I can hear the bells

The rarely-seen Copenhagen sun poked its head out today, leading me to think that I was still in sunny California. I was waiting near a bus plaza this morning for a bus to take me to Kronberg (Hamlet's Castle) when I realized, in my relaxed state, that I could very possibly be in San Jose right now. But then I heard the bells. They rang and rang, reminding me with each toll that I was in Europe. In Denmark. The place I have been dreaming of for almost an entire year. And I just couldn't help but smile.

It has been a crazy few days. Friday night a Dane, Louise, taught me how tomake traditional Danish cake, since they only sell one kind of ridiculously-expensive, gross cake mix. Yes, family, Hannah helped make food. And it was to die for. And yes, Grace, I got to use one of our two Danish phrases we learned on our way to PA (no, not I love you).

Then the next day, as in Saturday, I finally met my visiting family, aka the family that takes care of me and makes sure I don't starve while I am here. Now I knew that Danes were always on time, but I had no idea how exacty they schedule their time. If a Dane says, oh dinner is around seven, its not around seven. It is at seven. 7:01, you are late. And everyone who knows me knows that I rarely show up as early as 7:01. But listen to my schedule with my family for the day, and yes, it was just as amazing as it sounds:

1. arrive in Viby Sjaelland at 15:46, get picked up by Karin, the mom

2. Have juice on the terrace with Karin and their 19 year old daughter Maja

3. walk out to their fields (yes, they live on a farm) and have a picnic with coffee (the first cup i have had in Denmark! it costs about $7 in Copenhagen for black coffee!), bread, butter, and cakes

4. Make dinner with Maja and their 16 year old son Peter (we made something like really yummy Danish meatloaf with plumb sauce)

5. While dinner is cooking, sit down to appetizers of shrimp-stuffed avocadoes with amazing dipping sauce (yes i ate and enjoyed the shrimp!)

6. eat dinner, clean up, and sit down to watch a movie with Danish cookies for dessert (laura, this pic is for you)

7. go to bed

8. wake up to a huge breakfast and a packed lunch of smoresbrod and liverpaste for my trip to kronberg castle

9. repeat on thursday night

As for Kronberg castle, the famous place where Hamlet declares that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, well, you'll just have to keep imagining it. All I'll say was, it was amazing.

and the danes...

So I met a Danish girl in my kitchen a few nights ago and we ended up talking for about 45 minutes. She was adorable! So we planned a grocery shopping trip later on this week so she could show me and a few of my friends where to shop for cheap. But when she knocked on my door this afternoon, it was ouring rain. I may love the rain, but it does not agree with a ten minute walk to the store and another 10 minute walk back with groceries in tow. So instead we settled for pizza. A good compromise, I thought. haha. She took me to one of her favorite places and taught me how to read what was on the menu and how to order, then we sat down and talked another 45 minutes until our food was ready. So much fun! We brought the food back to our kitchen and sat down to eat... and just like in the US, pizza brings people running. The kitchen was soon full of Danes and my other American friends exchanging impressions we have with each others' countries. The best line of the night, though, was definitely Medda's, who, in a perfect Southern accent, said, "Hi! My name is Mary Sue! I look like Britney Spears, ain't I pretty?" I guess they think everyone in the South USA is a redneck/hick. We tried to tell them that it's not true, but just couldn't get the words out through all the laughter. We ended up spending the rest of the night together, one of the funnest nights i have ever had!

The Copenhagen that I love

Alright. I admit it. I have fallen in love all too fast. Just a few days ago I was looking out our bus window wondering, why didn't i choose to go to Italy or France? But now I know exactly why. Imagine a place where there are fun curvy cobblestone streets, bikers ready to run you down, cars driving down what looks like sidewalks, blondes almost everywhere you look, but most importantly, very few tourists jamming the sidewalks with their picture taking and peace signs :)

This is Copenhagen. The city that is not too big and not too small. Just the right size for a girl who only has four months to explore all the nooks and crannies. I've already seen most of the tourist sights. As any Dane will be quick to tell you, there are not many attractions in Copenhagen. But when you instead ask them what their favorite places are, or where there is beautiful scenery or secret hideouts, their eyes light up and they begin to describe the beautiful Copenhagen.

These are the happiest people on earth. People who love to just sit and talk for hours with a drink in their hand and candles lit on the table (a Danish tradition called hyggligge or something like that). I've gotten roped into dozens of conversations by simply walking into shared kitchens to make a cup of tea. Met a guy from Cameroon. A girl from Bulgaria. A Scot (and yes he was tall and gorgeous). An Irishman. Dozens of Englishmen. And of course, Danes. And they all have stories. they are all interested. And they are amazing.

So if you asked me now, why denmark? I would be able to quickly respond: because it is home. because it is a place where people are real, where they don't care about others' appearances or differences, where they seek to enjoy life not just through alcohol but through learning and understanding others, where they trust their countrymen so much that no one locks up their bikes. It is a city hidden from most tourist's eyes, a place that might not be on the top of the list of "places to visit before i die", but instead a place that is easily called home.

ps- can anyone find the starbucks-like symbol in this picture??

the first step

I made it. In one piece. With bruises, scrapes, a limp, horrible hair, itchy contacts, smelly clothes, little food, very little sleep, and very big bags under my eyes. I look great. But I'm here. In Denmark. In Europe.

I can't pretend that the flight over here was easy, fun, and full of excitement. It wasn't. My first flight from SFO to Chicago gave me bruises on my leg from a tiny girl kicking me in her sleep. I had to awkwardly straddle the other girl next to me to get out and pee cuz she didn't wake up to my tiny pokes and timid "hello? Are you awake?" I lugged around two bags which must have weighed about 30 or 40 pounds all across Chicago Airport to the International Terminal. I had to carry two jackets because they didnt fit in my luggage. I had to leave my coffee grinder at home, and now I am left with whole bean coffee. I arrived in Denmark to find that it was warm, not cold, and to discover that my shirt did not match my shoes so I could not take my sweatshirt off. Then I lugged my two carryons, my two jackets, and my two 50 pound bags across the Copenhagen arport, onto a bus, off the bus, into a random luggage storage place, out of the luggage storage place, onto the bus, then up 4 floors to my room.

Needless to say, I was pretty exhausted when I got to my room. And culture shocked. I can't say that I love Denmark right now. It's different. Strange. Green and empty. The tallest building is 24 stories. But I think I'll soon find my place in this easy-going, liberal, agricultural country that I just don't know yet.

But don't worry about me. I've found that it's easy to make friends when you are all thrown into a crazy experience you've never been on before. I've already learned to love the sound of Danish and seek it out as often as I can. And even if my room is shabbier than most others, I count my blessings that I am in a place overflowing with tall Danish men (just kidding Mom!)

how it all began

I'm leaving in less than 24 hours for the trip of a lifetime. Where am I headed? A little-known, even less talked-about country near the north of Europe, Denmark! And I am living there for the next four months.


It's an interesting and incredibly long story of how I ended up choosing the mitten-shaped country to be my new classroom, so I will spare you the details and simply ask--why wouldn't you want to live in a city with a name like Copenhagen? It makes me smile each time I say it. And it makes me laugh each time someone tries to remember where I am going and ends up naming a very different Scandinavian country. No, denmark is not the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, or Finland. Denmark is simply Denmark. And to put the icing on top of the cake, Danes have not switched to using the Euro, so I get to pay with kroner. How cool of a name is that!
But seriously, I'm very excited to study abroad for a semester in Denmark. They have great academics for pre-med students and will take great care of me. I even have a visiting family to adopt me while I am there!


I still can't believe I am going, though this week mae it a little more real for me. I began to pack. And pack. And pack. A seemingly never-ending task.





Beginning:

Crap! I had a lot of work to do, and a lot of stuff to go through. But thanks to Mom, Dad, Grace, Rachem (haha I mean Rachel), Mary Cooper (shout out for giving me limits to what I can pack!) and endless errands and shopping trips, I am almost completely packed a week later. And almost emotionally ready to leave too. I've said goodbye to Grace, Ben, Laura, Becky, Marty, and my little goober nephew, and several of my close friends, and just have to wave goodbye to Ruth, my parents, and the home I love for a short four months.

Pray for my flight and that I get there safely and with all my luggage in tow, and I'll see you in Denmark!