"End? No, the journey doesn't end here"

 A breach in the motion of the accepted plan, in the expectations of "your life path". It has become customary to force ideas of the schedule onto one's life based off past experiences and interests.

"This is the best ever!"

A year ago, my whole head and heart were yearning to be accepted into a graduate program to continue my studies as a physicist, a facade I was unaware I was wearing. As graduation got closer and closer, I began to realize that going back to school immediately was not what I wanted or needed, but it was what was expected of me to do in order to be "successful". The turmoil of trying to convince myself that "I just needed a break in the summer" and "I really did want this commitment right now" became exhausting and I began to live in fear of getting accepted into a program.

Graduation: First day of my Freedom

At that time did I have any conception of the fact I would buy an impromptu, one way ticket to the lands of viking and trolls with almost no plan at all? Of course not, that would be silly and rash! Careful planning and logic are reserved for adults and I'm clearly not ready to grow up yet.

 I am now back home in the kingdom of the Rocky Mountains having left Norway on January 7th. While I was excited to get back home and see family and friends, when I stepped on the plane in Oslo I felt a pit of homesickness, and not for Colorado.

After the chaos of the conference was over, the air about the island was at peace again. Honestly all I wanted to do was sleep and I was able to sneak in some well deserved shut eye before getting back on my feet.

No time like nap time :) 

In celebration of the end of our Manshausen mayhem, Mie, Stein and myself took a short boat tour around the island in the neighboring waters. It was so quiet; the air was still, sitting with a sharp cold that was re-setting the tone from the past week.

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Sebastian returned the day before Mie and I were set to leave and, for me, it was a nice happy reunion to have everyone back on the island. We celebrated Mie's birthday that evening with wine and the plethora of leftovers waiting in the fridge.

The thought of having to catch the ferry the next morning instilled a pang of dread, in part because I was leaving this island and Norway that had become my home, in part because I was leaving these people I had grown so close to and mainly because I was leaving brown cheese and all this food! (just kidding guys, I miss you more than the food 😉)

Last Dinner on Manshausen

As per the theme of December weather, a storm was on its way to the island! Go figure...and to no surprise the ferry ended up getting cancelled and there was a thought that the bus was not heading down to Bodø either. I was panicked. As much as I wanted to stay, missing my flight home was not on my itinerary. Mie and I were able to catch the bus the night of the 6th and we parted ways with the island. Back in October, I never thought the day would come that I would actually start on my journey home but there I was (and don't tell anyone, but I was totally fighting back tears), saying my goodbyes to Sebastian, the island and the sheep. Just like that, Manshausen and the man in the yellow jacket faded into the black of the evening as we drove away.

The bus took longer than expected and we reached Bodø a little before midnight and since Mie and I both had early flights we set up camp in the airport. My last bed in Norway was the bench next to bag drop.

"Just shut your eyes, and imagine you're back in your own bed, with a soft mattress and a lovely feather pillow."

After arriving in Oslo, the rays of the sun started trickling through the window as we sipped on coffee waiting for Mie's train to arrive. It was the weirdest sensation ever! I don't even know how to describe the whirlwind of astonishment going on in my head. It was so beautiful yet so unwelcome at the same time and I couldn't stop laughing...I don't know why, the Sun doesn't have very good jokes but whatever.

The Gold Medal list

Mie and I said our goodbyes before she headed down to the train and I to my gate. Stepping onto the plane, I was headed back. By no means should I have expected my trip home to be a smooth one; when I landed in Reykjavík, due to technical difficulties at the terminal, I broke space and time making it through customs and sprinting to my gate and arriving at the last possible second. I suppose it was the Universe's way of reminding me that I needed to start working off the copious amounts of brown cheese and other delectables I have consumed the past month. 

Eye Candy of the North. I will miss this every night.

Now that I am back it feels like I have never left but the amount of living I have done the past two and a half months makes me feel as if I have been away for a year. When I was flying over Greenland I was living all of my adventures in a daydream and an overwhelming sadness came over me, but I smiled. I smiled because even though all of these experiences, special connections and situations I have encountered on this trip can never be duplicated ever again, they have happened. And in the end, it all brought me so much joy. I just lived the s*** out of life and It. Was. Awesome.

When it's cold out but you're repping Odell so it doesn't matter. Flateryi, Iceland

Every person I encountered was a special piece to the whole of my trip, so here is a shout out to all my Viking Tour people! To Ulfur who showed me my first taste of Icelandic hospitality when I was on the verge of crying into my hamburger from a mixture of exhaustion and aloneness, to Rico whose immediate friendship helped me settle into my stay in Iceland, to my University ladies who took me in, basically saved my life and took care of me when I needed it the most, to Thomas and Aaron who adopted me into their life where I got my first experience of Norwegian culture and enjoyed mushing adventures, to Anna for being my long lost sister (and how we have never met before this trip is just a crime to humanity ;)), to Nora and Beana because you two are awesome and adorable, to Sebastian for not hating me for missing the stop at Nordskott and being the best company to be stuck on an island with, to Børge for giving me the opportunity to work and be stuck on his island for a month, to Regina and family for taking me in and showing me a traditional Norwegian Christmas, to Bengt for the New Years help, company and talk of adventure and dog sledding, to Mie and braving the island alone together even when chaos struck, to Stein who tirelessly drove the boat back and forth for us in good and *cough* not so good weather and of course to Napoleon and my Dream Team! Thank you to everyone!
  

Sheep Headquarters

The great burden of "expectations" has been lifted and I rest happy with the knowledge that I decided to break that mold, jump off the ledge of my comfort zone and do this. I have the freedom to live now, with no guilt of doing "what I should" or "what is right".

"It doesn't matter where it's going, what matters is deciding to get on." -Polar Express

If we mourn because of the past we miss out on being filled with the joy that once had come from it

We often forget to "get on" as it were. Life is one hell of a ride my friends and whether it is good, bad or boring, be filled with the present, carry the spirit of the past and wake with anticipation for the future.

This is getting too preachy for my taste and I apologize. But seriously, all this preachy stuff has fueled my freedom, all because I "decided to get on".

Thank you to all that followed (and were part of) this crazy trip I decided to take! Norway, I look forward to my return. Skål!