Changes in Latitudes

At the end of September 2016 we moved into our 1920's house. We were immediately swept into making it feel like our own and the room I wanted done first was the upstairs bathroom. Initially, we only planned a simple makeover; just to put up some wet room panels and a new sink. Boy did that turn into something way bigger than we could have imagined last year. We tore it all out, walls, floor and all, and hired a company to do it properly. We didn't want to risk messing up the waterproofing part of the bathroom renovation! In February we hired a contractor, and we were told they would be done in just two weeks. ...Well...it took six. One thing after another, there was always a hiccough. But it's finally done! I'm very happy with the result, but once we finish renovating the last room in the second floor, we are going to wait on doing more big projects til we have saved up money again. BEFORE MIDDLE AFTER! [Bathtub wa...

At the end of August, we bid on a house and "won" it after only being inside for all of 5 minutes. In reality, we probably paid mainly for the location, but we truly have the best spot in Bergen (in our opinion). The house was built in 1923 and needs a bit of love, but we have decided to take on little-by-little. While Marius was preparing the apartment for sale, I took on the first project myself. Our foyer was a nice shade of yellow, but I painted it white. I finally figured out why Scandinavians paint their interiors white.. With so little daylight in the winters, it is necessary to have the indoors be as bright as possible to combat the long dark days from November to March. [The previous yellow color of the foyer around the light switches, and the new white color] We've also started freshening up the living room. Before it was a shade of beige, and now it will be...white. I touched up the kitchen by getting rid of the flower wallpaper and painting it white...

Marius and I are about 90% moved in at the apartment we are renting in an area of Oslo called Sagene. The living room is mostly finished, except for the bare walls. There's some open holes from the previous owners that I'll cover up with pictures that we have. The kitchen is much smaller than we're used to, but it's good at making us clean up right after cooking to have space to do other things. The couch is a pull out - visitor ready!  [Those boxes should be gone once we get a bookshelf and TV table] [Old pictures from the early 80's taken by Mom and Dad are on display - how Hipster of me] The bathroom just needs a shelf and towel rack, but it was messy so I didn't take a picture of it. The bedroom is also a bit of a mess with clothes that have to be sorted into summer and winter clothes...this is a dilemma for Marius since he has so many shirts.  The area is really nice. Only about 2 miles from downtown Oslo. I have yet to master the pub...

After 3 nice months back home in "quarantine", I flew from Detroit to LaGuardia and spent my birthday with Carolyn in NYC before I flew to Norway that night. While waiting for my bag to arrive at the airport, I spotted Loudon Wainwright (the folk singer/actor) chowing down on some Chinese food in the foodcourt. I was too shy to go up and ask for a picture. The next day Carolyn led us to the famous Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village and had a nice huge slice of vanilla cake, and that night I flew to Bergen from JFK. I landed on the 24th and was greeted at the airport by Marius and Knut. I just tagged along with Marius' work stuff in the southern Norwegian town called Farsund the day after before we finally got to Oslo. I've had a whole week of birthday cakes! Mint chocolate at home, vanilla in NYC, and cheesecake in Oslo. Marius and I have been living with his parents since I got back, but we now have the keys to an apartment and will probably be moved in by th...

So, it's been a long time since I last posted. In November Marius and I were trying to sort out my visa when we found out that since my student visa expired, I was supposed to be back in the US for a 90 day "quarantine period". It came as a big shock and surprise. I arrived in time for Thanksgiving in Connecticut - my first Thanksgiving stateside since 2008! I'm spending most of my time at home searching for a job. I had an interview on Thanksgiving day with a lab in Bergen, and they ended up choosing me for the position; however, they had to change their mind a couple of days later because of my visa situation. It was upsetting, but at least now I know I can land a job! Even though I wasn't home for Christmas time I got to help pick out our tree (which was from Home Depot this year) and be with Mom for her birthday. I went to Mexico for 20 days with Marius' family for Christmas time...will post about that after.

Missed updating stuff on here from August, but it was very busy! My month of vacation after completing my degree :) We went to the US from Oslo via Brussels and Toronto. We landed in Toronto, and were picked up by Mom and Dad after numerous customs checks. Driving over the border was another experience - 30+ minutes of questioning and even a vehicle search! But we got home and Carolyn made us a great scallop dinner. The second night home a few good friends from high school came over. It is always nice that every time I go home I can be sure that they will stop by to say hello and catch up. The first week home was reserved for my best friend Katie's wedding. It was a lot of fun and a great kick off to our vacation...and Marius was the belle of the ball! After the wedding we spent a couple of days with my Mom's side in the Grand Rapids area. But Marius was mostly excited about seeing Florida. We flew into Fort Lauderdale and Divya met us there. We rented a couple of c...