October 19, 2018 – During these lovely Fall days, Oslo is a postcard everywhere you look. In the coming weeks, the capital of Norway will reflect even more beauty as snow brings light to the cold, short and dark days, festive Christmas markets open, giant bodies of water become ice skating rinks, and machines groom perfect double tracks as cross country skiers show off their off season training and celebrate the country’s beloved national sport.
Sognsvann i Oslo
Besides the wonders of nature and the change of seasons, I also like to absorb the positive energy that comes from reading the stories of the newly crowned Nobel Peace prize winners, who arrive in Oslo next month. Under the tall ceilings of Oslo City Hall – Rådhuset – they will talk about their experiences in speeches streamed all around the world, hopefully inspiring more acts of goodness.
Since 1901, the Nobel Prizes have been presented to Nobel Laureates at ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. As stipulated in Nobel’s will, the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, while the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway. Since 1969 an additional prize has been awarded at the ceremony in Stockholm – the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
During Christmas and New Years, time opens up for reflection and for setting goals for the upcoming year. I have gotten a lot older since moving to Norway four years ago. I now look at goal setting differently. I am still unrealistic, but I try to only write down the ones that I feel I have a good chance of achieving. As the year is quickly coming to a close, I am racing to make good on all my messy promises from January, but the pace feels controlled, less rushed than in years past. And for the first time in a long time, I feel confident – at least in my 7 goals. Who knows, maybe I’ll catch a few of them this year.
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