Not in NYC at the moment

Testing out WordPress on my iPhone for the first time 🙂

As some of you might remember, I was going to NYC November 3. Due to the storm Sandy who left our family without electricity for several days, we figured ‘now is not the time to visit them’ – unfortunately, because we were both so excited to see them. The Thursday before we left, we booked a connecting flight from EWR where we landed with SAS at 1.30 pm – via Charlotte, NC to Orlando, FL. We return to NYC November 9th, in time for the book event I will be attending. It all works out well 🙂

In Florida, we are spending the days on Sanibel Island near Fort Myers. Beautiful area. Days filled with tropical foods, national park visits, shopping and laying on the beach. I will tell you more about my trip once I get back to Norway in a week, but for now, take a look at some photos I’ve captured so far 🙂

It’s all about making the most out of any given situation 🙂

Cecilie

New York, New York

This coming Saturday, November 3, me and my brother will embark on an adventure of our life time. Travelling together, brother and sister, to the city where our family holds strong bonds is special and we feel very privileged to be able to do this together. I have never travelled with him alone before, so that’ll be exciting as well.

Our flight departs early in the morning, Nov 3, 07.20 am local time. 737-800 is the first plane of the trip. We have a 2 hour layover in Oslo. I will introduce my brother to the peaceful area of the airport called “lounge” 😛 Enjoy some wine, eat lunch and relax. Around 09.45 am it will be time to board our next flight. SK 907 to Newark onboard an Airbus 330-300. My brother has a seat in the business class cabin while I will be stuck back in economy. I’m glad my brother gets to experience the business class, it is truly something special!

Our first few days in the US will be filled with family visits, shopping, concerts ++ We will do some travelling around the area, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Friday November 9 we are going over to some family on Long Island and the next day it is time for Flight For Celebration in NYC with Jeremy and Karlene!

I am so excited and I will try to do a blog post while “over there”
For now,

Cecilie

Going back to where I came from

My New York-trip is coming up, and in a little over a month I will cross the Atlantic ocean for the 7th time this year. I am so excited, both for the book event Jeremy is hosting and where Karlene will be speaking, as well as visiting family I haven’t seen in 19 years. Actually, I haven’t been to NYC in 19 years either (well, except from a layover at JFK in February) and I’m looking forward to return to the city of my roots.

“Your roots?” you might ask, but the truth is that my great grandmother and grandmother were both born in New York City.

Mathilde, or “Tilda” as they called her in NYC, my great grandmother, was born on the Hudson River in January 1911. Her father was a tug boat operator, and his family often joined him for work. As a result, Mathilde was born on a tug boat on the Hudson River!

Mathilde after she came to Norway

She was born of Norwegian parents, and after some years in NYC, they decided to go back to Norway. During that time back in Norway, she met the man of her life, but she had to go back to US, as times were tough, and there were no jobs to be found around here. She moved back to NYC and worked as a maid for several families. But throughout her stay in NYC, she could not forget that man she had met back in Norway, and right before the Great Depression, she returned to Norway, married John and lived happily in Norway until she passed away in 2005.

The family I’m visiting while I’m going to NYC, are descendants of John’s, my great grandfather, brother, Peder. Peder moved to NYC during those tough times in Norway in the early 1900s. Even though that family seems pretty distant, the guys I’ll be staying with are actually my mom’s second cousins.

My dad’s mom was born in New York City as well. Frida, my grandmother, was born in Brooklyn in December 1929. Of Norwegian parents, they moved back to Norway during the Great Depression. She passed away last year, and during a family gathering this weekend, we found her baptizing certificate, where it states what church she was baptized in.
“Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Free Church”
Armed with my best friend, Google, I managed to find out the location of the church, and they are still open, though under a different name. They are called “59th Street Lutheran Brethren Church” now and is located on 59th Street in Brooklyn. I look forward to visit that church during my stay in NYC!

This is what the church looked like in 1929, right before my grandmother was baptized in March, 1930.

Entrance

This will be a very special trip, and I can’t wait to return to the city where some of my roots are.

Cecilie

 

Summer

People seem to always complain about the weather this time of the year, when that is the one factor we can’t change. Stop complaining and start enjoying every day, even if it’s a rainy one.

Ryan and me, a fellow aviator and my best friend!
Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds, UK – June 2012

Talking about rain. I wrote in a previous post that we were going to see a “remake” of a famous 1812 sea battle. We ended up not going, because we were planning on going in our boat, and there were thunder storms in the forecast. Anyone who has ever been near a thunder storm, knows that the open ocean is the last place you’d want to be during one. It was also pouring down heavily, which would’ve soaked us, not that I’m bothered though.

On Saturday, my mom celebrated her 50th birthday with some friends of her, and me. I think she invited me so that I could keep filling up the guests’ glasses with sparkling rose wine and other fluids. 😉 No, it was actually a really good night. Later that night I went over to a friend who had a party.

This week has gone by quickly. This weekend I am hosting a party Saturday, then celebrating my birthday on Sunday with the family. (No worries, my birthday isn’t until August 7, no need to hurry up with the birthday cards. Yet……) Then, on Wednesday next week, I’m going to Berlin to visit a friend. We were both exchange students at the same school in Nebraska. I visited her in Berlin two years ago, and she also visited me in Norway later that same summer. I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I’ve already got my flights booked and I’m excited to try out the SAS Scandinavian Lounge (Star Alliance Gold) in Copenhagen and the Lufthansa Senator Lounge in Berlin-Tegel! Pictures to come 🙂

For now, I’ll just enjoy the fantastic area that I’m lucky to call “home” – the southern part of Norway is the best area during summer 🙂

Don’t you agree? 😉

– Cecilie

A few requests

I need more hours to the day than 24.. 24 is simply not enough. I’ve been constantly on-the-go for the past 1,5 week. But it’s all fun. Mostly. England was amazing. So were the people I hung out with there. I went plane spotting with my best friend Ryan in Manchester one evening and the following morning. I had breakfast next to a Concorde (G-BOAC). I traveled to Oslo to attend a national convention which was extremely rewarding. Right now, I’m home for a quick nap and shower, as I am volunteering at a local music festival.

Sometimes, plane spotting provides for some excellent photo shots! SQ 777 (Singapore Airlines B777) in Manchester

In England, Ryan and I met up with Ricky and we had a great time.

Traveling. So much fun. Yet so exhausting. But it’s a good kind of exhaustion.

I need more money. To travel. To see, feel and experience the world. I haven’t seen enough. Yet. Or will I ever have seen enough? I doubt it.

I need comforting words when tragic events occur. Death certainly gives you time to think and reflect, but I don’t want a world where people only reflect on their own lives when they lose a loved one. We should appreciate the lives we live, everyday. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Everyday. Because one day will be their last. We owe each other at least that much.

I feel very privileged to be able to do all that I do. I guess that’s the important part of it.

– Cecilie