Hello Stranger. . .

So, I bet you lovelies have been wondering where I’ve been the last several MONTHS haven’t you? I bet you’ve also been wondering why I’ve been so slow on posting THAT catch up post I mentioned a few weeks ago? Well, lets catch up on the last months of activity in the Love household (can it still in fact be a household if I am the only one in it?-yes it can , I say, yes yes yes it can) and you’ll get a more well-rounded overview of life over here. Or as it was, does the saying go? Not sure (shaking my head), but it doesn’t matter.

Frankfort Airport-Again!?!?!?
The last few months have been chalked full of traveling, school obligations, a death in the family and even some good weather enjoyment for a while. In April I visited the UK-London and my current University town to be exact, not once but twice and spent 10 days in
NYC in May (I think I mentioned said trips here, here and here). My first trip to the UK was for a two part, week long seminar related to project management and financial issues facing projects. That trip rounded itself out with a few days in London lounging and checking out hip and cool Brixton.

On my second trip to the UK in April, I was London bound again and spent a long weekend celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday. Then came NYC with its arepas and rum cocktails, Jamaican beef patties and loads of walking in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. Brooklyn stole my heart (again) for many reasons and I’ve resolved that once in my life, I shall call Brooklyn home. Maybe not for long, but for a while.

Between these trips I had three final projects/essays for school come due and another group project begin. Four assignments due or begin in less than 30 days, yeah I was most certainly seeing compare and contrast analysis in my sleep.

On June 4, 2011 one of the loves of my life, my paternal grandmother passed away. She was and is an inspiration to every aspect of my life. She was a strong, family loving woman with a great sense of humor who ruled the kitchen. One thing everyone has always said about her and my grandfather was that she always made everyone, no matter their stage in life or place in the community, feel at home in her house. Always.

I admire the amount of courage, bravery and love it took for my grandmother to live her life to the fullest. She may not have had more than a third grade education, but she used what she had to its fullest and made the most of the gifts God gave her. I hope I can be the same in many aspects of my own life.

From Omaha to Kansas
Going back to my parents hometown for the funeral was a quickly planned and eye opening affair. My parents grew up in a small town in the American Mid-West and getting there from Norway as you can imagine was quite an affair. It involved 17 hours travel time to Omaha, Nebraska (where my sister lives) from Norway- and then driving 8 hours to my gran’s house. Mind you- a flight from Copenhagen to NYC is only 7 hours-so you can understand how overjoyed I was to sit in the backseat of my sister’s car they day after traveling for 17 hours from Norway to drive through the the middle of nowhere to get to the middle of nowhere. But the ride was a good time to think-think about Norway, my life-the future. And to think about the past-where I’ve been, where I will go next, etc. And yet still, a good time to think about nothing at all-just simply watch as we passed yet another wheat field or cow pasture.

A few days after we arrived, we went to the funeral. It was a long, emotional affair but a good way to say good-bye. I miss my gran and hope that she and my grandfather are upstairs, dancing together again.

a rose in the rose garden at Sculpture Park, Oslo
And guess what else? I finally made it to Oslo!!!!!!!!!!!! Took my first trip to the capital the first week in July. Hooray! Spent the days checking out Frogner/Sculpture Park, visiting the King and Queen (or just their house) and eating Persian food then dancing the night away until I was hot and sweaty.Oslo is a lovely urban Scandinavian city-although I'll say Stavanger still has my heart. In July, Gladmat (aka Happy Food), the local food festival in Stavanger, was canceled a day early due to the terrorist attack on Oslo. It’s been a few months, and I think some of the people I know have begun to recalibrate life “after”, but I find myself still wondering why/how could one person have that much hate in their heart. But in all honesty, I’m not sure I will ever understand it. I rounded out the month by submitting ANOTHER final project for school and finally cleaning emotional house, so to speak.

Ooh la la . . .
By August, I was seriously spent. All of the traveling, emotional processing and school work had me wound so tightly I felt like I couldn’t breathe. When that happens, what is a girl to do? Take a trip to Paris with a friend. No, seriously. Get on a plane to go eat croissants and drink red wine everyday for a week. So August included a week-long, low maintenance trip to Paris. We made our way to a show called “How to Be A Parisian in an Hour”-which is highly recommendable during your next trip in the French capital.

September usually brings with it two things-the end of summer and my annual MBA Seminar. This month has been devoted to recalibrating and re-balancing life plus preparing for and attending my MBA seminar (and work and everything else). But this time I say yes to less and no to more.

I’d love to say I’ve been busy cooking and savouring the good life at home the last months-but I haven’t been. I’ve been busy being stressed and eating loads of nothing special. I will be soon back to my usual self-and I promise to share my adventures with you all.


Until later (which is hopefully sooner than last time) . . .


P.S. Did I mention I had a birthday in there somewhere? Oh . . . . and a house party?


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