Hello, Oslo

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” 

— Seneca.                           

As some of you may have read in my Happy, 2018 post, I am now living in Oslo, Norway. So I wanted to do a quick post to talk about life in Oslo and my relationship to the city. Oslo plays a significant part in my family's history, and it's wonderful to be back to calling this city home. This is where the next phase of my career will be, and I am excited to see what comes. For now, I will give you a summary of how life has been so far.

How NK and Oslo Met

A year after I was born, we moved to Oslo so my parents could pursue their graduate studies. We lived in Oslo for seven years before moving to a small hamlet called Haugland on Norway's west coast. I later came back for visa interviews for college and grad school and a few infrequent visits. It's safe to say it is a new old place, and there is much to see.

When my sister and I were thinking of moving back home to Norway, we decided Oslo would be an excellent choice because we had already tried life in Bergen as adults and there were more professional opportunities here in Oslo. Also, since we had lived here once before, we thought it would be fun. I must say that even though I spent quite a bit of my childhood here, the city feels very new to me. And other than an occasional bout of Deja Vu here and there, it is nice to have a new place to explore.

Working and Learning in Oslo

I started my work life in Oslo volunteering as a digital strategist at Oslo International Hub (OIH), an international startup incubator and co-working space which aims to serve entrepreneurs and professionals with an international background or mindset. OIH offers networking, pitching, and training programs for people who want to start a business in Norway or expand into the Norwegian market. I helped OIH with a website relaunch and social media management. Visit the website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter to learn more.

I currently work at an inbound marketing agency called Inbound Norway. We are a HubSpot Platinum Partner agency, and we help clients meet their business goals. We do this by creating strong, engaging content that attracts visitors, converts them into leads, closes them as customers, and turns them into promoters and ambassadors. We ensure our clients meet their potential customers in the right place, at the right time, with the right kind of information.

See what I did there? I just walked you through the basics of inbound marketing! If any of that sounded interesting, check my blog post, What HubSpot taught Me, or visit the Inbound Norway website to learn more about the basics of Inbound marketing and maybe even get certified.

OK, back to working in Oslo. Thanks to Inbound Norway, I am going through another growth spurt of learning in my training and onboarding. I am gaining knowledge and experience through certifications and hands-on work with my clients. Everything we learn, test, and do is to ensure that our clients achieve their goals and get the best results. After a 4-month break over the summer, my work in Oslo has rekindled my fire and passion for digital marketing.

If you have followed me for a while, you know I like to learn and develop my skills through association meetings and presentations. They are a great way to learn from and connect with industry professionals. One organization that I have found so far in Oslo is Markedsføringsforeningen i Oslo (MFO), or the Marketing Association in Oslo. I have been to a couple of MFO events so far, one of which was a presentation about inbound marketing and HubSpot (I know, I know. I'm kinda obsessed). I am looking forward to attending more of these presentations and finding other spaces to learn from industry peers.

Life in Oslo

Oslo is a lively city with lots of culture and opportunities to have some fun. There are plenty of cafés, restaurants, and museums to visit. Some of our favorite cafés to visit are Kulturhuset, Peoples and Coffee, and Mocca. They have incredible beverages and pastries, and cozy places to sit and work if you need a change of environment. With regard to the city's many wonderful eateries, our latest obsession is a place called Ti Punch, owned by a friend of mine that has Guadelupan food. We've also grown quite fond of Mathallen, which is a food hall that hosts pop-up restaurants and cooking classes. We have so much more to explore on the food and beverage front. I am so excited. 

We get lots of musicians stopping through Oslo on their tours, which is fantastic. And if they are not stopping by here, it is an excellent excuse to travel to one of our neighboring countries. In November, we went to Denmark to see Moses Sumney and Tawiah in concert. If I could convey how magical the night was, I would, but my words would fail me. In September, we got to see J. Cole, Ari Lennox, EarthGang, and JID here in Oslo. We are excited to see who comes to our new home next. 

Then there are the museums! The National Gallery is free on Thursdays and has a whole room devoted to Edvard Munch, as well as paintings and sculptures by artists like Matisse, Picasso, and more. There is also the renowned Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Nobel Peace Center, and many other exciting cultural spaces.

Well folks, that's a quick summary of life in Oslo so far.  Since I have only been living in Oslo this time around for about six months, and I've been job searching and working for much of that time, I haven’t explored too much yet. But once we move out of the (very) cold winter season and into the warmer months of spring and summer, there will be more to share.

Thanks for reading!