was a good hike, and thankfully, all downhill.

Once I made my way down and before I got to the road, I decided to take a dip in the fresh mountain water. Boy howdy was that a good choice!!! Cold water on a tired and warm body felt amazing! Especially with the sun being out all day and not a cloud in the sky, it felt absolutely heavenly. And there's something wonderful about swimming around under mountains. I found a beautiful spot for it too, and spent some time jumping in and out and looking at the beautiful peaks right above me.

Well, I got down to the road, and was ready to hitchhike again. I knew I only had around 10-15km to go to the town Åndalsnes, but I figured I'd try to save some time and energy with a ride. Long story short, the street was empty so I decided to huff it.

It was looking like I was coming up empty handed, when about 7km in this guy picked me up and took me the rest of the way. Good thing too, because it was a little longer to go than I was expecting. But thanks to this awesome dude, I got to town with about two hours to spare, so I spent it eating and staring at the mountains.

And to relax, I unloaded a whole packet of chorizo slices onto a cheese bun with onion and cheese. Omnomnomnomnomnom

I went to the local mini Walmart, aka Coop Xtra, to fill up on groceries for the last time. It was actually pretty heartwarming to go in there. Åndalsnes is a small town, and in there you could tell. I got a free piece of delicious cake, tried some smoked salmon and trout (oh man... so good…), everyone knew everybody and was super friendly and jovial, and all in all it was just a very human and lively experience. I even got harassed by a couple young boys doing that thing with a balloon where you squeeze the mouth as the air comes out to make it squeal. That was fun.

Leaving Åndalsnes, I took the Rauma Railway, apparently Europe’s most beautiful train journey. The little girl across the aisle had an Elsa figurine and was singing/mumbling an interesting mix of Let It Go and Don't Let Them In for a good portion of the ride. Shout-out to Zack, Kat, Dawn, and Colin. But yeah the train ride was gorgeous. Saw some beautiful valley scenes, giant peaks on either sides, and waterfalls and cool bridges to boot.

Norway is an absolutely beautiful and scenic country. Taking the train from Drombås to Hundersfossen was filled small mountains, rivers, and tons of greenery. Just gorgeous. This is definitely the most beautiful country in the world.

I hopped off the train and got some help/charged my phone, then walked over to the bike park. I was planning on scoping the woods to find somewhere to camp, but saw people just camping in the parking lot, so that's what I did. Easiest find yet.

Not gonna lie though, I got a little nervous and felt a little anxious. All these dudes with their custom rides just chilling around like this is their job, kinda made me feel like I'm out of their league. But fuck that, I'm here to have fun. I don't care who's good and who's not. I'm probably shit compared to them, but I'm here to get better, and have a helluva time doing that. BOOYAH. Let's go.

11.07.2014

Easily the worst place I've camped. As soon as I laid down to sleep, some drunk parties came back to their area and started blasting some weird electronica beats mixed in with random screaming. Then I got woken up around 7am with the worst weedwhacking in the world, at least that's what I think it was. Guy was just revving it constantly. Gah. Thankfully I still got some sleep despite the noise, and was ready to ride.

I went down to the bike shop and got my bike and gear and boom, ready to go. I'd never ridden a full-on downhill bike before, and HOLY damn can these things take a beating!!! I started with an easy run to get a feel for the bike and get warmed up. Damn I am bad at this... I've got a lot of skill work to work on.

But HOTDAMN it was awesome!!! Finally getting back on a bike and screaming downhill and over jumps and stuff!!! It was a blast!!!!!

I met a Swede on the lift who's doing a month of bike parks, a week here then three weeks up north. He used to race in the World Cup series, but now just rides for fun. Nice guy.

I also met a German, who said I got lucky as hell with timing. Earlier in the week it was dumping rain and they were planning on having the park closed until Saturday, the 12th. But he said about 50 riders chipped in to help build the trails back up to open the park. Super awesome.

Later on, I met up with the Swede again and he led me down a black trail, aka the hardest level there. I had a couple of spills, and it pushed my limits, but I did it pretty ok!!!

Came down to base to make lunch, and what comes on the tunes? Welcome to Miami folks. Jammin out at lunch. Baller.

Saw some chick rocking the MTB fanny pack. Immediately thought it was Zack, or at least Zack’s future wife.

Overall I had an AWESOME day on the hill. Downhill is intense and an absolute blast, and it definitely wrapped my trip up in an exciting fashion. I need to ride more, keep working on my skills, and just keep enjoying life on two wheels. It’s such a great way to live and love life. Now to find a way to make that happen…

After I returned my stuff, I took advantage of their free showers (:-O) and soaked it all in. My body was all sorts of spent, and being able to refresh under some cool water was absolutely perfect.

I ended up just laying on the grass to let my stuff dry and to chill. Good thing they had wifi in the middle of the parking lot, because I found out they canceled the train service from my station to Lillehammer, and put a bus in there instead. Skeptical me called and ask wtf, and long story short she mentioned in a quiet breath that the bus could end up being an hour late, aka making me late for my plane. Oh HEEEEEEEELLLLLLL no.

I decided I needed to get to Lillehammer and solve this problem. Commence hitch hiking. Honestly, I was really worried I wasn't going to make it. The people seemed kinda smug and giving me mean-mugs driving by. Thankfully there was a bus service, but seeing as I spent the last of my kroner to get the bike, I was out of cash. So I was using that as my last resort.

Well a bus came, and I toyed with caving in and taking it. But RIGHT as the bus pulled into the station, this dude screeches to a halt and picks me up. BOOM BABY!!! Cool too, it was a Swede and a Norwegian who had also been riding that day. I also learned that Norwegians and Swedes can communicate so well together because lots of Norwegians learn a little bit of Swedish through Swedish TV growing up, so the Norwegians just dumb down their language. Interesting.

Instead of sitting around the Hbf til morning, I decided to go down by the river to at least eat some dinner. I wasn't sure if I wanted to exert the effort to camp. Well, I did, and found a spot kinda secluded next to an interchange and only about 1 km away from the train station. Not too bad.

12.07.2014

A not so great night of sleep was had. Again, just like clockwork, more unnecessary pre-travel anxiety causing me to stay awake. Long story short, I got a couple hours of sleep, and ended up getting up early to get packed and over to the train to get to the airport.

I had a nice relaxing train ride to the airport. A loud family was laughing and having fun behind me, but I got some emails and messages sent to slowly work my way back into some form of civilization.

Got to the airport quite a bit early, got my bag all re packed, and then just went outside to watch the hustle and bustle of airports and to watch planes come in and out. And then BOOM surprise, I still had a whole bar of dark chocolate to savor. WIN!!! Weird thing though, as I was savoring it's dark chocolatiness, I thought, "man, a little hint of raspberry would be perfect with this". That's for you mom...

As I was reflecting, I couldn't help but think this trip was exactly what I wanted, went exactly how it should have gone, and is something I will never ever forget. Will expand upon this thought in a bit.

Through security, but I got suckered into some Toblerone and a couple of those porters that I had watching the Germany game. Gonna enjoy both of those reallll good.

As I was chillin at the gate, I was in an absolutely amazing mood. I had some chocolate and an apple with trail mix, put on my chill music playlist and got into a soulful mood, and then there was this cute little baby that kept coming by me with this gigantic grin on her face. The world was smiling at me, and I was just basking in its joy. Love it.

There was a weird boarding routine for the flight, but we eventually made it out to the plane. I go to take my seat and some dudes sitting in it. I tell him that it's my seat, and he gets all indignant with me. Ah no, ain't happening. I tell and show him I got 2F and he shows me his 2D and he still thinks he's got the window. Nope nope. Stewardess comes and puts him in his place. Boom. Get on up outta here.

Flew past Oslo, could see it was an absolutely beautiful day there. All of a sudden the steward comes by asking, "wurst doer käse?" Apparently past-me treated present-me to a little meal. What a pleasant surprise!!! So I got treated to a little sammich and chocolate at 30k feet. Not too bad :-)

I landed safely in Hamburg, picked up my bag, and was greeted by my wonderful landlady Elke. She picked me up and took me home after the greatest two weeks of my entire life.

Thoughts and Comments – Quick Hits

I hate how I am with trips and leaving for things. I get so paranoid the night before that I'm somehow going to miss it, which causes me to hardly sleep beforehand. All thanks to that damn time in Columbus.

I must say, I hate watching sports with someone who doesn't know the game but keeps jabbering like they do. It's obvious, it's fucking annoying, and you're not fooling anyone...

I’ve never been on a trip before where I haven’t had a home base. A hostel or specific campground or place to stay where I could use as a main point. I didn’t have that on this trip, and it gave a really different feel.

I'm not a very outgoing person when I travel alone. If I'm in a situation that invites introductions, etc. then yeah, I am. But when I have to go out of my box to meet someone or make that move, then it happens a lot more seldom.

I hate nights before travel days. All thanks to one bad mistake in Christmas seasons of years past thanks to the help of a coupla friends, I'm always worried I'm going to oversleep my ride or I'm too excited to sleep. It's frustrating and just makes me more tired... (So bad, I wrote about it twice)

I worry too much. When I have a problem but no solution yet, I let it eat at me way more than it should, if at all.

I started using all manual mode on my camera during the trip, and I must say, things started turning out pretty ok. I still need to work on it, but initial results are satisfactory. ISO adjustment is something I still need to familiarize myself with, but all things considered, they're coming out pretty good.

Something pretty cool about my trip, I've used almost every form of common passenger transport for this trip. Planes, trains, buses, boats, cars, bikes, and walking. Covering all my bases.

A bit of a personal accomplishment for me, I did not listen to music the entire trip, aka did not use my headphones and phone to play music. I’ve never done that before, and for two weeks, that's pretty cool. Definitely helps having this country to explore as a distraction ;-)

Thoughts and Comments – Personal Growth

In a way, I feel like my life is in an accentuated state of growth, and has been for an extended amount of time. Not physical growth, but mental and emotional. Every experience in this past year has really propelled me into something much different than what I was a year ago. It hasn't been drastic steps, but even just this trip, I feel like a more experienced, more weathered person, and that I've learned, or somehow taken a lot out of the many things I've done. I can't quite describe it, but I feel like a changed man. For the better.

And I think I've developed a better sense of not giving a crap what other people think of me. If I'm rocking shorts and flip flops at a swanky hotel for a World Cup game, who cares? If I'm repacking with my stuff spread out in the airport, who cares? It's not about maintaining an image so people don't think weirdly of you, it's about getting stuff done and living your life. This was really evident in myself, and I could feel myself growing in this respect every day. I got a lot better at living my life and being me, something that I can take anywhere.

An Explanation that Can’t Explain It

As I’ve said so far, this trip was easily the best two weeks of my life, and the best trip I’ve ever been on. I went alone, so I could do things when, where, and how I wanted. This definitely was a huge plus. I traveled to the most beautiful country in the world, which gave me nothing but beautiful views and places to soak in. This was also a huge plus. But the biggest positive and reason this trip was such a life changer, was that everything happened how it should have happened.

Notice how I didn’t say everything happened perfectly, because it didn’t. There was stress, anxiety, unsureness, and a whole mix of other feelings that tipped the emotions of my trip in a negative direction. But overall, things happened exactly how it should have happened. A rainy day led to a sunny evening. A quick stop in one city led to a longer stay in a beautiful fjord. A little bit of wi-fi prevented me from missing my flight. So many things like this were stressors or unanticipated, but helped piece this two week life adventure into something I will never forget, something that contributed to my growth as a human, and something that will leave me wanting more and to go back every day.

But really, I can’t fully explain everything this trip means to me. I worked out a lot of stuff during my times soaking in cities and nature, and made some very important and heavy decisions for the future for me. I wouldn’t say it’s given me the courage to go on, but it helped clear my head and see not only what would be best for me, but what my head and heart really wanted to do. Perfection in the form of a patchwork adventure, a patchwork life-adventure.

Original Publish Date: July 22nd, 2014