I am finally home after some wonderful days in Northern Norway.

Right now, I am sitting at our country home with a warm cup of tea in my hands. Everything around me feels peaceful, and although it is lovely to be home again, part of me is still in the north.

The journey passed so quickly. It feels as though we had only just arrived at my parents’ house, and suddenly it was already time to pack our bags and leave.

As Maya Angelou once wrote:
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

Those words feel especially meaningful tonight. Home can be more than one place. It can be where you live, where your parents are, or simply wherever you feel safe and loved.

Our Final Hours in Sortland

Before leaving, we still had a few errands to complete in Sortland.

We made the most of the hours we had left, spending as much time as possible with the family. After several days filled with long breakfasts, mountain walks, garden work, games and laughter, it was strange to know that our visit was coming to an end.

We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at a local café before heading to the bus station.

There was no need to rush. We had enough time to sit together, enjoy the food and have one final conversation before beginning the journey south.

Meals shared with family always seem to last a little longer, especially when nobody really wants to say goodbye.

Eventually, however, it was time to collect our luggage and board the bus to Evenes.

Photographing the Road to Evenes

The bus journey from Sortland to Evenes takes a little over two hours, but the scenery makes the time pass quickly.

I took many beautiful photographs along the way.

The road carried us past mountains, fjords, small villages and stretches of water reflecting the northern sky. Every time I thought I had taken enough pictures, another beautiful view appeared outside the window.

There is something very special about photographing a place while you are leaving it.

You try to capture the mountains, the light and the colours, but perhaps you are also trying to hold on to the feeling of being there.

A photograph can never fully recreate a moment, but it can remind us of what we saw and how we felt.

As the bus continued toward Evenes, I watched the landscape slowly pass by and thought about everything we had experienced during our visit.

There had been so many small moments worth remembering.

Leaving Northern Norway

When we arrived at Evenes, there was only a little waiting before it was time to board the plane.

After the long wait we experienced when we arrived, this part of the journey felt surprisingly easy. We checked our belongings, found our gate and soon settled into our seats for the flight back to Oslo.

The plane lifted us above the northern landscape, and before long, the mountains and fjords disappeared beneath the clouds.

It is always strange how quickly a flight can cover a distance that feels so long when travelling by road.

At around ten in the evening, we landed in Oslo.

Just like that, we were back.

Tuesday on Oslo Børs

On the airport-train, I looked up at the screens and began reading the latest business news about publicly listed companies.

It was an interesting way to return to everyday life.

Only a few hours earlier, I had been taking pictures of mountains and fjords. Now I was reading about share prices, oil markets and companies on Oslo Børs.

Tuesday had been a slightly negative day for the Norwegian stock market. The main index started with gains but ended approximately 0.2 percent lower after a sharp fall in the oil price. Brent crude was trading at around 80 dollars per barrel near the close, down roughly 4 percent since midnight.

The falling oil price placed pressure on several of the largest energy companies. Equinor fell by more than 2 percent, while some industrial companies moved in the opposite direction. Norsk Hydro rose by approximately 2.7 percent, and Kongsberg Gruppen gained around 1.8 percent.

The market news was a reminder of how quickly the world changes from one hour to the next.

Prices rise and fall, companies report new results, and investors react to news from around the world. Meanwhile, the mountains remain where they have always been.

Fun Fact About Flytoget

Although we travelled onward by airport bus, Oslo Airport will always make me think of Flytoget.

Fun fact: In 2003, Flytoget became the first train operator in the world to introduce ticketless travel that allowed passengers to pay simply by swiping a payment card.

That same year, the trains received permanent permission to travel at speeds of up to 210 kilometres per hour, reducing the fastest journey between Oslo Central Station and Oslo Airport to only 19 minutes.

It is fascinating to think that something we now consider normal was once a world first.

Back to Everyday Life

As the airport bus continued through the evening, I realised how quickly our entire trip had passed.

It felt as though we had only just arrived at Evenes beneath the northern sun. Now we were travelling away from Oslo Airport, surrounded by city lights and familiar roads.

The contrast was enormous.

In the north, our days had been filled with family breakfasts, road trips, hiking, museums, garden work and long evenings around the table.

Now ordinary life was waiting for us again.

Still, I am bringing so much home with me.

I have photographs from the journey, memories from every day and a deep feeling of gratitude for the time we were able to spend together.

Tea at Our Country Home

Now I am sitting quietly with my tea, looking back on the journey.

There is something comforting about returning home after travelling. You unpack your bags, charge your phone and begin sorting through the many photographs you took.

At the same time, your mind is still travelling.

I can still see the view from my parents’ house. I can hear the laughter around the breakfast table and imagine the road between Sortland and Evenes stretching through the northern landscape.

The days passed quickly, but they were filled well.

That is something we always try to remember.

We cannot make time stop, but we can choose what we fill it with. We can use it to help our parents, visit the people we love, explore new places and create memories from ordinary moments.

Tonight, I am grateful to be home.

I am also grateful that there are places and people I will always miss when I leave.

Motto from Nordè

A journey may end when we arrive home, but the love, photographs and memories continue travelling with us.

Tonje