home-making 104: oslo, norway
Posted by torytolles | Filed under Uncategorized
Thankfully, finding an apartment here is significantly easier (and cheaper!) than in Geneva. After sending hundreds of emails, Chris and I actually got to visit fifteen apartments. Imagine that. The deliberations followed; we have firmly established that Chris’s priority is a central location and I only care about finding a cozy place within a block or two of a park. Within a week we found a place that satisfied all of the aforementioned requirements and six hours after viewing it, Chris and I settled in to our new home, Holsts Gate 1.
We share the apartment with two Norwegians, one Swede, and one Russian. They are wonderfully respectful and quiet people, excepting the 11:30 pm laundry load last night - our room is right next to our free(!) washer and dryer.
The only downfall to sharing an apartment with so many people is that we cannot fit all of our groceries on our shelf after I go to the grocery store. (Our shelf is second from the top).
Most of my time is spent doing errands. Learning to navigate the new city and new language means everything takes about three times longer than it did in Geneva. However I still have plenty of time for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. About four times a week I pick one of six different forests around the city, layer just about every piece of clothing I have here, and board a bus with either the skis or the ’shoes. It takes only twenty minutes to truly escape Oslo and be surrounded only by snow and conifers - and just a handful of other people skiing.
Did I mention that I love snowshoeing? I had to include a picture of my new toys - and the pile of clothing I wear for my outdoor excursions. I included the Nalgene for scale. All of the Norwegians think I am crazy to snowshoe.
“Truger? But WHY? Skiing is so much faster!” they say.
“And SCARIER!” I reply.
Maybe someday I will be able to handle going down hills some other way than on my rear end, but for now I prefer to snowshoe if I have the choice.
Oslo is not nearly as dark and cold and depressing as I thought. Okay, maybe it is just as dark and cold as I thought, but I actually really enjoy being able to be outside in the sparkly wonderland. Or maybe I just like snowshoeing. Either way, it is going to be a wonderful few months.
11 Responses to “home-making 104: oslo, norway”
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alli Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 10:11 amhooray! i am so glad to hear that everything is going well! missing you lots and lots and lots.
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mom Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 10:42 amoh my I am once again so excited to see a post from you! what a wonderful write-up, tory!! smiled at the shot of the frig…..yeah i’ll smile all day now thinking of you.xo
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Zdenko Juskuv Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 7:34 pmCould you post an address for letters?
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steph Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 11:09 pmtwo comments:
1. i love that you used a nalgene for scale. so earthy-crunchy, so tory, so awesome.
2. i don’t know how i didn’t know about your dislike (fear?) of skiing! i have the same exact fear of going too fast down the hill. we really are meant to be friends. maybe we can find a cool place to go snowshoeing when you’re back. -
Ted Says:
February 12th, 2009 at 11:41 am“but I actually really enjoy being able to be outside in the sparkly wonderland.”
Sounds so …… nordic ! Please take and post some pictures of the sparkly wonderland areas for those of us in grey, moist climes!
Thanks for sharing your news and comfort with Oslo.
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tabitha jane Says:
February 12th, 2009 at 5:43 pmhooray for photos of european food in european packages!
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kcho Says:
February 16th, 2009 at 12:59 pmSo awesome to hear about everything. Snowshoeing sounds so exotic!
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andi Says:
February 26th, 2009 at 9:23 amI love you guys! where next????
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Leland Says:
February 28th, 2009 at 5:08 pmHey guys!
So neat to see where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to - I finally caught up on your blog and I’m SO jealous. Wish I could go skiing/snowshoeing (shoing?) with you in the alpine splendor. How’s life in your crowded European apartment? Learning much Norwegian? Lots and lots of love and stay warm!
LKRH
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maria Says:
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:56 pmwow i’m so glad you found a cozy place really fast! so glad you are enjoying (enjoyed) norway. actually, i think you guys are in liberia now? sweet. love you both lots!
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mom Says:
March 31st, 2009 at 10:34 amme again
see that you’ve added Liberia to your home page and that the snowflakes are gone 
read the “where we are” write up. how about some more pictures and comments on life and stuff. cause i miss you and want to know more more more!!! with xxx and oooos.
