We have had snow for a couple of months now. Just enough with the roads ploughed clean (ask me who is in charge of the ploughing in Trondheim, and I am beaming.....). Living in Trondheim means that I am used to drive all year round, no matter what the roads look like, but I must confess I rather drive during the snow free months. The bus is my choice when I go downtown for work, or I drive with Terje and walk the 25 minutes from his office to mine.
Yesterday morning was different. I had a meeting at the other side of Trondheim, and going by bus would have taken a long time, time I did not have at hand. Our silvergrey Peugeot was waiting for me in the carport when I woke up. Looking out the window while eating breakfast, my heart fell. So much snow had fallen during the night, and the local roads in our neighbourhood had not been ploughed yet. My first though was: "Is there any possibility to stay home today? A sickday?" But I had no headache (I never have), my tummy felt ok, no fever, I did not feel sick.....I did not even feel a slightly bit unwell. Second thought: "Is this a snow day?" But we don't have snow days in Norway. I never heard of snowdays untill I made oversea friends.
I had an appointment with my hairdresser before work, and left the car at home while walking the 5 minutes over to her, hoping for snowfree roads when I came back. Two hours later I was back with the car, no less snow on the roads. "What about a taxi?" I said to myself..........but then started to think better of it.
"Hey Britt-Arnhild. You are Norwegian, born with skis on your feet, stubbornness enough for two. You have done more challenging things than this. Where is your courage?"
I started the car, I made it up the first steep road from our house.....and then all the way downtown, then to the meeting, and in the end back home again in the afternoon. Then I was met by the ploughing car, removing tons of snow from our slope, right up from The House in the Woods. The ploughman was still working when I came home, the way in to our drive was filled with snow and I had to wait while he finished. I met his eyes through our car windows, and could give him a huge smile. Yes, I had made it!
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Where do you pick up the courage to live through the everyday challenges?
Do you want to hear where I pick up mine, I mean except from belief, prayers and so on.......?
.......I pick it up from female travel litterature! My passion! Dervla Murphy, Vita Sackville West, Freya Stark, Isabella Bird, Jan Morris and oh so many others. What is driving a car in Norway during a snowy winter of 2010 compared to their adventures!
This morning I drove with Terje, and had my 25 minutes lovely walk.
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All photos are from The Blue Garden
