The happiest days in my life (part 1)

These are days you’ll remember. Never before and never since, I promise, will the whole world be warm as this. And as you feel it, you’ll know it’s true that you are blessed and lucky.
~ These are Days* by 10,000 Maniacs

Yesterday has been 20 years since the day I met Adam. I stayed in Gjeste Bu in Lillehammer and I was very brave in the eyes of my dad because I decided to travel around Europe alone. Though, at first I wanted to go to the USA to one of the children’s camps and work there over the summer. Actually I was accepted to go but in the last moment I canceled it, bought an Interrail ticket and took a tour through the northern European countries instead. The path took me through Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and finally through Germany, Holland, Belgium and France to the UK. I still wonder who was waiting for me over the Atlantic Ocean.

Gjeste Bu was a wonderful hostel, different from all the others I visited that August (well, except the ship hostel Af Chapman in Stockholm). I was writing my diary that day while two guys and two girls were chatting on the beds next to mine. Later I was told that the girls were from Holland, Mike was from Australia and Adam “the Boy” was from the UK. The guys wrote a few lines into my diary, both inviting me to visit them. Well, actually Adam later asked me to add something and it was an invitation to meet him the next day in Oslo at the central station.

In your reckless mind, you act as if you’ve got more lives. In your reckless eyes, it’s never too late for a chance to seize some final breath of freedom.
~ Noah’s Dove* by 10,000 Maniacs

He was far from what I call(ed) “the perfect man” but anyway I appeared there, on 12th August 1994, in front of the McDonald’s in Oslo. Was I naïve or just bold? More curious than anything else. I had to go to Oslo anyway. He was there, too. He prepared lunch for us – strawberry yogurt mixed with broken chocolate pieces and a banana. We were sitting on the floor (which was a little bit weird) and later on the steps in front of the station. He talked a lot but I could hardly understand his accent. He was from Derby, living in Liverpool. Another invitation came, written down into my diary, to visit him in Liverpool for the pancakes with peaches and cream.

We said farewell a bit later when he had to catch a train to the place where he stayed then. Farewell, yes; I expected a “goodbye” and a wave with his hand but instead he hugged me and didn’t let me go. We were embraced almost a minute and then, when he let me go, he kissed me, quickly, on my lips. I said goodbye, turned around and never looked back because my cheeks were so red and I was very, very embarrassed. But in that moment my life changed forever. I saw the whole world in a different light. I was simply happy. I have never been happier before or ever since. Sad, isn’t it? This feeling of happines lasted only about a month (or two?), the pressure from an everyday society (parents) was just too strong.

* Songs I played over and over again from that summer on, strongly believing that miracles do happen. And I still believe they do.