Reconnecting in Oslo on the Road to Bangkok

My second solo trip as a digital nomad started with a small detour to Oslo, where I reunited with an old friend from university.

Norway, Sweden, Finland, you know, “the expensive countries”, are often avoided by backpackers or travellers on a budget thanks to the high cost of accommodation, food, and not to mention the colder climate. Scandinavia had always intrigued me, but it felt wildly unrealistic on my budget, and other destinations usually won the bucket list battle.

That changed after discovering the beauty of Skyscanner’s multi-city feature. Suddenly, stopping over in The Tiger City for a couple of days on my way to Bangkok seemed… almost sensible. The plan was simple: explore, do tourist things, and catch up with my old uni housemate, a Norwegian filmographer who was working on Netflix projects in the city at the time. Casual.

This was also the first time I’d ever had to seriously think about what to pack for a trip. On one hand, I was heading back to Southeast Asia, so my bag needed to be filled with t-shirts, shorts, and summer essentials. On the other, I hate the cold, and even though I was only in Norway briefly, I didn’t fancy freezing in late November. I also didn’t want to sacrifice precious backpack space. Ah, the first world dilemmas of a backpacker, eh?

In the end, I wore most of my winter clothes on the plane to save space. Hoodies, jumpers, a winter jacket, the full Michelin Man look. Wearing all of that was significantly less enjoyable when I eventually landed in 30 plus degree Bangkok.

In Oslo, I stayed in a hostel with a very questionable layout choice. The kitchen was in the same room as the ten plus bunk beds. A couple from Hong Kong took full advantage of this design flaw by cooking fish while drinking beer at 8 in the morning. As if that wasn’t enough, they then used a blanket to create a makeshift privacy curtain and enjoy some “quality time”. I didn’t spend long in that room after that, opting instead to use one of the many Espresso House coffee shops as my go to place for downtime. Norway takes its coffee seriously, and Espresso House is basically the Scandinavian answer to Starbucks, only stronger and with more cinnamon buns.

Oslo is known as the cultural hub of Norway, home to numerous performance spaces, galleries, and museums, including the famous Munch Museum and the striking Oslo Opera House that lets you walk on the roof. The city is also a leader in sustainability and environmental innovation, with electric cars outnumbering petrol ones and public transport that actually runs on time. This blend of culture, nature, and forward thinking design attracts a wide range of travellers.

But despite the city’s many wonders, catching up with Dan was the true highlight of my trip. We laughed, reminisced about uni days, and speculated about what our ex-housemates might be doing with their lives now. Without sounding too much like a cheese ball, the people you meet on trips are what really make them special. One of the reasons I love backpacking solo is because you’re constantly thrown into situations where you have to meet people. Sometimes those connections turn into lifelong friendships and global networks.

I think we were only about two drinks in when he suggested leaving the bar and heading back to his place to continue socialising with his roommates. Alcohol is notoriously expensive in Norway, so I agreed and asked for the bill. He was absolutely right to make that call. Four drinks came to a ridiculous amount, and I still have mild PTSD from handing over my credit card.