A land with a view
I don’t have a room with a view living in Norway. I have an entire country and I’m so lucky that I don’t have to leave the city or be a tourist to get a view that turns me on.
Sometimes when looking out my window at home or walking in the park nearby I catch myself thinking, “I love living here.” The thought surprises me — life as a foreigner isn’t always easy. But it has the ring of truth. My home is in Norway now and the unique, beautiful views so casually available here make me happy.
These brief moments of joy that pop up in my everyday life are the bits of virtual fresh air that I’m pretty sure experts would say will help me live longer. A simple glance out over the rooftops and out over the horizon makes me pause and gives me meditation-like benefits without any of the effort.
It’s easy to connect to nature in Norway. I’ve read many an article that touts how quickly you can access wilderness outside of Oslo, something like a 20-minute train ride from the city center up to Holmenkollen, where the grand ski jump shines and there are miles of trails wind their way into the deep forest. But I love that it’s so close that I can be lazy and look up at the twinkling lights on its hills at night if I don’t want to make the short trip.
Sometimes I do feel energetic and want to explore further afield. Turns out that Norway is gracious…
