Literally, the Shortest Trip Ever
Morning came quickly. Everyone had to arise very early so we could catch our flight from Stockholm to Oslo. After days traveling by rocky ferry, a plane was a very welcome change. We walked through a blizzard to reach the train station. Once we were there, we took a train to the airport.
The flight was quick- only one hour long. We arrived in Oslo, ready for action. Because of scheduling issues, we would only be in Oslo for about two and a half hours. Yes, you read that correctly. Two and a half hours. I didn’t want to waste any time, so I hit the ground running.
My family is very Scandinavian. We embrace our Norwegian roots in my home by having many Norwegian traditions and dishes. So naturally, I was super excited to see Oslo and wanted to make the most of my short time there.
When I was in high school, I had a foreign exchange student friend from Norway. Prior to arriving in Oslo, I had contacted her for advice on places to see. She recommended visiting Karl Johan Street. I’m glad that she did, because it was a great attraction. I got to see a beautiful church and as an added bonus, the courtyard was empty, which made for some excellent photos.
The street was buzzing with chatter. Karl Johan’s Gate is a shopping district. There are many high-end stores in this area. I didn’t buy anything but enjoyed taking in the sights. The National Theater is also on this street, which was beautiful to see.
As we walked further down the street, the sound of Indian music grew louder. I was dumbfounded. Why was I hearing Indian music in Norway? After a short time, we found the source of the music. It was a tent giving away free Indian food! So obviously I took them up on it! I didn’t realize how much I missed Chicken Tikka Masala until I started eating that heavenly chicken basked in curry sauce. It was delicious. No, more than that, it was amazing.
After eating, we walked further up the street to a little overlook of the area, and it was beautiful. The sun was shining for the first time in the whole trip. The air was clean. People were laughing. Street performers played their music. At that moment, I was able to take in my surroundings and appreciate this incredible experience. I realized how insanely lucky I am to be on this trip. If you pulled me aside one year ago and told me that a year from now I would be teaching English in Russia and vacationing in Norway, I would have told you to lay off the drugs. Yet here I am; in an incredibly gorgeous part of the world- a part of the world that I had always dreamed of visiting.
Although I wanted to stay in Oslo forever, I realized that my time was rapidly coming to an end. I needed to buy some souvenirs, so I went on a super quick souvenir hunt. It was definitely more difficult than I would have expected, but I found some that I was happy with.
Then, as quickly as it came, our time was gone. We met up with the rest of the group and boarded our next ferry to Denmark.
All my love,
Madison
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