Tilbake I Norge (Back in Norway)

Hello from Oslo!

It’s nice to be back in Norway. I have started training again, which was luckily indoors. However I’m told training next week will be outdoors, hopefully I misunderstood that, but somehow I don’t think I did. My first session went well, it felt great to get out there on the field and get my first touches on the ball. I felt pretty typical after a long flight, heavy legs, but overall I thought I had a good session. I look forward to getting back out on the field this week, after having a relaxing weekend. I’m currently training with a First Division team in Oslo, I will keep you all posted on how it goes.

This is the first time I’ve been to Norway in the winter and I have to say it’s very different than being here in the summer. The last 5 days the temperature has been around -15. The coldest I’ve seen it during the day since arriving, is -20. I’m told this is not normal for this time of year though and according to the weather forecast, it looks like it’s going to warm up significantly, so I definitely look forward to that. I’m very thankful to have picked up a new winter jacket right before leaving home, I’m starting to learn how important layering is before going outside.

I left home last Monday and arrived in Oslo on Tuesday. My first week here has been pretty good so far. It has involved a lot of down time and readjusting to the new time zone/getting over jetlag. I have done this trip overseas countless times now and I still don’t get any better at dealing with jetlag. I don’t think there are really any secrets to getting over jetlag, other then staying up as long as you can, and trying your best to avoid sleeping during the day. Much easier said than done, but I think once you start to get into a normal daily routine, your body catches up pretty quickly.

It’s very nice to be returning to a city that I’ve lived in before and know my way around. Simple things, like knowing the transit system and a bit of the language, make a world of difference. It’s very evident that Norwegians love their winter sports, everywhere you go, you see people of all ages carrying cross-country ski’s and snowboards. The harsh winter weather definitely doesn’t seem to impact their athletic lifestyle at all.

That’s all for now, look for another update again this week.

Robbie