Things I miss when I'm stuck in Norway

I'm stuck at home for a while longer (thanks, pandemic!) and I’m realising that there’s a lot of UK, Norwich and UEA-specific things I miss. Here’s a random and non-conclusive list, in no particular order!

 

1)    The free online streaming services! I miss the selection of tv series.  

2)    Online shopping. Yes, there is online shopping in Norway, but it’s not at all the same. There’s something great about knowing that you could have basically anything delivered to your door in less than 24 hours. 

3)    The supermarkets. The giant bags of pasta, the sweets offers, the near-constant sales on Ben and Jerry’s… No Norwegian grocery store can so cheaply accommodate the student diet. 

4)    Everything about my house and housemates and friends 

5)    The UEA campus!  Even in a pandemic, it’s so lovely to walk around the lake and see all the dogs, or sit in the library with the big windows, especially at night with all the lights when it’s all quiet. 

6)    The cute little things that make me feel British like when I give a little “thank you” wave to a car stopping at a zebra crossing or thank the bus driver when leaving the bus

7)    Getting confused every time I’m about to ride shotgun in a car because I can’t remember which side is the passenger side 

8)    The temperature! It may have been colder and snowier than usual this winter, but here is still so much colder and I miss the UK as it’s slightly warmer, even if it’s also rainier

9)    The shortcuts. This seems really random, and it might be more of a city thing than a UK thing. I just love all the little alleys and paths and stairs that’ll take you just about anywhere, save you time, and take you through some very pretty places. 

10) Wandering around the city. Mainly I miss the pre-lockdown things like wandering around the market and shopping and going to little restaurants and coffee shops and going out. But even in lockdown it was lovely to just walk around the city and look at the architecture.