That is the number of days left until I go back to California, I can’t wait! I’ve been trying to keep busy the last couple of days, designing some logos, business cards and t shirst – but July 29th still can’t come fast enough. Once I reach San Francisco I get to spend a couple of nights there, sightseeing and shopping (new iPhone, new laptop and some new clothes), I get to see my girl and then we will be heading down to Fresno where I have to pick up my car, unpack all my stuff and then I’ve got almost four weeks of relaxation ahead of me. Sweet.

PS. I’ve been looking at Holga pictures on Flickr lately and can’t wait to get back to my own Holga and start shooting again. I’ve got a good feeling of renewed inspiration!

PS2. I also updated the links section on the right. Check it.

And I think I want to get a minor in entrepreneurship. I have been thinking about starting a clothing company, and I have some ideas, too. I’ll try and post some sketches eventually. Good night, for now.

I mentioned in the previous post that I am a graphic design major. Graphic design also happens to be something I really enjoy doing – lucky me! I’ve been doing some sort of graphic design for as long as I can remember, starting with drawing and illustrating. Around the age of 14-ish I was introduced to Photoshop through my friend’s dad who is a photographer in the local newspaper. His dad showed us how to use the clone stamp, and we ended up putting our own premature faces on the bodies of buff Chippendales. Funny.

Ever since that day when I saw myself with a shiny sixpack posing in a purple speedo (looking back at it, it was really gay), I knew that altering the world in pictures was right up my alley. A few years of frequent photoshopping later I got accepted to the media program at my high school of choice. Three years of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, GoLive and Final Cut Pro followed. It was like a wet dream.

After graduating high school, I realized that the luxury of choice made me unsure of which path to follow. Should I become a photographer? Film maker? Graphic designer? I had no clue, so I went with plan B: one year in the army to think about it.

One year and many miles of walking, endless hours of cleaning and some really cool sessions at the shooting range later, I was still not sure. I’d had enough of green clothes and abusing CO’s so I fled to Sweden. At the University of Karlstad in the city with the same name I studied film science and visual narrative through comic books for one year. Halfway through my year in Sweden I decided to follow my dream to go abroad for school. The choice was obvious, I was going to the US. The country my dad went to when he was 19, and then again years later. This was the county where the stories took place, the stories he’d told me so many times.

Influenced by too many American movies I set my mind on California. Originally looking into photography schools, I ended up applying for a bunch of regular State Universities. Then one sunny day in April 2007, I got a letter welcoming me as a student at the California State University, Fresno. I was going to be a graphic design student.

So far the best decision in my life was buying that plane ticket, and getting on that plane. Even though I thought I wanted to do photography school, some of my best shots I’ve taken due to graphic design assignments.

At the moment, I am lucky enough to work as a graphic designer on campus (creating posters, logos and fliers for a 22,000 student body), I am doing graphics for a newly started fight gear company called Violence Alliance, I am doing graphics for the very talented Norwegian DJ Kr:ystall (his MySpace should be up soon) and I have been working with my friend Marc and his company All American Beerpong. I feel lucky.

To underline the fresh-ness of my blog, I am posting for the second time in the same day. This is to tell whoever might be sneaking around on the world wide web a little bit about myself, what I have been up to lately and what I’ve got in store for myself.

I am 22 years old, and 11 months ago I got on an airplane in Oslo, heading for the land of opportunities: USA. My destination: Fresno California. So far, this is what I have been up to:

1. Visiting Las Vegas

2. Getting settled in Fresno

3. I bought a car

4. I joined a fraternity. Me on the right.

5. I went to Santa Monica

6. and I got a mohawk. It lasted for 5 days.

7. I got to see the Space Needle in Seattle

8. I sat at home watching the Fresno State Bulldogs winning the College World Series in baseball!

9. I bought a Holga, enabling me to take cool pictures like this one of my friend Andrew.

In less than a month I am flying back to California, even more excited than the first time. Four weeks of sunny Californian vacation, a smoking hot mermaid, American sightseeing and greasy fast food awaits my arrival on the other side of the pond. I can’t wait!

/j

Inspired by two of my good friends and one of my friends little brother, I decided to create a new blog. This is my second or third blog, depending on how you see it. It will be written entirely in English although my native toungue is Norwegian or Swedish, depending on how you see it. The reason for this is simply to reach a broader audience (most Norwegians can read English, I have yet to meet an American who understand the Viking language), as soon as I get one. Audience that is.

I haven’t yet settled on what to write about, most likely it will revolve around the simple things in life, such as good beer, beautiful girls, good design (I am a graphic design major) and multimedia. I will try to write another post soon, right now I gotta go. Dinner is served.

/j