Arrival
Behind the Photo: Verksalmenningen street | My time in Stavanger, Norway 🇳🇴
23rd December 2023
Arrival | As my journey in Norway slowly comes to an end, I like to revisit a few places and things that hold a special place in my heart. These places are ordinary, but each carries a certain meaning and marks certain milestones in my journey in Norway thus far. Today’s edition will feature Verksalmenningen street.
This is the street I first walked, dragging my luggage to find my apartment, after I exited the airport bus. It was the start. It was a sunny day at that time, and Stavanger looked beautiful. Blue skies, golden sun rays, and rustic-looking white houses. But this is also when it hit me that, oh, it is real. I am here in a foreign country and am about to embark on a 5-month journey in the city of Stavanger. There were many emotions, primarily excitement and anxiousness. There was so much to see and explore. And because everything was new, I also came to the realization that, yes, I am alone, very alone. There was a momentary surge of panic which fortunately dissipated quickly as I was still primarily overwhelmed by excitement. And so, I went ahead and continued my path forward.
I have walked along this street countless times, most often to catch another travel bus, as this is the street to the airport bus. Soon, I will be retracing the exact same path one last time, dragging my luggage in reverse back to where I started. I shall savor that last moment and properly depart from the street I arrived on.
And yes! this is the actual photo from my first day arriving in Stavanger.
Author’s Note: About a year ago, I parted ways with the city of Stavanger and the country of Norway after spending nearly half a year there alone, and I headed to the United States for my student exchange. I left behind countless memorable moments and penned several reflections based on photos on my travel account. Now that I’m back home in Singapore and have some time to spare, I hope to continue documenting and reflecting on the other stories and feelings I experienced throughout my life so far, capturing each moment as best as I can :)
