Leaving home, we packed and re-packed ou
r four suitcases to meet the standard 50-pound weight limit. Moving for 6 months, this is packing pretty light, but we could buy anything that we really need when we arrive. We also knew that the kids might have particular desires once they got to school and see what the other kids have, so no sense dragging things across the globe if we aren’t going to use them. Icelandair gives you one free checked bag each, and kids get a discount! We are saving our money on this end, knowing that we will spend it (and then some) on the other side of the journey.
We flew direct from Portland to Reykjavik, had a short layover where we went through the immigration line, then on the plane from Reykjavik to Trondheim with a short stop in Bergen to let passengers on and off. It was as quick as you can get from Portland to Trondheim, 13.5 hours, all on time and as comfortable as economy can be.
We got a reasonable amount of sleep and disembarked on to the tarmack in Trondheim with the sun shining, around 1:30 pm, which is 4:30 am back home. Because our bodies felt like it was morning, even on little sleep, we had the energy to get settled in.
Our good friend Trond picked us up from the airport and took us to our apartment to drop things off, then to a shopping center to convert our phones, get groceries and some winter gear. Turns out we were starving too! The kids and I had a snack at a cafe, where we spent over $20 for some pizza, a sandwich, and 2 cups of tea (the meal was mostly bread and water, I actually ate some sandwich toppings and brought the bread home in a napkin).
Then we got busy with all of our shopping. I love these rolling shopping baskets! They are everywhere! Bigger than the hand-held ones so they carry more, but smaller than shopping carts so they are easier to get around the store. The kids got everything they need, including the “sno pirate” sled and a snow scooter.
We headed back to our apartment and the kids could not resist taking a sled down the hill immediately! Then we got settled in for the evening. Our apartment is sparse but comfortable, in a little university housing village surrounded by playgrounds, sledding hills, and schools. We will try to stay awake for a few more hours to get adjusted to the time zone.
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