Norway
Oslo: A City That Does Everything Well
We took an overnight ferry from Denmark to Oslo, which was an experience in itself and a pretty great way to arrive. Oslo wasn't a city I knew a lot about going in, but it left an impression. It's active and full of people without ever feeling chaotic—busy in a way that feels intentional rather than overwhelming.
I rented a car while I was there, which happened to be a Tesla—my first time driving one. That was its own kind of excitement separate from the trip entirely.
I was genuinely pumped to visit the Viking Ship Museum. I'm obsessed with the TV series Vikings, so walking into that museum felt personal in a way that a lot of museum visits don't. And it delivered. Standing next to something that old, something that actually sailed, makes the history feel real in a way that watching a show—even a great one—never fully captures. The ships are remarkably preserved and the exhibits give you enough context to actually appreciate what you're looking at. From there I made my way to the Bygdøy Peninsula, where several of the major museums are clustered together, which made covering a lot of ground feel easy rather than exhausting.
The Opera House is worth seeing for the architecture alone. It sits right on the waterfront and looks like a glacier rising out of the fjord. You can walk up onto the roof, and the views over the city and the water are great. The Vigeland Sculpture Park caught me off guard in a similar way—I wasn't expecting much, but it's massive and genuinely interesting. It has over 200 sculptures spread across a large park, all by the same artist. It's the kind of place you end up wandering through much longer than you planned.
I'm not a fish person and reindeer wasn't really my thing either, but I'd still tell anyone visiting to try both—they're local staples and part of the experience. We ended up at an Indian restaurant one night and it was really good, which honestly didn't surprise me. Good Indian food has a way of showing up in unexpected places.
Oslo is one of those cities that does everything well without making a big deal about it. English is widely spoken, public transportation is easy to navigate, and the city is very safe. Just know that it’s expensive. Not a little expensive—very expensive! Budget accordingly and don't say I didn't warn you.
