It's my first time back in the UK since I moved to Norway almost 7 years ago. It actually feels really good to be home and somewhere I belong. I know the UK isn't perfect, but coming back has made me realise all the little things we take for granted. I've also noticed a few weird things that have changed since I left. Like.. cameras on the self service checkouts (what's that all about?) oh and on the subject of supermarkets… there aren't any free plastic bags to bag up fruit and veg anymore?!

Anyway, I've missed a lot of the food from the UK so tonight I made a classic cottage pie. It went down very well. 😋

I'm currently doing a tour visiting friends all across the country and will probably return to Norway near the end of the year… But depending on how things go I may return permanently. Norway definitely does some things as well, but it's also definitely not the paradise that a lot of people make it out to be.

If anyone's curious about Norway, feel free to ask!

by _Caracal_

30 comments

  1. Looks lovely. I can recommend a spoon of marmite in the mince while it cooks.

  2. I’m in Germany for couple of years now almost 7 I can’t fathom going back to live in the UK again😅 mostly because logistically it’s impossible because I look at it this way I have a lot of sunken cost in Germany now, (I do not regret)
    Then I have this thing where I don’t feel I belong there (London) anymore.
    I go and I’m just an absolute tourist go to Waitrose and buy things 😂 and visit people.
    There are parts I definitely miss though about England and the UK in general like pubs and pub culture and the fact that you can go out any night of the week and there is some amdram group doing something fun.
    Anyways my question is how do you plan moving permanently to the UK after 7 years abroad.

  4. How was your experience in Norway, what did you enjoy and not enjoy, what was the biggest cultural shock?

  6. Just a little grated cheese on top, and it would be perfect, but that my personal preference.

    Great job.

  7. I moved from the UK to France and it’s amazing the things you start to miss that never really were important before.

    As cliché as it may be, I dearly miss British pubs. Nothing remotely close to it here.

    Branston pickle being a close 2nd – whenever family visit they know to bring me a couple of jars.

  9. I feel this. After many years in China there were some foods I was gagging to eat. None of them were particularly special or exciting, I just wanted that thing I couldn’t recreate there. Sometimes it was actually the context that meant the food wasn’t going to be as enjoyable too, like a ploughman’s in a beer garden on a sunny day or egg mayo sandwiches on the beach.

  10. What sort of thing is eaten for dinner in Norway? What would be the sort of norwegian equivalent of a classic dish like the cottage pie?

  11. ‘Home’ is a deep concept.

    Living abroad takes it out of you, the extra thinking, language, culture, things you barely notice any more because you’ve been there so long.

    I’m glad you’re filling up back from your ‘well’ at home. Drink deep.

    And lovely looking pie. ☺️

  12. I moved to Finland 4 years ago and feel homesick, thanks for this!

  16. No wine, no cheese, no Worcestershire sauce. You’ve been away for a while aye?!

  17. Last time I was in Norway I threw away my receipt before I left the store and couldn’t exit the store without scanning it.

  18. I’m in awe at how great this looked. I expect to be hunted down and pebble-dashed to death for this, but cottage pie always beats shepherd’s pie. Especially with peas.

  20. Did you struggle to make friends? Was the distance from your lifelong friends/family/culture hard? Would you say it was worth it? Did you ever fear you’d lose your “home” (UK) after being abroad so long?

  21. Hey! What’s the name of the broccoli of the last photo? I’m not English but I’m a big fan of a cottage pie and I love preparing from time to time.

    My partner is British and I would love to plant some of that so when I make it at some point again add some of it.

  22. So yeah Norwich, cold, rainy, rocky…

    Nothing much must’ve changed

  23. Live in Hong Kong, currently on my annual trip back to Blighty. Will be stocking up in Waitrose before my flight. Love the UK, it’ll always be home and I’ll move back one day

  24. M8 gonna have to up your stock pot game. At least 17 required for this dish.

    Source: Marco Pierre White told me.

  26. I’d like to find out what the income/expenditure “home ec” account looks like for renting or buying a 3 bedroomed property in the Tromso area…..

  28. Reading this sat in my sister’s house.

    I’ve been in the country 10 days .

    First visit for 23 years.

  29. I spent a while in Spain, and it made me appreciate living in the UK more. Even though I was trying with the language, learning as an adult is hard and after a while it was tiring even going into shops as I regularly didn’t catch what they were saying.

    I still visit often, but life for me at least is better here.

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