It's a journey, not a destination

I have arrived in Norway, but let's take a moment to reflect back on the trip getting here.

Rhode Island

I started out traveling to Rhode Island where I spent time supporting Dana Center work there with the Rhode Island Department of Ed. from there a quick trip to New York.

New York

I had about 19 hours in NY to visit my nephew Adrian and his domestic partner Emily. It turns out NY is one of the few states that will let you be different sexes and domestic partners. I was also there in the apartment when Adrian officially got his job offer. He accepted a position with MeetUp, one of 3 offers he received. Glad to see the boy is doing well. Also had a star sighting in New Yor. While we were at the Five Leaves in Brooklyn, Deborah Ann Woll was sitting with a group a couple tables over. She is the actress who plays Jessica, the newly transformed vampire in True Blood. I pulled up her picture from IMDB and asked Emily to confirm the sighting. She did. So, with a first and a second the motion carries -- officially a star sighting. For those who are more wordly, I imagine a star sighting may be a bit ho-hum, but to put in context my 3 previous sightings have been (in chronological order):

- Gordon Jump (Arthur Carlson on WKRP) speaking at a Future Farmers of America thing in Manhattan, KS

- Rue McClanahan (Golden Girls fame) on the sidewalk on 6th Street in Austin, Texas

- Robert Picardo (Holographic doctor from Star Trek Voyager) looking very jet-lagged at a cafe in Las Vegas

So, the count goes up to 4 and I fly on to Dublin.

Dublin

I cleared customs and had a 4 hour layover in Dublin. I was browsing the Guinness branded clothing in the duty free shop when I heard several roaming tourists comment that these clothes are cheaper than they cost at the brewery itself. That was enough motivation for me and picked up a sporty rugby-style shirt. It was also nice to have a clean shirt to change into after the long flight. And then my layover was done and I was on to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

Ahhh.... Amsterdam. I love that city. I've gotten to the point that I know my way around passably well. I only had 21 hours in Amsterdam so, I made the most of it. My main reason for pausing here was to make the time adjustment. I wanted a quiet comfortable place where I could force myself to stay awake until I passed out and get adjusted to the time difference. I splurged and stayed in a very nice hotel in the City Centre directly across from Central Station. I got a room at canal level with windows that opened onto the canal across from Molly's Tavern. It was fun waving hello or giving a friendly nod to boaters as they passed along the canal. The quickly taken photo below gives a sense of the view:

I had time to adjust and hit a few highlights. One notable one was a 2-hour candlelit canal tour with wine and cheese. I laughed to myself when the tour took us by my hotel window and I could look into my own room. Later that night, I was back in my room—sitting in the window and dangling my feet over the canal—drinking a Heineken from the minibar and talking with the drunk partying group at Molly's. Turns out their next big stop was San Francisco. We ended up singing a drunken half-verse of "I left my heart in San Francisco." They invited me over for a pint and I obliged. Later that night, I came back, had a nightcap, and went to bed. But, not before shooting a quick video of the now quiet scene:

And then, I was off and away the next morning to catch a flight to Norway.

Norway

I had a 4 hour layover in Oslo, so plenty of time. One of the interesting things about flying through Oslo is that, even if you've checked your baggage through to your final destination, you still need to collect your baggage before clearing customs, wheel it through to the check-in stations and re-check your luggage. It's an Oslo thing. After doing this I converted some extra dollars into Kroner and hung out. I did realize that the Norwegian Kroner is quite strong compared to the dollar. This means that a soda or bottled water costs about $5, a small sandwich about $10 and, thanks to the conversion app on my iPhone, I figured out that the hamburger I was thinking about getting would have cost me $32. This is also due to the fact that people working in the food and service industry make a real living wage doing this work—moreso than in the U.S. This translates into the cost of service items. After the layover, I continued on to Bodø, which is where I'll be spending the bulk of my summer. One of the Norwegian professors, Jan Oddvar Sørnes, met me at the airport and took me to the university dorms where I'll be living. My room is, in a way, nostalgic. It's been a long time since I've lived in the dorms. I;ve attached a quick photo of the private bathroom in my dorm room (Awesome—I didn't have one of those in my dorm!!). Notice that the shower is simply a fixture on the wall next to the sink. There is a drain in the floor and the room came equipped with a squeegee. I simply squeegee the floor after taking a shower.

Soon, I am off to join my fellow Texans for dinner. Nick—one of the students—went shopping and is making dinner for the group. We will then divide up the grocery bill when it's all said and done.

Cheers,

T--