421 days abroad - What remains?

This is the final report of my time in Norway. The 28th of February 2022 marked the end of my time abroad in Trondheim and also the end of an important chapter in my life. I have experienced a lot and learned a lot. Although my reports mostly depict the more adventurous experiences, they only represent a part of the time. Many of the most long-term insights and important lessons came in moments that did not find their way into my reports. On the one hand, because some of them, due to their external insignificance, provided little material for an entertaining story, on the other hand, because some of them influenced my thinking in a way that is difficult to describe. These experiences exclusively found their way into my personal journal entries.

Regarding the content of this final entry dedicated to the year abroad, I am still somewhat undecided. It makes sense to look back on the last month, even if the narrative character will be limited.

February, like a large part of January, was filled with intensive work on my master's thesis. More precisely, with the actual writing of the thesis. My results in the form of simulations had changed frequently during January, and this trend continued in February as well. Although the official deadline was February 21st, I continued to simulate new results and correct (often self-induced) errors in the simulation model until shortly before the deadline. As you can imagine, the time left for writing shrank to a dangerously short period, so at some point I had to consider my current results as the "final" results. I had barely a week left to write, which was additionally complicated by my first COVID-19 infection. My motivation to write the thesis could have been better as well. For the project in which I conducted the simulations, only the improved model created by me and the results were important. In my opinion, the written thesis did not contribute much more value and only served as proof that I can solve problems logically and communicate the results. All in all, it was not the ideal motivation for me, which is why the end was drawn out and I spent some days feeling down. But eventually, it was the submission day and the topic was done. The thesis received a final grade of 1.3.

I had 6 more full days to say goodbye to my friends. During these days, I participated in one last cabin trip (the only one where the entire student group agreed on a traditional nude sauna!), went out a few more times, organized a Taco Friday, and a subsequent farewell party. For the Taco Friday, besides my core group of friends, some other people were also invited with whom I had shared some experiences. The tacos were excellent and soon the group got into full swing, thanks to the fine music played by my roommate's sound system. In between, there was a fire alarm that sent us outside into the cold night at 11 p.m., which actually made the situation even more eventful. I spent the following 2 days, Saturday and Sunday, saying goodbye to my roommates and selling my furniture at the same time. The farewell on Sunday was partly emotional, and I promised myself to visit them again soon. Here are a few impressions in pictures that I captured during the last week.

The journey to the ferry south of Oslo took about 9 hours and after crossing over, I found accommodation in a Danish country house. The landscape now missed the black granite, and the view could stretch far over the flat land. It was a sight that had been denied to me for a long time in the mountainous Norway. I now saw the familiar German landscapes in a varied way as well. Ironically, my time in Norway taught me to appreciate all geography and not just focus on the "highlights". After another full day of driving, I arrived in familiar Saxony, much to the surprise of my family as I had announced my arrival a few days later. Upon arriving home, I quickly realized what many people describe after returning from a long journey. Not much changes and one has to learn how to assert their new experiences and insights, their evolved "self" in the familiar environment. It can be a long and tedious process, which still takes time for me as well. It was a very important year in Norway, even though I had more unconventional experiences alongside the "normal" experiences of living abroad. However, these were certainly facilitated by the fact that I was outside of my home, outside of my usual comfort zone. For personal development, the decision to spend time there was the best I could have ever made.

With these words, I officially conclude my experience abroad in the form of this blog, and I hope I was able to entertain and provide insight into what can be experienced during semesters abroad or alternatively in Norway. Norway is ideal for literally sniffing a breeze of northern wind and being enchanted by the country and its landscape. Apart from Norway as a travel destination, I can encourage everyone to take a small step out of their familiar everyday life and see what life has in store for them. It is a realization that I also often have to remind myself of and one from which I will certainly continue to benefit in the future.

Med vennlig hilsen, Tom