I woke up early on the first of January to get ready for my flight to Oslo. Showered, ate, and finished all packing that was left to be done. We all left for the San Francisco airport around 9:15. I checked in and then we all had a final meal together. I was sad to say bye to my family, but was also very excited/nervous to be on my way.
My flight to Frankfurt was pretty uneventful. I wasn’t able to sleep at all, which is pretty typical for me on airplanes. There were three movies showing, but didn’t listen to any of them. I watched, though, and tried to guess what was going on in them. I read a bit in the new David Sedaris book that Kirsten got me for Christmas and also read in my H.P. Lovecraft book. We ate an early dinner, which consisted of corned beef, or something like that, flavorless mashed potatoes, and a salad. The flight was about ten hours long, and landed around 9:20 in the morning, Frankfurt time.
The Frankfurt airport was nerve-racking. It took me awhile to figure out where I was supposed to go to catch my flight to Oslo, and once I did I had to go through security again. The whole time, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to pick up my checked bags and bring them somewhere else so they would get on my flight, but I convinced myself they would make it because they were labeled with tags saying they were going to Oslo. I reached the correct gate (thank God) and boarded my flight, praying that my bags would board it as well.
The flight to Oslo was a little less than two hours long, and I actually managed to doze for a little bit. The snack on this flight was much better compared to the meal I had on the flight to Frankfurt. It was a small turkey sandwich that was surprisingly satisfying. It was also fun to listen to everyone speaking German. When we landed, my fears regarding my checked bags resurfaced, and I was very worried walking into the Oslo airport, so you can imagine my relief when I saw my backpack and suitcase on the conveyor belt, even though the handle of my suitcase had broken and was missing my nametag and the tags marked for Oslo. This made me even more relieved, knowing that my suitcase had gotten here even while missing its destination tags.
After getting my bags, I headed towards customs. Mom had made sure that I had everything I needed for customs, like my residence permit, acceptance letter to the University, and so on. I followed the signs towards customs and went through the area for “Nothing to declare” and simply waltzed right into the country! I didn’t have to show my passport or anything else to anybody! I was half expecting this, actually, cause the guy who made the metal documentary that I love said that he and his crew got into the country without having to face customs either. I bought my ticket for the train to the Oslo Central Station and got right on. We sped through the countryside of the region to the Northwest of the city. I was so glad to be here!
I arrived at the Central Station and found a taxi. I was driven through the downtown area, towards my student village, Kringsjå, which is located in the Northern part of the city. I was very relieved when we arrived, but I then faced the dilemma of finding the right building for registering. I wandered around the village for a while, hauling my heavy backpack, suitcase, and messenger bag with me, until I finally found the reception. I took a number and proceeded to wait for my than an hour, until I finally spoke to a receptionist, who gave me three different rooms to choose from. I checked out the first one, which shared a bathroom with another room. The room itself was small and dismal, so I opted against it. The building for the second room is right in the middle of the village, so I was already favorable to it. When I got there, I discovered that this room had its own bathroom with a shower and a closet, which the first room did not have. I instantly picked this room without even worrying about the other option, because it was located in a building that was on the outskirts of the village and far away from everything. I was also very tired and just wanted to move in.
I returned to the reception, where I once again had to take a number. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait as long this time. The receptionist checked me in, gave me my laundry card, and informed me that I wouldn’t have internet access until I received my username and password from the University. I’m still not sure when and how that will happen. I dragged my luggage back to my room and started to unpack. I could hear some people talking in the kitchen/common room, which is right next to mine, but they were speaking Norwegian and I was too shy to introduce myself.
I knew Mom and Dad wanted to hear that I had arrived, so I made my way to a pay phone, since my cell phone wasn’t getting any reception. The phone card wasn’t working, though, so I just called collect. It was good to hear their voices. They could tell I was exhausted, so let me go not too long after. I then went to the small market in the village where I bought toilet paper, shampoo, beer, and a bag of baby carrots.
Returning to my room, I continued to unpack, while feasting on my carrots and beer. I was so glad to have some adaptors that allowed me to plug in my computer and external hard drive so that I could listen to music as I unpacked. I left my door open, hoping that someone may notice that I had moved in and introduce themselves, but no luck. I hate being shy,
After unpacking, I lay in my tiny bed, which I had made. I was so thankful that I had lugged a comforter from home. I was reading through some of the information that I had received from the receptionist earlier, but noticed that I was starting to drop off. I mean, c’mon, I hadn’t slept for how long, at least 28 hours? So, I went to sleep.
