grayscale photo of girl in black shirt
Posted in Goal, Manifestation

A New Year: A Good Time For Reflection

Posted on by tracydee

New Year’s is a good time for reflection. I’m finding myself in an even more reflective mood than usual. Perhaps it’s because I’m living in a new country right now. Or, perhaps it’s living under another year of Covid and restrictions. Whatever the reason, I thought I would share some of my biggest personal reflections. Maybe you can relate to some of them. Or, maybe it will be a starting point to your own personal reflections on the past year.

So I thought I would frame my reflection through questions to myself. I encourage you to take the questions and think about how you would respond.

What “stuff” do I really need?

I moved to Norway with only two suitcases and a backpack. The year before that, I moved back in with my parents while I waited for the green light to go to Norway. So, I have a whole apartment’s worth of boxes and furniture sitting in storage in the U.S. right now. Granted, the apartment in Norway came furnished so I didn’t have to buy much when I got here.

However, the past two years have made me really think about the “stuff” I have. Some of it is sentimental, but much of it is probably things I don’t actually need. And now I’m considering staying in Europe for another year (country TBD). I’ll have to also revisit the selling my car debate because that is also sitting not being used right now.

time for reflection
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

How should I spend my time?

I think we can all agree that time is precious and managing it effectively can be challenging sometimes. For years, I have been very deliberate about my schedule and my calendar. Now, in a new job in a new country, I have had to adapt to a bit more flexibility to allow for changes and updates and unknowns.

This is because of the type of work and also the fact that we are still in a pandemic. When I first moved to Norway, I had so much downtime I didn’t know what to do with myself. I spent it exploring the city and generally taking some time for myself after a year of working multiple jobs and finishing a dissertation.

So, I ask myself if being so strict about my time hinders my creativity or allows it to flourish in its time? Or, am I giving myself enough time to let the creativity out? I like being organized and thorough, which leads me to my next question…

What do I still need to work on for my personal health journey?

Mental health is hugely important to me. And I’ve spent the better part of the last 5 years working on self-improvement and self-care. And getting to know me and what I need to thrive and be the best version possible so that I can be that person for myself and for the people I love and care about.

But in that journey, my physical health has not been where I’d like it to be. I am ready for a bridge between the physical and the mental. In years past, that used to be running. But for some reason, I let the habit go and now it’s harder to rebuild. But I’m working on it and I am planning to run another half marathon in April 2022. I have action steps and now it’s about prioritizing this in my life.

female and male runners on a marathon
Photo by RUN 4 FFWPU on Pexels.com

What am I most proud of this past year?

As far as accomplishments go, this year has been a good one. I graduated with my doctorate 12 years after I initially started one. For my career, I started a new job in another country and I get to travel all over Norway doing something I love to do. I finally decided to join the world of online content creation with a blog, YouTube, and Etsy shop. I got to spend quality time with my family, even my grandparents.

So while it’s hard to pin down exactly what I’m most proud of, I don’t think it’s an accomplishment. I think it’s more of an internal feeling that I’m finally on a path of being true to myself. All my life, I’ve been an overachiever, constantly trying to prove that I’m smart enough or hard-working enough to be deserving of an opportunity. I am finally starting to believe that I am enough just the way I am and I get to choose what’s best for my life.

How do I make the most of the year ahead?

Well, the next 6 months of my life are planned and known. I will finish out my current role in Norway, then take a 14-day trip through Europe traveling to countries I’ve never been to. Hopefully, I still get to travel this spring, but that will be determined by Covid.

I will make the most of the year ahead by being open to opportunities. Originally, I planned to go back to the U.S., but now I feel like there is so much of the world I have yet to see. So I’m exploring more job opportunities in Europe, specifically in Norway and Spain.

One of the really great books I read this past year was Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. While I am generally extroverted and agree to many things, there are still lots of things in life I am ready to experience. I would like to improve public speaking, go ziplining, and take a chance on myself by continuing to build my consulting business. But first, I will start with some skiing, which I never thought I would try again. But, when in Norway, right?

Final Thoughts

If you have been reading my blog posts this past year, you might know I have a lot more questions I’m asking myself. And if you want to take on a 30-day self-reflection challenge, check out this earlier post I made with prompts you can utilize.

Posted in Goal

Imposing Time Limits on Goals

Posted on by tracydee

I was recently talking with someone about my goal of visiting 40 countries by the time I’m 40. When I tell people this, usually their eyes get big and they say something like good luck. Now, full disclosure I just turned 35, so I only have 5 years to go. And so far, I have only been to 5 countries.

The other consideration is what counts as an adequate amount of time somewhere for me to say that I visited that country. I am counting Portugal, which I was only in for 20 hours, but I did leave the airport, stay in a hotel, visit the downtown area, and eat some delicious food.

Although I currently live in Norway, I am from the United States where I spent all of my life. I visited both Mexico and Canada for a few days each. But other than that, I haven’t had the chance to see much of the world.

But here’s the thing that I believe to be true about goals and myself. If I don’t put a time limit on it, I am less likely to take action. I might put something off for years and years, wasting all of this time I could have used. I did this in my 20’s when I decided to run a half marathon.

I made this decision early in my 20’s and said that I would do it by the time I turned 30. Each year went by and I didn’t take action until I was 29. I did do it, but I could have done it so much sooner!

So maybe the real lesson is that I need to make the time constraint even closer to my current reality. Because the procrastinator brain in me will use all of the available time. I wish I had the diligence and self-discipline to just make things happen because I wanted them to. But, that’s also related to the power of manifestation and another area of my life I am definitely working on.

But Really – Time Limits Can Be a Good Thing

One of my favorite authors and writers of productivity, habits, and goal-setting, James Clear, has an excellent post on the realities of setting goals. He says that the true challenge is the competing goals we have for ourselves. If we have too many at one time, it can be difficult to narrow in on one at a time. Therefore, it can be helpful to focus on the most important goal of the time.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Time limits help us focus and prioritize our goals. Another helpful tip is to place a limit on the number of goals and tasks that you are working toward at any one time.

So, if I really sit down and try to think about the things that are important to my immediate future, I have 3 goals that come before traveling the world:

  1. Complete another half marathon in April 2022 (time limit imposed and training plan created).
  2. Continue to be the best teacher possible while traveling to schools in Norway. Meaning, work on improving lessons, resources, and engagement with activites.
  3. Have a remote job lined up by August 2022. My current job will end at the end of June.

I did book a 14-day travel trip through Europe for July. Knowing that is coming and already booked alleviates some of the pressure of trying to make it to as many places as possible over the next 6 months.

All 3 of my most important goals are time constricted to the next 6 months. So maybe I should let go of the 40 countries by 40 and continue to take it 6 months at a time. It is a much more manageable deadline that allows for specific action in the here and now.

Oh, and one more goal for this month is to write 8 more blog posts to make it to 100 posts in 2021 on my brand new blog!

What do you think about imposing time limits on your goals?

black flat screen computer monitor
Posted in Amazon

Amazing Amazon Deals Going on Right Now!

Posted on by tracydee

I think one of my next posts is going to be about how you can become an Amazon affiliate. I have mixed feelings about it because I definitely don’t want to be contributing to making Jeff Bezos richer. However, if you’re looking for some extra cash to save or get out of debt, then signing up gets you a piece of the money pie. Because let’s face it, Amazon isn’t going anywhere and people are going to buy from it anyway. So that’s my way of saying that these are all affiliate links – meaning if you choose to click on them and order something, it’s possible I can earn a small commission on eligible items. And I encourage you to find ways to do the same!

Even if you don’t purchase an item on the link and you stay and order on Amazon, I can earn a small amount from that as well. And if you are interested in learning more about it, drop a comment below and I’ll write a post on how to join!

Some deals to check out here!

Up to 44% off Instant Pot cooking appliances Up to 60% off Razer Gaming Inputs Up to 30% on Graco Baby Products Up to 44% off Shark Vacuums and Air Purifiers 25% Off Nespresso Vertuo Espresso Machines Save 65.0% on select products from HR with promo code 652R2HEA, through 11/26 while supplies last.
infinity pool near beach
Posted in Manifestation, Travel

11/11 Manifestations – My Wish List for the Year

Posted on by tracydee

I recently saw a TikTok (Haleyhoffmansmith) describing a manifestation exercise of using the power of November 11th to write 111 things that you want to have happen in the year.

Her premise is that instead of having 3 to 5 big manifestations, we focus on a bunch of small wishes. We don’t always know when or how things will happen so the more we put out into the universe, the more something could come to fruition.

My 111 Wish List

I actually found it quite difficult to come up with 111 things. This past year, I really focused on contentment with myself as a person and the reality of the here and now. Sure, I definitely plan out goals and strive for new things, but the process of manifesting true wishes is a work in progress. But I can’t argue with it because I have so many amazing things going on in my life right now.

The easy part of this year’s list stems from the fact that I’m already living a previous manifestation of teaching in Norway for the year. So things like visiting an ice hotel and going ice skating are likely to happen. I even put visit 10 new countries (which up until 6 weeks ago I had only been to 3) and I know it’s a strong possibility.

Right now, I’m sitting here trying to finish my list and this blog post at the same time. I only have 43 items. I guess the question now is how big or how small should my wishes be? I love Christmas and I have no idea where I will be on Christmas because of my European travels. So I guess I can say to take a picture in front of a Christmas tree on Christmas wherever I am!

I have committed myself to the Bergen half marathon in April with the 20-week training plan I created and I the hotel and flight I booked!

Fitting in a Box

As a high-achieving student my whole life, I really want to follow all of the expectations. So some stranger told me on the Internet that I need to come up with 111 wishes for the year. Which sounds great in theory. And I’m sure I have them in my brain. But I just can’t seem to get them all out on paper right now. And part of me feels like I’m failing. But to who’s metric? It’s a guide and I can create my own reality.

And you know what? It is really okay. I make the rules for my life. I’m a little silly and goofy. Some might call me gullible. It’s something that happens when you are generally trusting that people have good intentions. I’ve been working on becoming the best version possible of me, the only me on this planet.

So I will likely fill up my 111 Wish Google Sheet with checkboxes all nice and neat. But for now, I’m still developing that list and letting opportunities come to me. Perhaps when I’m done I’ll share the whole list with the world and we can all track my progress together!

Posted in Travel

Aker Brygge and the Opera House in Oslo

Posted on by tracydee

Because I haven’t started traveling outside of Oslo yet, I still get to spend my free time exploring the sights of the city. Each day I learn a new neighborhood or new way to get from one point to another. For example, today I took the tram for the first time, which was super easy and comfortable. As someone from the U.S., the public transportation system here is simply amazing.

The app gives you the exact times and locations of where to make transfers to get to your destination. I had previously walked to the top of the Opera House on an evening I was already downtown by the central station.

Aker brygge and the opera house

The Opera House is gorgeous, but tickets to shows are out of my price range. However, from the top I got a great view of the new Munch Museum. This is definitely a place where I need to spend a few days visiting. There was some type of DJ or outdoor concert on a big screen right outside, so I stood and listened to some music for a bit.

Aker Brygge

A beautiful area to walk along the water in Oslo is at Aker Brygge. I had not had the chance to explore this area, but walked along just around sunset time. I saw the outline of the buildings a few weeks ago when I took a ferry ride. The area is hustling and bustling with people. There are a lot of restaurants of various price ranges. You can find affordable dinners up to expensive meals in much fancier restaurants.

As the weather gets colder, people still eat outside and the restaurants are set up to accommodate this. Heat lamps are placed outside with blankets and fire pits. It’s kind of cool how Norwegians are so in touch with nature that they have found ways to still enjoy the fresh air even in winter.

At the end of the pier in Aker Brygge, there is a diving board to jump into the water. I saw a couple of people swimming there while I was bundled up in my jacket. Apparently, people will swim all year no matter how cold it is.

There are many events free to public in this area, such as the festival of light art. I can’t wait to check them out throughout this year!

Posted in Manifestation

How Blogging and Social Media are Building my Confidence

Posted on by tracydee

I’ve struggled for years with building my confidence. I think one of the biggest fears of putting myself out there is rejection or negativity. This is only natural. To some degree, we all want to be liked and validated. Some people are better at shrugging off the negative comments. While others, like myself, take them personally.

For years, I let my anxiety hold me back from sharing publicly some of the things I wanted to talk about. What will people think? What if it’s not good enough? What if I’m not good enough? The truth is, I will never be enough if I continue seeking validation from others.

Furthermore, I have the power to change my reality and my actions. If it turns out that I could have done something differently, well, then I have the chance to improve and be better next time.

selective focus photo of smiling woman
Photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.com

Building my Confidence Through Blogging

When I read and watched YouTube videos about starting a blog, the number one advice was to niche down. I’m just not ready for that. And it is okay. My blog allows me to share my thoughts and experiences with my friends, family, and even strangers who are interested in reading.

That is partly why I believe it is building my confidence. Despite being academically driven, I never considered myself that great of a writer. People always saw me as the numbers person, good at math, and destined to work in a math profession.

Yet, if I look back through notes and journal entries from when I was a teenager, I always enjoyed writing to express myself. I didn’t necessarily enjoy writing to appease others through an assignment or required task.

Now, I pick and choose how to manage my time and write posts of interest. The likes and comments allow me to see what content the audience is connecting with the most. But overall, the comments are overwhelmingly positive.

Building my Confidence Through Social Media

My adult students told me for years to start a YouTube channel. I was scared. Making videos intimidated me. I finally took the plunge this past year and did it. At first, I always tried to make sure my make-up looked good and everything was perfect. Then I realized that perfection is not the goal. Reality is. And the reality is that we look different and have good days and bad days.

Tik Tok also brings out the opportunity to be silly and share with others. The app gives you a chance to showcase bits of your personality and separate yourself from work if you so choose. I am still working up the courage to post more dancing videos. But, if you know me, you know I love to dance. So, I better start having some fun and being my silly self!

Now, I still have a long way to go to be the type of confident that I wish to be. But, I’m well on my way, helped by inner reflection and being brave enough to put myself out there, flaws and all. Yes, there will be mean people, but most people are supportive and encouraging! So go build that community.

Whatever it is that you have been waiting for to get started, why wait? Don’t wait for the perfect body, partner, or job to start sharing your message with others or living your dreams!

Posted in Goal

How to Be Productive After Time Off

Posted on by tracydee

How to be productive after time off is a big question. We all deserve our time to unplug, destress, and spend time with ourselves or our family. Whether that is to take a vacation or much-needed self-care time, it can be hard to get back into the swing of things.

I built a vacation into my arrival to Norway, with many months of preparation leading to this point. I felt guilty at first, but then I remembered how much time I put into getting my permit, online orientations, building out workshops, etc. So, if they said I should get my bearings before diving in, who was I to argue?

However, now that I know my way around the city a bit, I am ready to start my new job. Last Wednesday was my first day at the office picking up the iPad and phone that I will use as I travel.

I am finally somewhat adjusted to the time change, and tried my best to follow my previous morning routine with breakfast, affirmations, and planning time for the last several days.

how to be productive after time off

Now, it is Monday of a brand new week and I am going forward with getting back into “normal” work weeks. While I will occasionally have travel on the weekends, my hope is to prioritize working during the week. Then, rest on the weekends.

How to be productive: Here is what I am doing to get my productivity energy back:

  1. Get back on track with a morning routine, even if it’s just a few things. For example, today, I got up, stretched, made coffee, and wrote out my affirmations. Tomorrow, I will make my bed and spend some time in silence. I hope to add running back in to the mornings before work time.
  2. Create a healthy balance of work and personal time. I started emailing and to-do lists around 8:30am this morning. Now, I am about to break for lunch and go on a walk. I have to teach tonight from 6:30pm – 8:00pm so I don’t feel guilty about taking a long break in the middle of the day.
  3. Be forgiving with myself if I’m not on my “A” game right away. So, I did hit snooze this morning (a terrible habit I have been trying to break this whole year). I am disappointed that I reverted back, but I am not going to dwell on the mistakes of today when I can plan for success tomorrow.
  4. Re-start check-ins with my accountability partner. When I tell you that checking in weekly with someone is a game-changer, I mean it. For 2 years, I meet weekly with an accountability partner. We go over our weekly goals, our long term goals, time and scheduling challenges. Additionally, we provide much needed advice and encouragement.
  5. Sync Google calendar on all my devices. Because I picked up my new work technology, I need to sync everything so that all my calendars match up. I prefer using Google Calendar to track meetings and appointments. On my iPhone, I link my google account to the Apple calendar.

So, that is my recommended start to easing back into productivity. Most importantly, not trying to do everything all at once!

Posted in Travel

5 Awesome Places to Visit in Oslo, Norway

Posted on by tracydee

Are you looking for some places to visit in Oslo, Norway for your upcoming trip?

As an American living in Norway for almost one year, I am excited to share new adventures in Norway.

In this post, I will share my 5 places to visit in Oslo during your stay.

Oslo Public Library

One place to visit is the new main modern public library in Oslo. It is located on the water right next to the Opera House. As you walk in the entrance there is a cafe and escalators to head up to any of the five floors. They have everything you can think of, including music stations where you can play different instruments.

I decided to work out on the mezzanine area for a bit because the inside of the library was extremely crowded. While beautiful, I don’t think this is a place I can work regularly.

Oslo public library - places to visit in Oslo
Sitting outside Oslo public library

Frogner Park

I took a nice long walk one day in Frogner Park, which is the biggest park in central Oslo. Thankfully, it was not crowded that day so I got to get pretty close to the sculptures and take my time walking through. It says on the website that there is a cafe and playground, but the park is so big, I didn’t see that part yet.

Waterfalls by the river

So I discovered the Akerselva River by accident. I knew it was there and planned to visit it someday but just happened to be heading to a Too Good To Go snack pick-up that took me along the river to get there.

I am excited to go back and actually walk the whole length of the river, which is several miles long. However, it was a beautiful day and I got some great pictures on my walk.

Karl Johans Gate

This stretch between the palace and Oslo S central transportation station contains restaurants and shops galore. I have walked it many times and I still see new places to check out.

Holmenkollen

I took a beautiful metro ride out of the center city to get some views overlooking Oslo and the water. The Holmenkollen stop is known for a big ski jump that is a major tourist attraction. I cannot wait to go back up and drink hot chocolate in the lodge while I watch other people ski (not me).

While I walked up the hill, I managed to get some decent shots nearing sundown.

Places to visit in Oslo

These are just 5 suggested places to visit during your stay in Norway. There are many, many more worth checking out!

Posted in Travel

Roaming in Oslo, Norway: Exploring the City

Posted on by tracydee

Well, I’m finally out of quarantine and can go about exploring the city as I wish. Interestingly, things seem relatively normal here because of the strict measures in place over the last year and a half. I haven’t seen anyone wearing a mask, but most of the population is vaccinated now.

The first day out of quarantine wasn’t a whole lot different than the previous days. I did get to meet a friend in person for the first time and I ate a yummy appetizer in a restaurant.

It was refreshing to get out and walk around the city and take in all of the sights. I was surprised at how easy it is to get close to the palace where the king and queen live. It seems to be a big attraction. While I was walking by, they were doing the changing of the guards, which was pretty cool to watch.

I finally got the chance to check out some stores and buy a few items that I hadn’t packed to bring with me. I picked up an extra blanket, slippers, and a hair straightener.

Prices Compared to the U.S.

A lot of people warned me that things here would be more expensive. So far, I am finding the prices to be fairly comparable to most of the places I lived in the U.S. Food and drink prices at restaurants are about the same, but tipping is not required in Norway. I even had one server try to give me the tip back saying that it’s not customary and they make a living wage, unlike the U.S.

My grocery bill was not much different than I would expect to pay at home. You can search for good deals and sales. Just like in the U.S., there are certain times and days when stores run promotions or deals on items.

The coolest app that I learned about a couple of days ago is called Too Good To Go. It looks like some of the big cities in the U.S. are starting to use it as well.

Essentially, you pay a discount price, typically a few dollars, for a surprise bag from a store or cafe. The pick-up window is between 10 and 15 minutes before the store closes. It helps reduce waste so they don’t have to throw as much away. For $10, I have enough sandwiches and baked goods for my breakfasts and lunches this week. One cafe gave a salad, hummus wrap, and arugula sandwich in the surprise bag.

Travel in Oslo

For around $100, I purchased a monthly pass to travel around the city using rail, metro, buses, and ferries. That is fairly comparable to a pass in NYC, which is $127 for the month.

Interestingly, there are no stations preventing entry onto the metro platforms. It is super easy to just walk right on from any stop. I tried to scan my phone on the train the first time I got on, but nothing was happening. I asked someone and apparently, it is all done on the honor system. So basically anyone can ride public transportation. They do random checks with hefty fines to prevent people from taking advantage of the system.

The monthly pass even allowed access to the ferries. So yesterday, I decided to take a ferry ride to the different fjords.

I start officially working this week, so I will be sure to make more Productivity posts. This will be important as I transition from a vacation/self-care mode back into organization and travel.

For further travel outside of Oslo and throughout Europe, I’ll look at Trainline for affordable options!

Posted in Travel

Week 1 in Norway: Quarantine Edition

Posted on by tracydee

Well, I arrived in Norway on Saturday to a very efficient Covid testing protocol. I retrieved my bags, got my nose swabbed, and left after 15 minutes with my negative test results.

I am benefiting from the new guidance of quarantining for only 3 days. However, on the third day you have to get a PCR test, and it is day 5 and I still don’t have my results.

Thankfully, I can go on walks to get out of the house. Yesterday, I went to the park and walked around the statues. The day before I wandered throughout the city until I got tired and made it home just before it poured. It rains a lot here so far!

Food Options

I am impressed with the amount of food options in this city. Oslo is truly an international city and I can pretty much get any type of food I want here. When I got the Covid test done, the attendant gave me a suggestion on where to get a Philly cheesesteak ALMOST as good as Philly itself. So, I definitely plan to try that.

Food Delivery

Saturday afternoon, I was super tired from the 35 hours of travel leading to my arrival. Since I couldn’t go out, I used an app called Foodora to place a dinner order for delivery. It is very similar to Uber Eats or Door Dash.

I ordered Indian food and it was at my door within 30 minutes. It was piping hot and delicious. The delivery people pick up the food and deliver it on scooters in an insulated bag attached to the back of their scooter.

Another app I haven’t tried yet is Wolt, but I’ll be sure to check it out.

Grocery Delivery

After dinner, I placed an order for grocery delivery Sunday morning. I ordered groceries from Oda, which was convenient, quick, and fresh. On their website it says they have over 7,000 items to choose from. Truly, they did have a lot of choices! It was kind of overwhelming in my exhausted state.

I did pretty well for my first grocery haul, only making a couple small errors, such as ordering two bunches of bananas instead of 2 bananas.

So far, I cooked every meal since Sunday to save money. Also, I’m ready to treat myself when I finally get that green light from my Covid results and I can leave quarantine.

The food here is unbelievably fresh! Even the shredded cheese tastes like it was just grated right before it was delivered. The grapes are crisp and the avocados arrived in perfect condition ready to eat.

I made myself a yummy salmon dinner the first night with actual Norwegian salmon.

General Observations

The people are pretty nice. Literally, every car stops to let you cross the street even if they are the only one there and really you could walk right after they pass. It is very much a bike and pedestrian friendly city.

Interestingly, parallel parking seems to have no rules. Cars are parked on the street facing both directions so I guess it doesn’t matter which side you are on.

I have not seen a single person wearing heels, which is probably because of the cold weather and that you have to walk everywhere.

I passed this discount grocery store called Extra, but upon further examination, I realized that the prices were the same as Oda. So, it might just be easier for me to keep ordering groceries and have it delivered.

They take recycling and trash seriously here. I have to separate my food trash items into a green bag and all of the plastic wrappings into a blue bag. Then, plastic and glass bottles are recycled along with cardboard. Plain shopping bags are for generic trash. I’m getting used to that. I don’t like having the little bags on my counter, but I haven’t figured out what else to do with them yet.

I’m a little scared of my electric bill. The washing machine takes forever and you can’t even fit that much in it to begin with. And the dryer also takes a long time. I think I’m going to start hanging out my clothes. I see a lot of people doing this outside.

Productivity Level

If you have been following along this blogging journey, then you know I like to stay productive and keep up with my to-do lists. Being in quarantine sort of forced me to take some downtime, which turned out to be much needed. I read a lot of books, took walks, and adjusted to the time change.

I had a couple of meetings, but most of my time was for me. I thought about using it to complete some online jobs for extra money to help me with my debt reduction goal, but I decided rest and relaxation was best before things get really busy with travel and work.

My workshops are in review and orientation is not until next week. It’s rare that I get downtime like this!

So, I’ll be sure to pick back up on my time management tips and suggestions for moving toward goals soon!