Just Go...
There is a something about an impulsive decision that makes it so exciting. Going to Norway has been something I have dreamed about since I was in high school, last weekend I realized that dream. I bought a plane ticket, booked some airBnB's, and then waited impatiently for the weekend to come.
I used Kayak to find a roundtrip flight for 150 dollars to Bergen, Norway. Of course, Airbnb if you have not yet heard of it is a great way to stay somewhere relatively cheap and meet some incredible people if you choose to rent a room instead of a whole house. It should also be noted that the public transit doesn't show up on google maps, but fear not! There is a website that lists all the transit options called Skyss.no.
There is also an app where you can purchase tickets online, BECAUSE MOST BUSSES DO NOT TAKE CARDS, ONLY CASH. SO GET CASH AT THE AIRPORT. 500 Norwegian Kroner would have been enough to get me from Bergen to Odda and from Odda to Tyyesdal. I took out a little more, because I couldn't resist buying a Norwegian wool sweater or two...
Nonetheless, if you want to take an awesome weekend to Norway for maybe 300 to 400 dollars, use the tools mentioned above, they will make life much easier.
Now about my trip. I went to Norway, for the fjords of course, but also because I wanted to hike Trolltunga. It roughly a 22 km hike (13+ miles for all you non-metrics) with an elevation gain of almost 1000 meters (again, 3,000ft for the Americans). So it is a doozy. But completely worth it.
Hiking boots are very helpful, and Frankly make the hike bearable. The trailhead is about 6km from a town called Tyssedal where you can stock up on food and other last minutes supplies for the excursion. I stayed in an Airbnb with Linda, and it was prefect. It was right near the trailhead, she runs a hotdog/waffle/coffee stand and offered some helpful tips for hiking and suggestions on when to leave, what to look for, etc.
I woke up at 5:30 that morning, made a cup of instant coffee (yum), and hit the trial. It was still fairly dark out and a little chilly but after about 30 minutes of hiking basically straight up I began to warm up. It was incredible to hike into the mountains before the sun was up, because as the sun began to creep over the mountaintops I was lucky enough to get views like the one above. It felt as though the hike became more of a spiritual journey in these moments, as I hiked up, as I hiked towards the golden light.
The breeze was cool throughout, and each corner took my breath away both thanks to the hike itself and what my eyes witnessed. The pictures barely do it any justice, of course everyone says that, but my goodness. Somethings have to be seen to be believed.
After 3 hours I got to the top, along the way I had befriended a guy named Steven from Michigan (small world right?) who was in the Navy and had just moved to Spain. We agreed to take one another's pictures on Trolltunga. So photo credit to Mr. Steven from Michigan.
Words cannot describe what it was like to be standing over the fjord. The vast, harsh, beautiful nature of the fjord. They are unlike anything I have ever seen.
So much more happened on this trip, I met an Australian couple, 2 German guys, one Norwegian guy who just got back from sailing around the Arctic circle, and many other uniquely inspiring, kind, and awesome individuals.
If I could offer a bit of advice for whomever is reading this, it is to travel alone at least once. Force yourself to stay in a room alone, sleep in a tent by yourself, to simply be alone with your own thoughts. It is very eye-opening and probably terrifying. But that is exactly why you should do it. I am terrified of heights, so naturally what do I do? I hike up the top of a mountain and stand on a rock thousands of feet up that drops straight off. I grew, because I forced myself to face this fear and in the end, it was one of the most transformative experiences I have ever had. Take that chance, book that flight, climb that mountain, take that risk,
Just go...
Peace and Love Turtle Doves
