The end of an era!

Everything that has a beginning, has an end.

Ok, so how many of you thought, that seemed awfully familiar, and then how many managed to trace it to the Oracle in The Matrix? :D As usual, I digress. But the fact of the matter is, that after twelve and a half years, I've parted ways with WesternGeco. I know that for a lot of my friends moving on from a job is no big deal. But having never done this before, I was a bit more circumspect. I can categorically say after almost three weeks, I'm beginning to like this more each day :).

For one thing, the weather's been fantastic! It's been cold! Like really cold, but that also means more snow! And every now and then sunshine and bright blue skies appear, making everything look like a dream world. And, seeing how I'm quite free most days from nine to five, we've been making use of it! I've already been cross-country skiing this year more times than ever before :). And guess what? Nice fresh powdery snow, especially when there's been enough or it to alter the entire landscape, is the best possible thing for a relative newbie like me :).

What with all this snow on the ground, you'd imagine I'd have managed a zillion trips snowboarding on some ski slope or other. Funnily enough, not so. I keep thinking, it's such a beautiful season for cross-country, might as well just go do that while we can! Ski slopes are open every season, cross-country tracks aren't!

We did have a four day trip to Hafjell a couple of weeks ago though! Again, brilliant conditions, and a place I'd never been to before, but absolutely loved! Unlike a few other places I've been to, it's large, but not spread out in a way that makes it difficult to find your way around. Trysil for instance, can be a nightmare! And even though the slopes there are pretty great and I've been there more times than I've been to any other ski resort, I still get lost! Hafjell on the other hand, is super easy. Stacked as the slopes are one above the other, you can pick and choose, but all slopes lead to the same  place at the bottom :).

---

There's that thing with change, you never know how things are going to work out. But in many ways, that's what makes life exciting I suppose :). I started writing this blog within a month or so of starting with WG. I looked back on some of my early posts recently with a mix of fondness and cringing :D. Much has changed in a dozen years.

For one thing, I would never have thought I'd settle down in Norway! I mean, I was here, almost right at the beginning, back in October 2005. With not a clue as to how life would lead me to here and now :). And I'm glad I didn't know! I'd probably have messed it up :P. So yes, I'm looking forward to how the next year, or ten, turn out. In the meantime, there's much snow and sunshine to enjoy!