30

Well, it's here. The big 3-0.


And you know what? I'm not scared. 


I have absolutely no regrets from my 20's. They will be a decade I'll look back on with fondness and a smile for the rest of my life. There are so many reasons, and I'll hold them in my heart, always.


I generally try to stay positive on this blog. But, since it's my 30th birthday and all, I'm going to let it flow for a bit.


I will say that 29 was a year with some growing pains. I may have cried more tears in the past year than in all my life put together. And felt more unnerved that I've ever felt. Living in a foreign country tends to magnify rough patches, and there were some crazy times that made me quite anxious. From late July 2011 through late March 2012, I mostly wanted to pack up my bags and move back to Portland. 


A couple of very unfortunate incidents had an effect on my psyche that, living far from home, made me want to leave all of these adventures behind. On top of that, the mounting questions and pressures around us regarding staying a third year in Norway almost drove me to the edge. I knew they were all there with the best intentions, of course. The timing just made it a bit much.


Thoughts swirling in my head for months on end: Why would I want to stay somewhere I don't even want to be? Why is it anyone else's concern? Why would I feel bad for wanting to live in a beautiful city that I love, in a country that I call home, within a four-hour flight of my family, and where I can actually use my education and career? I'm already on a crazy adventure abroad for two years, why is that not enough??


So I traveled, which was always a lovely and welcomed break. I ran, met up with friends, cooked, cleaned(ish), biked, did yoga, traversed the ice, and wished there were better ways for Ken and I to talk through things. 


I want to give a tremendous thank you to my friends here in Oslo, for your listening ears, and for being beautiful distractions. This had nothing to do with our amazing friend base here. You are fabulous. I just had to work through the growing pains. I'd also like to thank Ken of course, for working through the growing pains with me.


There was finally a tipping point in time where we were obviously heading home and not staying a third year, and that put a stop to a lot of the pressure. Good riddance. Then, despite the incessant rain, April was a saving grace, with a trip to España, and a really, really wonderful trip home that took me through May.


So now, on the other side of all that jazz, with just a few months left before heading home to P-town, I've entered a period of calm. A time where I'm soaking up all the lasts during this season of life in Norway, and enjoying the awesome nest of friends we've been lucky to fall into here.


Actually, I'm feeling very alive and confident right now. Feeling like I'm breathing new air. I don't feel old in the least. 


Maybe it's the two years of funemployment I've been given, for which I'll be eternally grateful. Maybe it's the fact that a lot of the questions and desires of my 20's have been addressed, and I feel like I can see things a bit more clearly now. Maybe it's the pretty remarkable two years of travel and special new friendships in my pocket. 


And, maybe it's the fact that we're headed home soon, and we have a few fun adventures ahead before we finally put our bags down in one very lovely place for good.


30, I'll take you. I'm extremely thankful for the other 29, and I'm excited to see what you hold.

The U.S., in a Flowery Dress

I bought a breezy, flowery dress during our visit home to the U.S., and apparently wore the heck out of it, based upon the fact that I have it on in almost every photo from the trip. Just a warning.

This trip home was absolutely full of loveliness. The familiarity of the faces and places, and the amazing weather, were so good for the soul. We have some pretty awesome friends and family, and we can't thank them enough for how hospitable, hilarious, supportive, and fun they are. Thanks to everyone for making home feel like home! We're happy to get to have you around a lot more often, soon.

Wings and fried pickles at Fire on the Mountain immediately upon arrival in Portland.

A stop at Clyde Common. Oh happy hour, we'd missed you so.

Hanging with our best buds, Josh and Laura, at the Eat Mobile food cart festival. These two little weasels are conveniently moving to Europe just before we move back to Portland. We're going to miss them beyond words, but we're so happy for their opportunity to live in Europe. We love you guys, and look forward to visiting you on this side of the pond over the next few years!

Photo shoot with Joel, Kate, Joe, and Sam (a.k.a. some of our favorite peeps):

Ken and Josh enjoying the evening and brews at Breakside Brewery.

Laura, and the delish mac and cheese!

Ken and I took a road trip to the mountains in Washington to meet some special new friends... 

Welcome to Cascade country.

We left Portland early to make sure we got there on time, and ended up with some time to kill. Luckily, we came across a restaurant in a train car.

Meeting some Newfoundlands! Hopefully, we can get our very own Newf friend in September. Fingers crossed.

Beautiful tulip farm on the drive back to Oregon.

Next stop: Arizona. We got to stay a night with Jamie and Doug in Phoenix - so fun!

Ken's big bro Rob got married, to lovely Tanya. We had a great time in Arizona with Ken's family. It was great to celebrate with you, Bob, Mary, Rob, and Tanya!

Ken headed back to Oslo after the wedding, and I headed to Oklahoma for some time with my fantastic family...

Dinner at the Blue Rose on the river in Tulsa.

Mom's first food cart experience. Glad T-town is hopping on the food cart wagon. This place is delish!

A fun lunch with Mica, Denise, and sweet baby Will in Norman.

Nostalgic snow cone in Shawnee.

Then it was back to Portland for a few more days. The weather and spring flowers were absolute perfection!

I absolutely had to take advantage of the weather with a hike, so I headed out to the coast, stopping at Saddle Mountain for the view on a clear day. It was a good choice.

Fueling up on my fave chai before picking up the Zipcar.

Happy trails.

Oregon, you are truly a gem.

The Pacific is out there on the horizon - it's possible to see it and the major peaks of the Cascades on a clear day. They were definitely visible, and unfortunately didn't photograph well. But, it was gorgeous up there.

Hiked the entire thing in Vibram Five Fingers. They were totally great, and kept my feet really cool. Had to explain to a few inquiring strangers on the trail that the shoes were fine, and I wasn't crazy. If anything, you're much more aware of each step you take in these, so you don't come down hard on a single rock.

Last night in P-town: the patio at rontoms with a fun crew. Kate, remember when we awkwardly asked that nice server to take our pic, and I couldn't figure out why it was fuzzy when we were giggling afterward? Apparently, the switch to manual focus was hit somewhere along the way (probably in my bag). Ahh, well...we'll have plenty of time for pics soon :) Thanks again for all your hospitality in P-town!

It was such a fantastic trip home. Too many Moments of Zen to name one!!

Barthelona

Barcelona was our last stop during the week in Spain. 

(So, that was a long time ago now...a few weeks of traveling in May threw a wrench in the blogging!) 

Barcelona definitely felt very different than Madrid and Alicante, which is understandable, considering Catalunya doesn't necessarily consider itself to be part of Spain.

When we arrived in Barcelona, it was absolutely pouring rain. This put a little damper (no pun intended...) on our plans to walk around and check things out. Luckily, after a nap, the rain let up a bit and we pulled out the map.

We started off on a Gaudí quest, which began with Park Guell. If Candyland became a non-edible real place, this might be it.

After Park Guell, we hoofed it down to the city to find other trippy Gaudí work, much to Ken's dismay...

Sagrada Família. This place had a whole lot going on! Crazy detail.

Casa Milà 

Casa Batlló

Illa de la Discòrdia - Casa Amatller (Puig) and Casa Batlló (Gaudí)

And the non-Gaudí adventures...

Our hotel was in el Barri Gòtic, a beautiful area.

Our friends Marcus and Frans were in Barcelona the same weekend, so we had a fun dinner together.

At the pub after dinner.

Hidden talent.

We also had dinner with our friends Robin and Trygve, who were visiting Barcelona as well (apparently it was the place to be!). I don't have a pic of the four of us, but we did get a good laugh out of this bottle of tonic, made by Coca-Cola. There's definitely not an "ø" in "Nordic", and Trygve (who's Norwegian) commented, "You Americans just love to use the 'ø'...you think it's so cute, don't you?"

And the Moment of Zen:

Finding an awesome beer bar, with lots of Rogue. Ken was here for a quite awhile. Then we bought some bottles to go, and enjoyed them in the hot tub on the roof of our hotel. Not too shabby!

Alicante, Mi Amor

Yes, I went to Alicante, again.

In my defense, it was the perfect place to stop on the way from Madrid to Barcelona, and Ken had not yet experienced lovely Alicante.

Thus, I had no choice.  I had to enjoy that quaint, pretty city yet again. Twist my arm.  (The previous visits are documented here and here.)

We took a train from Madrid to Alicante, and gray clouds loomed over the ride.  There was rain in the forecast, so we kept our fingers crossed for at least a little bit of beach time and a good view from the mountain during the few days we were there.  When we arrived, there was a light cloud cover and no rain, so we headed up the side of the mountain to Castillo de Santa Barbara right off the bat.

Pretty gardens in Parque La Ereta, which leads up to the top.

Cloudy, but still warm.  Yes, Ken is wearing his Vibram Five Fingers in public, and not during a run.  He's fully embraced them (and we're pretty sure someone laughed at him).

Looking for pirates.

Pretty colors at Castillo de Santa Barbara.

Loved these houses on the way down.  I'm sure they enjoy having the pathway to the park right outside their front doors...

The next day turned out to be sunny and gorgeous!  So, we got in some good beach time at Playa del Postiguet, just outside of the hotel (one of the best things about Alicante), and walked back up the mountain for a view with blue skies.

We met a cute new friend while enjoying a glass of wine at the top.  We named him Castillo.

Back down in they city, we learned that there would be parades for Semana Santa (Holy Week).  For about three hours each night, processions of people in robes and people playing instruments walked very slowly through the town.

Amazing paella at La Taberna del Gourmet: super tender pork, asparagus, and snap peas.

Moments of Zen: Lovely sunny beach time each day, complete with chilly dips in the sea, and a little paddle ball.  I was bracing myself for rain, but Alicante pulled through for us, as always!