Wrapped up a full day at work – and even managed to squeeze in some extra hours to build up my travel time bank. Always thinking ahead!

Then: wheels in motion. Car packed and ready, parked neatly in my usual spot. As I pulled into the ferry terminal, it arrived right on cue – love when the timing just works out.

The short crossing gave me 35 minutes to ease into travel mode: audiobook on, a few useful apps downloaded, and the classic “Do I really have my passport?” moment. (I do. But still… that feeling! 😄)

I had to rearrange some of my hand luggage yesterday, but everything’s within limits now. Nothing like that small sense of victory before a flight.

Quick stop in Sjøholt for supplies – bread, cheese, snacks. My hotel doesn’t serve breakfast, and Amsterdam’s food options are either expensive or… not very tempting first thing in the morning.

Dinner ended up being Burger King at Digerneset. Choices are limited on this route, but hey – fuel is fuel.

Got to the airport around 18:30. Checked into my room and dropped the car at the pre-booked parking. 850 NOK for 19 days—not bad at all.

Staying the night at SmartRom, a simple but functional hotel just a short walk from the terminal. No reception—everything runs via codes sent by SMS. The room? Two single beds, a table, a chair, a small TV, and a bathroom. Not luxurious, but absolutely fine when all you need is sleep before a 4 AM start.

Prepped a small breakfast for tomorrow and packed some sandwiches for the flight. I also sorted out a data package for the US… which accidentally landed on the wrong phone (classic). After 20 minutes with customer support, I got a refund and successfully installed the eSIM on my travel burner phone – yes, I use one for trips where data safety might be an issue.

Afternoon highlight: caught up with Kyle from Canada and started mapping out plans for the visit. Looking forward to that leg of the journey already.

Alarms are now set on two devices—one at 4:00 and one at 4:01 and one at 4:05 and one at 4:06. Overkill? Maybe. But I’m not taking any chances.

Time to get some rest. Tomorrow, the real adventure begins.