Nå er jeg inne i min siste uke i Paris! Dette er helt uvirkelig. Etter snart ti måneder her har jeg begynt å pakke og vaske og klemme folk ekstra lenge, og på lørdag flytter jeg hjem.

I det siste har jeg vært flink til å i bruke feriedagene mine, og oppdaget og utforsket mye nytt, som jeg av ulike grunner har måttet utsette tidligere. Jeg har sett på kart, stått i køer, lagt opp løyper, tatt pauser i parker og gått rundt i solskinnet i mange, mange timer. Slike oppdagelsesferder og rusledager er noe av det aller beste jeg vet!

Nå er jeg snart i bunnen av vil-gjøre-lista, og det føles veldig bra. Denne byen har utrolig mye å by på, og jeg kommer til å savne den sånn, men samtidig er det inderlig godt å kjenne at jeg kan reise herfra uten å måtte angre på noe jeg ikke rakk å gjøre, uten å føle at noe mangler. Sånn i første omgang, altså. Det vil alltid være nye ting å oppdage her, og jeg gleder meg til å ta mange turer tilbake, men jeg er godt fornøyd med alt jeg har opplevd i løpet av oppholdet.

I en parantes kan jeg nevne at jeg ikke på langt nær er ferdig med å dele disse opplevelsene med dere – jeg har fortsatt over tjue utkast til blogginnlegg herfra! De inneholder blant annet spaserturer og museumsbesøk og rare detaljer og bra restauranter og litteratur og kunst og fine folk, så jeg håper dere bærer over med meg når Paris-bloggingen fortsetter utover sommeren!

Det blir kanskje litt stille her inne den kommende uka, ettersom det foregår så mye der ute.

Såh. Jeg konstruerte like gjerne min egen liste. Det er den første jeg fyller ut i bloggsammenheng, og jeg gjør det på engelsk for enkelhets skyld, så slipper jeg å oversette hele greia etterpå (for mine internasjonale venner skal jo ikke utelukkes, hihi).

Alle med egne blogger oppfordres til å låne med seg lista og fylle den ut med sine favoritter og minner og tips, og hvis dere linker tilbake hit, kan vi følge med på hvor den havner! Dette blir spennende!

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THE PARIS LIST

P – The perfect…

Pizza:  Thin, italian-style crust, crème fraîche and garlic sauce, mozzarella and chèvre cheese, topped with spinach, cherry tomatoes and walnuts. Oh dear, now I’m hungry.

Present: Something the giver saw which made him or her immediately think of the receiver, and something the receiver doesn’t know he or she wants until it is unwrapped. In short, I love surprising and personal gifts, both to give and to get.

Pet name: I don’t know why, but I’ve always liked Pepito! It sounds like a little fellow with fur and spots who runs around and makes cute sounds, doesn’t it? I have a long list of nerdy names I want to use one day, though. Like Glados <3

A – My most…

Annoying characteristic: I am forgetful to the point where I have to write anything and everything down. («What am I doing tomorrow? Let me check my calendar».) Also, I always feel guilty because of something or on behalf of someone, even when there’s no reason for it or when there’s nothing I can do. Furthermore, even though I’m happy and positive by nature, I am a rational realist who often becomes downright cynical.

Amazing nature experience: I think the midnight sun is rather amazing (and I’m going to the North of Norway to experience it again this summer!), and scuba diving earns you some unbelievable sights (ten metres under the surface there is a whole other world!), and I once witnessed a volcano eruption (Stromboli in the Mediterranean; we watched from a safe distance on a ship). Our planet is incredible.

Awful memory: I tend to repress awful things that happen to me. It is quite fascinating. For instance, I had completely forgotten that I once almost drowned in a bog, until my family told me the story years later! I do have some painful break-up memories, and there are a few nasty fights that I recall in detail which I really wish I didn’t, but my worst memory is probably the terrorist attack in Oslo in July 2011. Being only a few hundred metres from the bombs exploding and then following the horrible development afterwards… Those were utterly awful experiences.

R – My favourite places to…

Relax: In a hammock – they are so ridiculously comfortable. On the rooftop terrace in Oslo, high above the ground. At home in my parents’ house, where I grew up. Preferably with dark chocolate within reach.

Read: On a train or a tram, on a bench in the park, in my bed before going to sleep.

Reconnect with my inner child: In amusement parks («Let’s ride that one! Oooh, balloons! Can we get ice cream?»), at the cinema watching animated features (I cry my eyes out in one moment and laugh uncontrollably the next), in shops that sell computer games, board games, children’s books, comic books, toys or stuffed animals (why shouldn’t those things be bought and enjoyed by adults?), on giant trampolines.  I think we can safely say that I’m very much in touch with my inner child.

I – My best…

Inspiration source: People-watching, probably. Life in general, just playing out out in a random street. It is so unpredictable, so hard to define, so grand and great, and yet I find that the little things are the most joyous and rewarding. I keep seeing everyday episodes that make me smile, tear up, write and ask questions. I’m always inspired by art galleries, old films, nature, good music, well-written books and all those other lovely things, but watching life happening before my eyes really is my biggest inspiration.

Ice cream flavour combination: Three scoops, please. Dark chocolate, cherry and grapefruit (I recently tasted grapefruit sorbet for the first time, and it was scrumptious). With a sprinkle of cinnamon, obviously!

Interior design tip: Using comics as wallpaper! I bought some old, cheap comic books from a second-hand librarie up the street, which had the colours I wanted in my little bathroom, and I tore the pages out to hang them on the walls. They really tie the room together, and of course they give it a certain geeky feel!

S – My three favourite…

Smells: My boyfriend’s cologne (I know, that’s a cliché, but it has licorice notes!), the scent of warm skin in the sun, freshly ground coffee.

Sounds: This is very specific, people, but my favourite sound had always been the light tapping of the tips of my ski poles against the icy track of the ski lift taking me up the hill to the top of the slopes. I’ve loved alpine skiing for as long as I can remember! Runners up:  The opening and first pour of a wine bottle, the purr of a happy cat.

Songs: Oh dear, this is more difficult than expected. Now I feel guilty because there are so many songs that can’t be mentioned (see «annoying characteristics»)! Right, my favourites change frequently, but at the moment I’ll go with Bris by Kaizers Orchestra, Fossegrim by Kvelertak (these two are both Norwegian) and Burn the Witch by Queens of the Stone Age.

What does that spell? P–A–R–I–S!

To trace the virtual trail of breadcrumbs: Where did you find this list? Synne made it in Paris, and then it traveled to   (your location)   with   (your name)  , and then… Let’s see where it ends up!

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In other words: This is my last week in Paris! It feels so unreal. After almost ten months I’ve started packing and cleaning and giving people extra long hugs, and on Saturday I’m moving home to Norway. I’ve really enjoyed myself recently, since school’s out and I have had the opportunity to explore lots of things that I’ve had on my list for a long time. It feels very satisfying to be almost at the end of that list, and I’m thankful for all my lovely experiences over the course of my stay – I can go home without regrets and without feeling like there’s something missing. On the other hand, there are always loads of places to go and sights to see in this city, so I will never run out of things to do when I come back to visit! By the way, I’m afraid I’m not done sharing my Parisian adventures with ye – life comes in the way of blogging, and I still have around twenty drafts prepared, so please bear with me as I take some of Paris with me to Oslo for the summer. This coming week might be a bit quiet because there is so much going on. Right, on to the list. I ended up just creating my own, and I did it in English so I wouldn’t have to translate everything afterwards – and that makes it a lot more international, too! You are free to copy it to your own blog and fill it in with your own secrets, memories and favourites. Do link back here, so we can follow the trail! This is going to be fun!