This was my first out of town this year. I took some time off and spent a week in Oslo, trying to find inspiration to finish writing my master’s thesis. I felt stagnant at that point; it was winter and I had very low motivation. My husband was pretty cool about it and was actually the one pushing me to go, to take a few breaths of completely different air, and to trust the process. He told me that I might have spread my net too thin, trying to do so many things at the same time. Of course, he was right. But don’t tell him. 😉

Day 1. Oslo City is around 35-40 minutes from home. I took the train and stayed in Verdandi Hotel, located on the west side of the City Hall, or Rådhuset. I brought my books and was pretty determined to make some progress. It was January.

I was also lucky that Asian restaurants were nearby. I got sushi for dinner on the first night. 😛 I also took a night walk and captured the beautiful City Hall at night. The building houses a carillon with 49 bells. Every hour from 7am until midnight, it plays. It was.. crazy.

Day 2. The real job began. I fueled my brain with coffee, and then squeezed it for creative juices. I made progress. On one of my short walks to clear my thoughts, I took a shot of the National Theatre. I hope to watch a performance there one day. Delicious fried rice and dumplings for dinner. 😛

Day 3. I finally tried the breakfast from the hotel. The dining area was always full. It seemed like office people go to the hotel to have some buffet for a small fee. Afterwards, I continued working. More progress. And I worked double for the analysis part. It was an exciting process, where I used colorful post-its for mapping and clustering. On one of my short walks, I passed by the Parliament. It’s a city icon – a beautiful building! Then, it was dinner again. Will never get tired of Asian food. I had congee and siopao! Omg. I love my life.

Day 4. Days went by fast. I was making real progress. But of course, the whole research process took longer than just a week. The stay in Oslo just gave me a little push to continue. It was Thursday, and during a walk, I passed by the Nobel Peace Center. It looked smaller from the outside. For dinner, more siopao, and then wanton soup. I really took advantage of having Asian restaurants on the same street!

Day 5. Ah, it was time to go home. The little trip was a good idea. In a few month’s time after that, I submitted my thesis, and a month later, got the results. I’d probably take a break from the academe from now. I want some time for my other hobbies, like blogging. 🙂 Anyway, I got my husband a chocolate heart as pasalubong. ❤

Oslo is a beautiful and vibrant city. I’ve visited it a few times, and it never ceases to amuse me. Carl and I don’t like the tight traffic there though.

So, this trip started my 2023. More travels to come!

#spreadloveandpositivevibes

ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ENTRY ARE MINE. 🙂 Cheers!