Throughout my 15 years of formal education there was a person who marked my life in a way that no other has done.
I met her in September of 2008 at the Faculty of Economics of Porto. We bonded in such way that we were together all the time: during classes or skipping them, breaks, studying for the exams, lunch, dinner, etc. We even called each other on the phone for hours while we were at home (we lived about 70kms apart).
We graduated at the exact same day and got the first job in the same month. Too perfect to be real. 🙂
When I left Portugal she met me at Porto’s airport in order to say ‘goodbye’. We knew that we’d find a way to meet again. It would be just a matter of time. .
Well, it happened during the past week: 3 years after our last hug.
She is currently living in Ingolstadt, Germany. So off to Germany I was. 🙂
So many things have changed in our lives since graduation. Only 3 years have passed but so many experiences to talk about, so many stories to share, so many chapters written that were completely empty pages upon graduation in 2010. Even though technology helps tremendously in breaking physical distance, there is nothing like meeting someone in loco.
My friend and her husband were very good hosts and together we visited Munich and Ingolstadt. Thank you SO MUCH for all the good moments! You guys are AWESOME! 🙂
Here are some shots of the trip.
Chocolate foundant at a nice restaurant.
 Ingolstadt center. A rather small but very nice city. 
Ingolstadt center.
 Cool bicycle store in the center.
Morning picture somewhere in the city center. 
Munich.
 Munich.
 Hello there! 🙂
Munich. Things I found surprising in that area of Germany:
- At night is VERY VERY DARK because all the lights are turned off. Traffic lights included. It makes it very difficult to be on your own if you get lost or if you don’t have anyone waiting for you.
- Nothing is open on Sundays, just like in Oslo. Ingolstadt is a ghost city on Sundays.
- Many buildings in Ingolstadt made me remember Gdansk in Poland. Very cute buildings.
- People very often do NOT speak English. I was in a café and if it wasn’t for my Norwegian I wouldn’t be able understand the menu. Moreover: I had to point at the menu numbers so that the server could understand what I wanted.
- High quality hygiene products are cheaper there: shampoo, shower gel, body lotion, some perfumes, dental floss, tooth paste and brushes, etc. Surprisingly cheaper. Even more than in Portugal, even though it sounds ridiculous.
Hence, I took the chance and bought all the Christmas presents. xD
The day we visited Munich it was raining. Therefore, we walked through some of the main streets as we entered and exit several shops in order to keep us warm and dry. It was difficult to enjoy the city but I got an impression of it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back someday.
What about my studies?
Well… I actually took my laptop and some notes to study. However, once at my friends’ place I felt the need to enjoy the moment to the fullest. In the end, we had not seen each other in 3 years. Besides, the days were so intense and busy (my friend’s husband made me a ‘visit plan’ that we followed almost religiously) that it would have been impossible to get any proper reading any way.
When I came back from Germany I started working with Steinar. Now guess what: I had to work overtime. Plus: the building where I live in Oslo is being rebuilt. Meaning that all the windows of the apartment will be changed during tomorrow. As a result: the apartment will be a mess and tomorrow will be a cleaning day.
I can’t wait to get into the study mode again. I’ve been feeling guilty the last days. But I’m coping with the situation and some things are out of our control. As long as I really commit to my goal once all these temporary events are over, I’ll be just fine.
Have a nice week! 🙂
