David goes Oslo

Yesterday, I arrived back home again. Time for my personal conclusion. Before I came here I had to do an english test, and afterwards either. When I came here I scored a B1 and now:

I think I can be proud of this development. But not only my language improved here. I could collect especially through my study and the people from so different countries amazing moments. I could experience so many crazy outdoors  stuff (e.g. ice rescure, sleeping in a snowbell) and learn new perspective and ways to life, that even I didn’t really seeked to develop, I learned so much. 

So what were the most important learning outcome?

1) Before I came here, I had the feeling that my Ideals and rules pulled me down. Here I realised, after letting all of them go and start for example to eat meat and also to fly. This wasn’t the reason I felt stressed. It was because of me not accepting own failure and always having giant expectations on myself. So I want to stress myself now less. Life is only a game. And I want to follow up my ideals and values. 

2) Before I had an incredible high need that everybody has to like me even though I knew that in theory that isn’t reasonable. A short part of a dialogue between me and Peto described my bias pretty well:

Peto: “Do you like everybody?”

Me: “No.”

Peto: “But you want that everybody likes you?”

Me: “Yes!”

In Oslo I could learn that it is ok, when some people doesn’t like you. This people will always be, especially when you follow your own goals, needs and dreams. But true friends will always stay. In the following time I want to internalize the following saying “Let them hate, just make sure they spell your name right.” 

3) Moreover, I learned from my good friend Leon, is that having a clear and precise focus has a tremendously positive influence on me. Even though I would like to be great at everything. It’s not possible. And I have to accept that. Through my need to be perfect and liked by everybody I often waste time in my private as in my professional area on doing things which are maybe cool to have or would let even more people like me but are not the 20% which gives me 80% of life satisfaction and success. Therefore, I have to start to be brave enough to strike action/habits from my normal way of living. And focus on the things which makes me happy. Only then I can start going my completely own path, which may differ to many others, but is my road to a self-fulfilled life. 

I met in Oslo amazing people. I miss you guys and you will be always in my heart! <3 <3 <3 

Also thanks to my fellow students for this heart with so kind and positive comments on it!

Even though this was a fucking awesome semester. It is time now to come home. I want to see my friends back home again. 

2017 was a good year. But I was also nearly never home (internship + semester abroad). So I really looking forward to stay home 2018 and start working hard again on my dreams. What I will do 2019, we will see ;) But never forget: 

Dream so big - they call you crazy! 

The days after the wintertrip were characterised by two the things. Firstly, the last assignments we had to write. So instead of enjoying the last days of your stay abroad with your friends, it was unfortunately time to work on my essay. At least I made sure to quote myself in the work ;) 

Secondly, I decided to move out already 3 days before I leave Norway to pay less rent. This mean that I had in this time not only no phone, no watch, no alarm as also officially no room as no cards to get into the building or in my flat, which were pretty important because the building didn’t possed a bell at all. Normally you would just write some of your friends to open the door for you or throw down the card. But without a phone this is pretty hard. I can just say: Stone age feeling for free! 

I want to thank at this point my ex-flatmates which supported me amazingly in this time and always took so much care about me! Still, I had only a bit time to hang out with my friends. So I was even more happy when I could go dumpster diving once with my good friends before leaving! 

MC told me often that “People who ment to be together, will be together.”. At this time even though I thought I did understand it what she meant with that, but I didn’t. Till the Friluftsliv christmas party, where me and Jo got voted by our fellow students as the ‘best couple’ and he showed me his love in front of all the others in a big kiss on my cheek. xoxo 

The funpark had several stations. The first and foremost desired one was the jumping hill. What happens when two idiots with nearly no ski skills use that can be explored in the following photos. Two photo history to enjoy:

I am glad to be able to present you jump #1 from me and Rasmus in the attempt to realise something higher than our skiskills could made it possible. 

Me & 180°

  Rasmus - “Come one Rasmus - Front flip!” 

The probably most looking forward and most challenging trip. We went with our substitue teacher PJ out for five days in the beautiful area of Vassfarkoia. It was according to the time in the year pretty cold. Here the weatherforecast for the first two days: 

In the first two days we builded in the area you can see below our camp up and had many classes about skiing, ski waxing, snow & art and first-aid in the winter.  Already on day two my brand new headlamp conk out on the second day and not even new batteries could change the problem really... 

On the third day we wanted we build Iglus to sleep in. We stamped an area of snow at the day before to have some compact snow. But we underestimated how long it takes to build a proper Iglu. Therefore, even though there was great teamwork and we used the good german ingenieering skills, when it got dark and after hours of hard work we had to give up the dream of the Iglu. 

My biggest learning goal for this trip was to try out many different accomodations in the winter time. The first night we slept in the tent, in the second in a selfmade gapahuk/tarp construction and in the third night it was planned to sleep in the Iglu. Accordingly it hitted me hard, that we were not able to finish the Iglu. 

To get still an new experience, after assessing that lavvo is only pussies, my tent group decided just to sleep in the unfinished Iglu, which had no ceiling at all and could therefore provide an amazing panorama view while beeing in the sleeping bag. 

Unfortunately, after wishing my tent members a tight sleep, it started to snow slighty. But it was only a little bit and we were all pretty exhausted and still fall asleep. Gladly, I slept on my back and when shitloads of snowflakes drop on my face, I woke one hour later up again. Could realize that our sleeping bags are in danger to get completly wet. Woke up my other group members and we decided to grab our stuff and went in the night the whole way back to our maincamp to spend the night in the tent. 

Then the last two days we could spend in the tent groups and go for a dayhike and come back to sleep in the camp or stay the night out and come back on the next day, which my group choose.  I had the honor to be together with Hakki (Leon) and Kochi (Rasmus) and together we were the Team German Powerframe according to Hakkis giant 130liter bagpack called Powerframe. Before we could leave we had to submit a SARTO (Tour plan), where we wrote ironical two sentences how our group should work:

Next to the irony there was also something true behind it. All of us were the persons who pushed the others forward and got hold back in the past by the others, which were more concerned. In Team German Powerframe we were only we. You could notice that in our decision making especially about the tour planning. It was characterised by the short question ‘Who is in?’ and if there were two ‘yes’ it was decided and done. Also food was very important for us and there took place one short & good dialogue:

After Hakki finished the desert and gave it to us:

Rasmus @Hakki: “What is that?”

Hakki @Both to us: “Babyfood. It makes you strong like a little cow"

On day four we left directy after the morning meeting for our two days hike and went with skis, bagpacks and one pulka (little sledge). Because all of us aren’t experienced skiers and the things we could learn in the day before was limited we had some problems with bad waxed skies, a pulka and skiers which tended not to be able to hold the balance. But sometimes you have to fall to get better ;) 

After a time we realized that the orignal plan from the SARTO were completly unrealistic and to climb the planned peaks with skis was even without equipment impossible. Because we really wanted to sleep in a snowconstruction and were also dependent that we find a good spot as enough time for that. Because we left the camp without our tent and only with two tarps for the accident. 

 Due tue a lack of snow we couldn’t build a ridge-shelter and therefore tried to build a snowbell. Which is like shovel mass of snow as a hill. Wait till the snow compresses itself and then hollow the inner part out again. That we don’t have too move to much snow, we decided to put most our gear in the middle of the snowbell and put the snow above. To bury most of your equipment in the winter time and know that in the best case you can get it back after some hours, felt pretty stupid. 

But after two hours of shoveling, two hours of waiting to compress and two more hours to hollow it out the work was done. And to promote our university NIH we builded a selfmade sign next to our snowbell. The question was now: Is this building stable enough?. We putted before several 30cm sticks from the outside in the construction not to hollow accidentially to much out. Because nobody had experience in building a snowbell before it was still hard to estimate. We only knew that at many spots the snowwall was much thinner  than 30cm...

When Hakki had a look on the snowbell. While looking pretty sceptical at the construction he said the famous and unforget tablesentence ‘I don’t trust water to be my home!’.

Glady, he was wrong and while a candle provided enough light we could spend a super cosy night in this snowbell.   

On the next day we had a good speed an arrived already back earlier than planned and could join the others in the ski park, which they have builded already before.

Afterwards we had a reflection with the whole group and our teacher PJ shared that he couldn’t sleep well last night, because he had to think often. If it was reasonable to let three persons alone going out for two days to sleep in a snow construction, when they never did this before and not even had a tent with them. I think you can discuss that. 

But I am definitely very happy to let PJ make me this experience possible! 

I could finish with Hakki my Research Project about the potential of Friluftsliv for personal development. In addition, fortunately my health got better again. Therefore, we decided to get some downhill experience in a shopping car. At this point, I want to thank our sponsor Kiwi (Norwegian supermarket) for providing the race equipment. 

On the same day Patrick came visiting me for some days even though this means he had to leave the warm Munich. 

We haven’t seen us for such a long time. So we had much to tell and amazing good talks through the whole time.  On the weekend we went with my two canadian babes on a two days hike in Northmarka. 

At some points the ground was slippery as fuck. And even with support from the whole team, I found myself with my ass on the ground more than one time ;)

After coming back from the trip we explored Oslo together and went also to a nice Christmas market in the heart of Oslo. 

I hope he could enjoy the time together as much as I did and would ever dare leave the warm MUC to hang out with me again. 

In the second travel week it was time to go north.  With an incredible international team  coming from Switzerland, Finnland, Czech republic, Netherlands, we went far to explore the pristine nature and the city Tromsø.     

To get there we took the plane. #badass 

Flying again after such a long time was pretty interesting. Apart from that I was a bit overstrained at the airport and for instance didn’t even notice that maybe having a scissor in your hand luggage while passing the safety control is not the best idea. ;) 

On the ferry ride to Lofoten I got, as nearly, everybody seasick and I was temporary lying next to the rail till I had to puke on the way to find a place in the ship where it doesn’t move so much up and down. Maybe Karma for not giving a fuck about your own CO2 footprint. 

The whole trip we stayed in cabins or Airbnb. Despite a inflammation in my ear, which I treated with super sexy and good smelling onion compressions (as you can see above).  My health was pretty ok. So I also could join the all our daily hikes in the area. Here some impressions: 

Even though Lofoten was definitely the most expensive trip I did here in Norway It was definitely worth it. Why?

Because of the unique landscape and a team with which you could laugh so much. 

During the trip we had ofc the goal to see some northern lights. And we did it like all the other international students before. But we wanted to see them on cooler way. So after we found some reindeer fells free to use in one of our Airbnbs. We decided to go on this day for a second hike to sit down with this warm fell on the summit of a mountain and enjoy northern lights. 

We had the opportunity to use the cable car. But we decided to hike up in the dark only with our torches and no spikes. Even though the guy from the shop highly recommended to wear some spikes for this hike. 

The way up it was more sliding than hiking. But finally we did it. Close to the peak the girls decided not to go the last meters and went directly to the cable car to drive with it down. Mattijn and me went the last piece up to enjoy the view. Unfortunately it was just too cold to enjoy sitting on the fell at all and also we couldn’t see any northern lights. The view of Tromso was still incredible and the way down extremely slippery was more than fun to slide down. 

When we met with the girls back down, we told them we meet two swedish guys which were camping on the peak for two days. If this story is true, they will never know .... ;) 

Especially in Tromso the sun was impressive. It was maybe only there from 09:30 - 13:30. But because it moved so low over the horizon you could enjoy everyday at least 1h sunrise and 1h sunset. 

If you liked the pictures of this post. I want to make you aware that despite the photo of my carrying the reindeer fell. This were only the photos of the first two days in Lofoten. So I think it is pretty fair to say. It is an incredible area, which you should really visit by yourself!

One day after we came back from the canoetrip. Lovely Sarah had birthday so we went on a nice hut close to Oslo to celebrate here Birthday with an awesome swiss cheese fondue. 

After this little trip. My travel season for the moment had to make a break. And this was more then necessary, then the university needed much attention. And due to all my traveling I had to catch up much. In addition for my table tennis club I needed to spend some time on projects. That I had to study and fufill task all day long. Fortunately I got visited by Dani und Simone which were an awesome variety to the work. 

The weather was unfortunately for sightseeing, as you can see below, had some big potential. 

But no day can’t be save by hot chocolate ;) 

It was soo amazing to see them again. We had an awesome time together and went e.g. in a sauna where we watched Finding Dorie, jumped in the Oslo fjord and tried to catch up the deep talks I missed so much. 

This week we went on a private 4-days canoetrip and I could round up my 20th night in a tent this semester. 

Our Dane in the team rented a this absoulety good looking car u can see below. Unfortunately the good looking of the car didn’t correlate with his winter suitability. So we were stuck in the snow already after two hours of driving. Despite we still arrived nearly on time and spent one night in the tent before we went for the canoes from the rustic rental. 

The canoeseason was definitely already close to the end. But even ice can not stop real friluftslivstudents... ;)  

Of course we were exemplary friluftslivstudents. Even the ground was completly covered with snow and it had rained the whole day, we looked for proper fire wood and made a fire every evening. 

To finish this awesome trip we did on our way back a canoe-overtake with the car. 

The surftrip had to fall out because of bad waveforecast. But this ok. The next week we went already with the trip on our third trip. This time we went to the south coastline of Norway for three days. The mood was ofc amazing as always.

The ocean and different landscapes gave us definitly enough room to enjoy the nature and calm down. 

The learning outcome of this trip was unclear for me. So I just focused more on my private goals and slept for instance in a hammock for the first time and got some experience in cooking on three different stoves. Unfortunately I got a virus on the trip which made the tour more exhausting and me more sleepy than normal. And maybe also missed one class ;) 

To the end a crewpicture of all the internationals studying friluftsliv with me. 

After we realized that we can’t go to Svalberg. We decided to go for a six/seven days hike in Hardangervidda. And when the waveforecast is good, also a surftrip directly afterwards. On the hike we were a team of four people (Sarah, Dennis, Felix and me). 

Of course Sarah was also in the team. As always ;) She is a swiss girl and is my travel companion in nearly every trip. Because of my good influence she makes already some good progres in speaking proper german. And maybe one day she can speaks real german....

Just kidding! This will not happen ;) Neverthelesse we are already a good team and always enjoy to go on a trip with here.  

Hardangervidda is a national park close to Bergen. The area is famous for being one big plateau. We arrived in the night, still found a good spot and on the next morning the tour could start.

Weatherforecast for this area was pretty amazing. Nearly no precipitation at all. Still a bit cold when the temperature is between 0 and -6 degrees. 

So it was just important to stay dry and eat enough all the time. But obviously this couldn’t go well. While jumping from on to another stone, I slipped away and found myself with both my feets so deep in the swomp that I couldn’t get out by myself. And due to  room for improvement in our communication we had missed one dinner, so we decided to finish the hike one day earlier, hitchhike back to the car and spend there one good night with some fresh bought food and some beers.

On the tour it has turned out that I got an Instabangerphotographyteam with me, which had definitely more skills than me. Before I upload some further impressions of the trip, I want to share with u one nice shot of me from my chocolate side ;)

Now I am here already two months. Nearly exact half-time of my semester abroad. It’s stunning how fast the time is running. 

In contrast to my expectations, I have here the greatest semester in my life. As you can see I travel here a lot. So next to university there is not much time left for different things e.g. gym & partys. But thats ok for me. 

Here my health got much better. Can do already nearly all crazy stuff. Just have a cold since the last weeks that I just can’t overcome even when I rested a full week. 

To constantly improve my english I also started a vocabulary book, where I collect all my new words and structure them in different generic topics for instance appartment, Outdoor and so on. 

Trying here a different life and don’t work is for this semester is pleasant. Despite I notice every day I am here, that I look forward to come home again and work on my dreams. Because when I learned something here, then it is that my dreams may be very ambitious. But it is exactly what I want to do. So of course, I made already my Businessplan 2018. 

 The last 10 days I stayed at home and had to do work on my university stuff. Also my dad and brother visited me in the time. It was amazing to see again. Here a few pictures:

But just to stay home is boring ;) And I got really addicted to challenge myself on trips and do crazy stuff like this jump on the higehst waterall in North-Europe.  

It was time to travel again. And the best thing I have right now is a so called travel week in university. That means i have one full week off and can use this for whatever I want. So with the weekend before and afterwards I got 10 days to travel. 

Last weekend we joined a surftrip, which was organizied by one of the student organizations of the university. To enjoy the trip even more, we skipped a bit classes and left already two days earlier. Because we expected that the surfing will be cold, we decided to go on a warm up hike at Gaustatoppen.

Normally you can see on this plateau 1/6 of Norway. Because of the fog you could see at maximum 10m away. Also the weather was colder than expected and snow everywhere. Nevertheless everybody enjoyed the hike.

Of the surftrip we don’t have much photos. Because the Gopro had water in the lease. That all photos were blurry. The waves were really small. But maybe I will go in November to Lofoten to catch there some waves again :) 

And for the end a selfie. Where you can see you should never rent a car with 7 persons which has only 7 seats and no trunk at all ;) 

The plan to visit Bergen was already really tight. Directly after arriving from the Jotunheimen Trip on Thursday 20:30 I wanted to take the Train to Bergen at 23:25 from Oslo Central Station to visit Vreni and Luis on friday and Franzi on Saturday. Nevertheless I was just looked forward to take after 7 days hiking a warm shower. Of course in the 90min I had at home,  there were no hot water avaible. In addition, my phone which I thought ran only out of energy, couldn’t be started anymore. What  was really shitty because there was my trainticket downloaded and most of my opportunities to contact my friends in Bergen. I couldn’t reach Franzi at all. So I just wrote to Vreni and Luis that I will arrive at 06:49 am at track 3 and will wait there till they pick me up. And then I had already to leave to Oslo Central Station to find a way to get my ticket printed out.  

When I arrived there, I went through the whole railway station to the Tourism information. Then i realized it was already closed. So I asked two Security guards, who told me that I can go to a ticket machine and print my ticket there. The machine said that my ticket hast been already retrieved and so I am not allowed to print it out again. Slowly getting a bit desperated, I asked again two security guards who tried at the beginning to repair my phone for round about 45min and then told me that they can't help me and should tell the story to the conductor and hope that he will pass me. And he did. I got a nice seat, realized a got free wifi for my laptop and that Bergen is the last station that I don’t have to stay up the whole night, because I don’t have an alarm which could wake me up. I really had the feeling that my luck has returned till my laptop didn’t worked anymore and I slept really bad the night.

When I left the train on the next morning, I was really tired and always when I am tired and exhausted my pupils which are already really big. Get even bigger and my eyes get red. But I am used to this feeling and just put on my smile and wanted to look  for a nice spot next to track 3 that Luis and Vreni can find me.  Already after 20m of walking a civil police officer stopped me and started to ask questions 'Do you have your personal ID with you?' 'Why are you in Norway?’ 

//Have you take drugs?  - No.

//No. Are you sure?‘ - Yes.

//So how long do you want to stay in Bergen? - Two days and then leave to Oslo again.

//Ah ok, and what do you want to right now? - I am waiting for two friends who wanted to pick me up here from track 3.

The police officer looked around, didn’t saw any friends of me and asked sceptically:

//I can’t see your friends. - Yeah, I think they have maybe some problems to come here on time because of the world championchip in Bergen. There must be many roads blocked. We didn’t know that before.

//You come to Bergen and didn’t know that there will the world championship in bycicle? - No, sorry!

//So what are you plans here in Bergen? - To be honest, I just want to see my friends again and just join their plan for Bergen.

The police officer didn’t trusted to me at all. He must thought how can somebody arrived at Bergen be completly on drugs, there are no friends, didn’t know that there will be the worldchampionchip in bycicle and have also no plans what he wants to do in the next two days. So he asked me again and again if I am on drugs/ what drugs I have taken. I always  denied all connections to drugs and then he told me several times that he doesn't trust me. 

So we did a little drugtest. I had to follow with my eyes a pen, he moved in front of my head, while I wasn’t allowed to move my head. After a while he stopped and was just glad, because now he would noticed that I am ok and I could continue my travel, till he told me that I failed the drugtest. Told me that it was already the second drug test he did with me and I failed both. I didn't noticed the first one. I just didn’t know what to say anymore. 

He called the chiefexecutive and asked me to follow them in a room to search my stuff for illegal stuff. But couldn't find anything exept my leftovers of my food of the Jotunheimentrip, which stank horrible after 8 days beeing in a plastic bag ;)  But after a while of finding nothing they allowed me to go again. When I went outside I saw Luis and Vreni, who were already worried about me because they couldn't find me at track 3. So they asked already the train staff to search for me, because I must be there somewhere... ;)

After that prestory, I could enjoyed a beautiflul time in Bergen with best weather and my phone and my laptop started to work again. I could contact Franzi again and we also spend a nice day together. I definitely noticed how much I miss my friends back home! 

Highest Waterfall in North Europe:

We woke up at 5 am to be able to see it from the top and from the bottom.   

Last week we went for the first trip with the university. Always one international and three norwegian students were put togehter to be a tentgroup, which shares of course the tent and have to face some other missions together.

It was really mindblowing how the landscape/noise/behaviour of person changed in the area even though our camp was only 4km away from Oslo. 

Above you can see my tentgroup and beneath some further impressions of the trip.

In the monthly ticket of public transportation there are also included the ferries next to Oslo. So we went as a group of internationals for some islandhopping. In the end we just visited one island, but it was still great though. Here are some pictures of the day: