Announcing the End of the World

(We're having a party, and you're invited!) 

After traveling to 192 countries over the past ten years, author Chris Guillebeau is coming to the end of his quest to go "everywhere." By popular request, we're having a party in the final stop: Oslo, Norway on Chris's 35th birthday. 

Location: Oslo, Norway
Date: April 7, 2013

Want to join us? It's pretty simple: get a ticket, make your way to Oslo, and come to a party with other fun people.

For the evening of April 7th, we've rented a space in central downtown and will be with good friends from around the word. The best part of any AONC meetup is all the other people who attend, and we expect this evening to be no different.    

The Optional 2-Day Tour 

For those who are interested, we're also planning a 2-day train and ferry tour of Oslo, Bergen and the surrounding area. Rumor has it that we'll be seeing fjords and at least one World Heritage Site. If you'd like to be part of this additional event, plan to join us at least three days earlier, on the evening of April 4th. (Note that the tour cost includes three nights hotel and all transport from Oslo.)

Please note: many of us will be hanging around Oslo for several days, but both the party and tour are informal gatherings. Unlike events such as WDS, there is no formal programming or workshops—it's just a chance to have fun and travel. 
 

The FAQ (Magically Written in Advance)

Below are some questions that we imagine some people might ask. 

• Why Norway?  

After getting stuck in numerous places around the world and occasionally denied entry due to visa or flight troubles, Chris realized that it would be good to have an "easy" country as the final one. About fifty countries ago he noticed he had been to every country in Europe except Norway, so he decided to save it for the end.

Also, by all accounts Norway is a beautiful place. We hear there are mountains… and also fjords. The air is pristine and the cities are walkable. Have we mentioned fjords? Many of our readers are from Oslo and surrounding areas in Northern Europe—they'll fill us in more when we get there. 

• How many countries are there? 

It's a topic of active discussion, but according to the United Nations, there are 193 member states. As of November 2012, Chris has been to 189 of them, and Norway will be #193 of 193. (Chris has also been to 50+ additional places that are largely independent, such as Kosovo, Taiwan, and Somaliland... but we're not going there for a party.) 

• Where should I stay? 

You can stay anywhere you'd like in central Oslo. We're gathering info on a couple of hotels and hostels, and will send it out at least two months in advance to those who have signed up. 

• When should I arrive? 

If coming from out of town for the party, you should arrive in Oslo no later than the afternoon of April 7th. If coming for the tour, you should arrive no later than the evening of April 4th. The tour will begin from a central location on the morning of April 5th and conclude late in the evening on April 6th.

• Will I be able to get a ticket later?

Currently unknown. We have no idea how many people actually want to travel to Norway for a party, but the restaurant we've booked is fairly small. If we run out of room, we'll stop selling tickets to ensure we can provide a good experience. After that, anyone else is welcome to drop in during the weekend we'll be there, but we won't be able to invite them to the end of the world party. 

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Terms: Party tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Tour tickets are non-refundable but may be transferred to someone else up to 45 days before the event.  

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