Backpacking through Europe in 1994

Day 75 • November 20, 1994
Gjovik, Norway

No Photographs from today

DAY 75 / 11-20-94
Gjovik, Norway

Today was Karoline’s 2nd birthday, so I got to meet the whole family. After everyone had left, we looked at my pictures.

I called Julie in Milan. She sounded very excited that I’m coming, and I’m very excited to see her. She invited me to go to Venice on Saturday with her & her friends, and I can’t wait!

We had a BIG fish for dinner, which was delicious, and after that Katrine took me out to a movie, “I Love Trouble.” The movie was nice, but I was just thrilled to be with Katrine. God, I can’t believe she’s married.

When we got home, we caught the end of “Never Say Never” – a 007 [James Bond] film, on T.V.

Then I got to see Katrine’s wedding video, which, although it was nice, made me sad. First because it was proof she really was married. Second because it reminded me of Kyle’s wedding & how much fun we had. That made me sad because I knew everyone was getting together in a few weeks for the [Omaha Christmas] Symphony, & I was probably going to miss it. But I was about to get some fantastic news.

About 10:00 [pm] I called home. The first piece of good news was my parents had a ticket home for me. Second, it was on the 15th, which means I WILL be home for the Symphony (17th – 18th). I’ll fly right into Omaha, so it’s perfect!

I was so excited, but there was more good news. Third, Skratch wants to get an apartment with me. I had been wondering the last few weeks about my living arrangements when I got home, and although I wouldn’t have minded at all living at home, I didn’t really want to. Plus, I have several ideas for T&T [Photography] which will work a lot smoother if we’re living together (like a darkroom, phone line, address for correspondence, ect.)

And speaking of photography, the fourth bit of news is that my photo “WJR” sold last week for $225 dollars! And, Julie C wants to buy her picture for another $225!!

I was so excited after hanging up I couldn’t sleep. I’ll be home with my friends soon, my pictures are selling – everything seems to be falling into place. It’s almost a little scary things are so good.

Now, for the first time on my trip, I have a plan, an itinerary. I know exactly where I’m going, and when, and it’s really nice after almost 11 weeks of “wandering.”

Plus I’m excited for tomorrow. Katrine is taking me to Lillehammer, and I’m going to try to ride the real bobsled!

But I’m most anxious to be on my way home. I mean, I’m really starting to burn out. One can only take so many museums & masterpieces & 700-year-old-buildings & culture & exotic food before one’s brain screams out “Enough Already! Give me Simpsons and Nike ads & Big Macs & mindless television! I want my remote control & Huey [my 1977 CJ4 Jeep] & stereo & OJ trial proceedings!”*

Do you know how hard it is to channel surf through 3 channels?

* Five months earlier, on June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were stabbed to death outside Brown's Los Angeles home. O.J. Simpson, Brown’s ex-husband, a former National Football League (NFL) star, college football standout and Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Southern California (USC), movie actor and commercial pitchman, was arrested and charged with their murders on June 17, 1994.

Later that afternoon, his two-hour slow-speed flight to avoid arrest by police through the freeways of Los Angeles, in a white Ford Bronco driven by his best friend Al Cowlings, while he threatened to kill himself, was broadcast live on every American television network. Nine news helicopters covered the event. An estimated 95 million people watched nationwide, five million more than had watched that year’s Superbowl. The chase was covered live by ABC anchors Peter Jennings and Barbara Walters, and was broadcast internationally, including stations in France. Thousands of spectators and onlookers packed overpasses along the route of the chase, waiting for Simpson to pass by.

On October 3, 1995, Simpson was found not guilty of first-degree murder of Nicole Bown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

On February 4, 1997, Simpson was found responsible for both deaths in a civil lawsuit filed by the Brown and Goldman families.

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