Adios Albuquerque

After seven and a half years in northern New Mexico, tomorrow I'll be jumping on a plane to start a European adventure. Meghan and I took a walk around the University of New Mexico campus one final time and snapped some photos. It was a freeing experience. The car sold this afternoon and we got enough cash for Meghan to see some family before she joins me in Norway.

Ah, Norway, right. That was the reason for creating this web log. I recently took up a position with Opera Software, and am relocating to Oslo. I'm a technical writer and will be helping with internal process documentation, instructions, FAQs, some language translation and copy editing. I'm hoping to get more involved with HTML and CSS in the professional sense, as well. The design blogs all say that 2013 is the year that the web gets a shot of typography (99% of the web will be design choices made specifically for type). And they laughed at me when I get an English degree. Ha!

An adventure to Norway is the next step in my career. It's a little overwhelming how much of an adult I have become. I'm so happy to be done at Raytheon. They gave me a great starting point but I don't think I was a fantastic match for the corporate culture. Now all of my possessions fit into a suitcase and two backpacks. Opera is providing an apartment for us, until we get out bearings. That was a huge relief. I don't know what I would've done if I were literally dropped off in a foreign land.

This post is mainly for some geographical comparison. I'm very excited to see how different the architecture of Scandinavia is, especially coming from the Land of Enchantment. The sky will be much grayer, too, I'm sure and we'll have to use to some heavy-duty snow.

Alumni Church on the University of New Mexico campus.

Adios, Burque! I'll definitely miss adobe buildings, punched tin mirrors, copper sinks, vigas, pinon trees, mesquite and creosote in the rain, chile and chile and chile. Don't hesitate to send us chile, by the way. I'll get my new address up on my homepage as soon as I figure out what it is (http://samirons.us).

The flight leaves tomorrow afternoon. First to Chicago O'Hare, then to Heathrow, London - a five hour layover hopefully filled with fish n' chips and a Boddington's - then to Oslo. Some coworkers are going to meet me at the apartment and show me around the neighborhood: groceries, 711, buss stops, etc. I'll be updating with many, many more pictures I'm sure, and possibly some recordings if street musicians are out braving the cold. Wish me 'Bon Voyage'.