I <3 Oslo..?!

Towards the end of 2009 I made an important decision - to move back to Oslo and Norway after living in LA. What is weird about living abroad is how it makes you appreciate your home country. You miss what you don't have, and when you come back, you miss the opposite. So now I'm in a limbo - I miss LA, but I love coming back to Oslo at the same time. I really feel like I need to rediscover my identity. It is a bit like the chicken and egg situation - the chicken misses the egg and the egg misses the chicken. And then the chicken lays a new egg.

Well, my way of solving the dilemma is not to think about what I miss, but to focus on the things I like here and now. I am a positive girl, you know, and this is why I <3 Oslo today:  

1. Catching up with wonderful friends
Wow, I knew my friends were great, but their enthusiasm about me moving home has been beyond expectations. How wonderful that they all welcome me home and hang out with me. They are the main reason I moved back. Love them, and could really be anywhere in the world as long as they were there. Also finally joined Facebook again after a bad stalker episode a while ago - this time with a brand new account. Caught up with many people I hadn't seen in a while. <3 social networking for making me feel loved again.

2. Everything is bright shiny and new
Wow, Oslo has developed so much while I’ve been away. The opera house is great, of course. But there is so much more going on. It is like everything is happening at once, right now in this small city of greatness. Today I visited Posthallen – this rebuilt old post central in downtown Oslo that has been turned into a fashion house. Shops like Freudian Kicks and Henrik Vibskov represent fashion like Oslo hasn’t seen before. And I really would like to check out the organic hairdresser – Hope hair.

3. New party places. Always perfect
I also discovered some new places to hang out the other day. My fav new bar so far is Tilt – the perfect spot to house your evening with one friend or many. Such a great bar, such a cool vibe, so many wonderful people and pinball to play if you feel like it. I am continuing to check out some new places – looks like the way to go is eastward. Watch out for more party news.

4. The snow, the snow, the beautiful snow
You wouldn't believe it. When living in LA, even though I loved the sea and the sun, I missed the snow. Returning in January, the landscape was all covered in beautiful cotton wool. It is so calming. It reflects the light so beautifully and gives me energy. And how magical the new, untouched snow is. Lying in the new snow is like lying in the skies. I think we all need to be wrapped in snow sometimes.

5. The nature, so close
Yes, the nature is everywhere. In fact, I heard that the city is a better environment for several animal species than the mountain or the forest. I mean, look at all the happy kestrels in Manhattan. But still. I like quiet natural surroundings too. In Oslo the calming forest is only a taxi or tram ride away. In what other city can you ski in the forest without seeing a person and then be at the opera 30 minutes later? I am mostly a city girl, but thank you Oslo for not having to choose.

Oh, well, this is what has been on my mind today. Tomorrow it might be something else, but then I will tell you, right? You can also tell me in the comments section what you love about Oslo or what you think I should check out.

Here's a lovely picture I found of angels in the snow: