Norway vs. the US in Everyday Life

Gas stations, chatty people, Starbucks, traffic, shopping malls, air conditioning, DVR, happy hour, highways, mani/pedis, 24 hour fitness, draughts and 40 hours/week.  These are all things that remind me of everyday life back in Colorado.

Cobblestone streets, wooden houses, orange buses, broken umbrellas, Friele coffee, a blue stone, Hansa, hills,  rain boots, sandwiches, the fish market, wool, cruise ships, drumming, and rain.  These are all things that remind me of daily life in Bergen.

It's interesting how small things can make such a huge difference in a persons everyday life.  When I was visiting Colorado this summer, I realized that I barely walked.  You can park and walk less than 50 steps to get anywhere you want, and sometimes you don't even need to get out of the car. Drive thru food, coffee, pharmacies and even banks are everywhere.  There are new types of tasty (aka fatty) food creations everywhere, a fried chicken sandwich with bacon, cheese and a fried egg, bacon, lettuce and fried pickle sandwiches and my favorite...salted oreo milkshakes!  I saw a news report that an average of 30% of the american population is obese. Not overweight, but obese.  In Norway, you walk to the bus, to work, out the grocery store.  Even in the rain.  You don't have cheap and unhealthy food accessible to you at anytime, anywhere.  It's difficult to find 15 different types of the same processed foods in the grocery stores. And you also do not see 30% of the population being obese (Norway's number is 8.3%).  There is no effort needed to get up and moving a little bit everyday, and that is refreshing.

Look closely. Salted peanut butter cup. Surprisingly delicious!!

Communication styles and attitudes are also extremely different in these two places, and it was easy to recognize when visiting Colorado.  Coloradans are known for being very friendly.  "How are you?" is a normal greeting.  A smile is expected when running past a fellow runner on the path or sitting across from someone on a bus.  Small talk is part of everyday life, checking out at the grocery store, waiting in line for coffee, or taking a break at work.  Norwegians are known for being a little colder, unless you know them or if they've had a few drinks.  Many people see this as a negative but I have realized how nice it is to know when someone is talking to you, and asking you how you are, they are being sincere.  There aren't as many superficial people and conversations.  It is also refreshing as sometimes you just want to keep your mouth closed.

Stress.  The reason I left my job in Denver and one big thing I do not miss.  People in Norway stress, but not like they do in the states. You work to live, you don't live to work.  I think this is a huge distinction between the "normal" lifestyle in the US vs. Norway.  If you are sick, you have time off to get better.  If you have a baby, you and your husband most likely can take time off.  If you have a family commitment, sick child or emergency, most of the time you can leave work without the risk of losing your job.  I can honestly say I love not dreaming about work every night and waking dreading my upcoming day in the office.

Now that I have been in Norway long enough to feel comfortable and settled, I have gotten used to the everyday life.  I love walking, looking at the people walking down the streets and enjoying some peaceful time to myself.  I feel healthier and more rounded.  I enjoy spending time with my friends, talking about things I care about and skipping the superficial chit chat.  Even though I don't have a permanent, full time job, I stress 90% less than I did in Colorado.

I won't lie and say I don't miss an iced coffee from Starbucks, a $25 mani/pedi or driving to the grocery store.  But I've inherited new habits and daily pleasures.  Painting my own fingers and toes, sitting for a cup of coffee and a chat with a friend and my weekly running group and Norwegian pilates class.  Every person is different and Norway might not be ideal for everyone.  But for the time being, Norway is my top pick.

R3NY892MYR78

Week 15: How I know I live in Norway

Almost 4 months in Norway and I think I've started to blend in. How do I know? Well, I've realized I've started to live the Norwegian way...or what I think is the Norwegian way. Here are just a few examples:

1. When I go to the store, my list always includes bread, eggs, milk, cheese, cucumbers and red peppers.

2. I drink morning coffee, afternoon coffee, hanging out with friends coffee, wasting time coffee, Norwegian class coffee and dessert coffee.

3. I always have a lunch packed for work (matpakke), which includes my open faced sandwich with cheese, cucumber and red peppers and a clementine or kiwi.

4. If I leave the house and forget my matpakke, there's always kaffe og bolle at Narvessen waiting for me.



5. I'm waving down my bus so it doesn't leave me waiting.

6. I have frozen cod and rolls in my freezer.

7. I'm wearing rain boots, a wool sweater, scarf and rain jacket.

8. I colored my hair using boxed hair dye.

9. I take Omega 3 tablets every day.

10. I have Draw Something and Wordfeud downloaded on my phone.

11. The sun came out the other day, so I went outside to sit in the sun, smiled and shivered as I watched as many others did the same.



12. I feel terribly guilty for every second spend indoors during a sunny day.

13. I bring my own drinks to parties.

14. Last weekend, I wore a dress, leggings and heeled shoes out! Goodbye jeans:)

15. I can vacation to Spain and it only takes about 4 hours by plane.

16. In Spain, I am in awe over the cheap prices of food, drinks, haircuts and clothes!!

Week 9: Every day is a tea (coffee) party

It's been 9 weeks, but it feels like 9 days. I've been having such a great time! Those of you who know me know, I love food. Cooking or eating...I just love food. I do miss the wonderful restaurant scene in Denver. I miss happy hours, eating at new restaurants, buying groupons and restaurant week!!!! It's not just about going out to eat, because you can do that here. It's about the culture of being social, eating out, finding new restaurants, trying new happy hours, tasting new and interesting foods.

Norway is a little different. I've been visiting here since I was very young. Every time we came, we would travel around visiting different family members and friends. We would never go out to eat. At each visit, we would sit at someone's house for coffee, tea and cakes. I thought this was just a special event because we were in town from the US. Now that I have been in Norway for a while, I've realized that every day is a tea party (and when I say tea, I mean coffee because nobody drinks tea).

Small, fragile coffee cups on saucers, cakes, cheese and bread with homemade jam, and cute little decorative napkins. This is the cute little setup at every visit and I love it. It feels like I'm a little girl having a tea party every day. Except now, I really get to eat the cake and drink the coffee. Yum! Check out these cute pictures of some recent tea parties, I mean, visits with friends and family.


Visiting with Grandma and her brother and sister in law. Croissants, jam, cheese, spiced bread and cinnamon buns with coffee, then a cherry dessert thing. Oh, so yummy!


Grandma's visit. Cakes, coffee and more cakes!




And then there's the cooking. It is not what I'm used to, but it's fun. Here are some recent Norwegian creations.


This is a delicious Norwegian cake,a meringue topped with vanilla saus, whipped cream and fruit. Soooo good!


Cucumber salad, my mom's favorite Norwegian dish. Thinly sliced cucumbers with vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Sounds simple and it is, but it is also SO delish!


Oh, the yummy fish! We cleaned it, then stuffed it with onions, cucumbers, yogurt, and spices, then topped with lemons.


Add some potatoes and look how delicious this meal looks! And it was absolutely scrumptious!!!

And now all this talk of food has made me hungry. But, since I had cake and coffee for dinner (at my tea party), I will pass on another meal and get some much needed sleep. It's raining sideways again which means I get to sleep to the sound of rain drops on my window. My favorite!