Thursday 2 December 2010

About Coming Home

So - my NYC adventure is over - hence the lack of more or less daily updates! I'm back in my hometown Grimstad to do a week of teaching and spending time with my family.


Winter in picturesque Grimstad is freezing and quiet - quite the contrast from the buzzing and November-mild New York City in every sense you can imagine. I'm in the opinion that the people in Grimstad tend to hibernate during the winter - on the contradiction they are wide awake the whole summer season. Yet, I might be wrong: Grimstad is named "The City of Poets" - so maybe they are all at home writing their future master pieces. Both Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun has lived and been inspired by the town - now the town gets inspired by them. Anyways, the streets are as good as empty - and it's under one month until Christmas. I've been sleepy myself the last days - the warmth from whooly blankets and the fire place makes me comfortable drowsy...


Grimstad in the early 1900's. Picture found here.

Nevertheless, next week it's finally time to wake up: Hello, Oslo! I haven't been there for almost five months - so it's going to be good to eventually go back home - to routines and my long lost social life.

Yesterday I thought about how I - too seldom - tend to take advantage of the cultural and creative offer in my hometown. Why not urge the urban impulses and inspiration where you live?  How high is the city? How deep is your love?

Mission: Do something about it! (You don't want to hear about my gym sessions and budget Desember dinners, eh?)