A heavy heart, a thrilling feeling and a new beginning.

So, I’m writing this in advance to publish today, which is a very special day in my life. It’s Norways national day, and I have my last exam at 8.30 am. In other words, today is the day I finish the IB!

If you are un-familliar with what the IB is, it stands for The International Baccalaureate (yes, I had to search that up haha). It’s an officially acclaimed high school program which prepares students for university life like no other school program. Usually it costs thousands of dollars, but I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to do this programme for free, all thanks to my county. Some people describe it as hell, others as a lifelong lesson. I agree with both to some extent and all I know is that I am hella proud of myself to have pushed through this the last two years. I’ve learned and accrued more knowledge to help me both in my personal and academical life and although I didn’t think that I would write a whole piece to publish about this, but I found myself wanting to reflect about the last two years and thought why not officially say “goodbye” for everyone to see? Usually I find goodbyes difficult, heavy and something I would rather avoid. The finality of any given moment intimidates me more than I like to admit. I do like change, it’s not that, but saying farewell to something that has shaped you immensely, and been a big part of the way you’ve identified yourself for two years seems awfully hard. Despite that, this is a goodbye I’ve been looking forward to for so long, and to be honest it hasn’t yet hit me that this aspect of my life is coming to a close.

Looking back at my childhood, all I ever wanted to do was finish school, explore the world and then start university. Now theses dreams are approaching so quickly there is barely time for me to grasp the down times. The days spend doing nothing. Like laying in my garden with lemon water to hydrate, a good book to fuel my imagination, classical music in my ears for a boost of inspiration and rays of the most magnificent sunshine flickering me in the face. The slow mornings with my mother and sister eating breakfast for hours before starting the day. Oatmeal, fruit, chocolate- spread, coffee and orange juice to nourish our bodies. And we cannot forget about the days spent by the beach or the nearby lake from dusk till dawn playing games, swimming, writing, reading and listening to the buzz of the wildlife that surrounds me. Those are the activities I hope to fill my days off work with this summer. I have to teach myself to take things slowly. Be patient and take a breath. As easy as it might seem, I see change as a huge challenge, and I know that the idea of not worrying about deadlines and grades will take time. There will probably be days I just spend inside trying to not stress and overthink what I am doing with my life. Change take time, and I am here for it with an open mind and a smile to greet the unexpected.

So what happens next you might ask? On Monday I am leaving for Italy with a friend. We haven’t made any plans as our main goal is to live slowly and in the present moment. Roaming the streets, glancing at the architecture, going to museums and having picnics while reading and driving Cava. As a matter of fact, I’m writing this on my bed with my carry-on suitcase by my side trying to determine what I want to bring with me. Pack simply, live simply. Those words will be in with me whilst packing for the trip of a lifetime and the latter will be my mantra for the next few months.