Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Dreams Realized

Hello from Drammen, Norway! Today is the day I leave Norway. I have mixed emotions about my departure. I have been treated so well by my new "family" that I hate to leave the safety and comfort of home. On the other hand, there is so much to see and do that I can't wait to get to it.

I named this blog Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Dreams Realized. I have encountered all of these things in my last two weeks (yes, I've already been gone TWO WEEKS!). Planes obviously got me here but the last three are more interesting. In Norway, the speed limit is between 30 mph and 50 mph in most places, especially where I've spent most of my time on the west coast. All the mountains and fjords make it more difficult to travel in general. Mari and I took the bus from Aalesund to Bergen last Tuesday. That was a nine hour ride to go less than 250 miles or so. In Bergen and Oslo I have taken half a dozen busses or so to get from one place to another so I'm getting used to the bus! My first train ride was on Thursday. That was really cool. My Eurail pass is for first class but they were sold out so I rode second class with Mari which worked out anyway. The train was nice and there was lots of leg room! The servers came by with the rolling cart to sell/serve coffee and tea just like on a plane. My Eurail pass is good for 15 days of travel over a two month period. I have already travelled on it for two days and they have not marked it. I guess the system is arbitrary???

Dreams Realized: Some of you that read my blog don't have Facebook accounts so I will repeat what I said on FB. "If someone asked me five years ago where I wanted to be in five years, it would be exactly where I am now." That is so true. Everyone knows that I have wanted to take this trip for a loooooong time. Now it's actually happening and I am having some surreal moments. I sat at a cafe with a new friend, Hege, in Aalesund and just chatted away while we people watched for a couple of hours. I rode on the bus to Bergen and planned the next few stops on my journey while listening to my ipod. Yesterday I visited the Vikingship Museum that I have wanted to see for as long as I can remember. These moments give me pause. It's difficult to explain the quiet sense of accomplishment when this happens. It's a little heady and makes me smile. These victories don't mean anything to anyone but me. But to me, it's huge. As Rob said, I'm marking things off my bucket list.

Drammen, where Mari's grandparents live and where I have been sleeping and eating since Thursday, is a nice little town. There are a lot more immigrants from Africa here than I expected but Mari's grandparents are GREAT! Her granddad speaks some English and has been to America a long time ago. Her grandmother reminds me somewhat of Aunt Hazel but smaller. She is so funny! She doesn't speak any English yet she looks directly at me when she is speaking to me in Norwegian. Now, my Norwegian has gotten a LOT better but I don't understand her accent at all!! But she's just so cute you can't help but feel like you want to hug her :) I swear between Mari's mom and grandmother I have gained AT LEAST five punds since I got to Norway.

Oslo is really cool. It has the feel of a much bigger European capital but seems so much more personal at the same time. There were some things here that I really wanted to see, too. The Vikingship Museum, Vigeland Park, and the Munch Museum (Edvard Munch painted the famous work, The Scream). Now that I have seen my top three Oslo attractions, I feel like I can move on to other places with a sense of fulfillment.

Now let me tell you something about the train. I am so nervous right now! My plan was to get on a train today from Oslo, travel to Gotheburg, Sweden, then onto Copenhagen, Denmark. It's four hours to Gotheburg, another four and half to Copenhagen. So yesterday I went to make my reservation; no problem catching the train in Oslo but the second half of the trip is sold out! It's some kind of special holiday weekend in Sweden and the train is full. There is no room on the Gotheburg-Copenhagen train!! But here's the kicker (and what I cannot get my American brain around)...TECHNICALLY I don't need a ticket because of my pass. I just get on whatever train I want in any of 22 countries and the pass serves as my ticket. Unless the schedule specifically says you have to have a reservation, YOU JUST HOP ON THE TRAIN, they will check for tickets once you get going. Now, if you get caught without a ticket there is a big fine. This isn't MY problem because of the pass, but I digress. I don't have to have a reservation for either portion of the trip. The guy at the ticket counter yesterday said, "I cannot sell you a ticket for tomorrow's train from Gotheburg to Copenhagen but if you just get on the train, maybe they won't kick you off. Probably not."

So call me crazy, but if I don't make it to Copenhagen tonight, there's no point in going because I am only planning to stay there one night anyway. At 1:00 PM I am getting on the train to Gotheburg. I am also going to get on that 5:40 train to Copenhagen from Gotheburg. I will let you know if they kick me off or not! God, I hope they let me stay on because there are no hotel rooms or even hostels available in Gotheburg because of the holiday. Keep your fingers crossed!!!