Going to Denmark, I really had no expectations. Before the trip, I didn’t meet anyone that went to Copenhagen previously so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I also think I didn’t had any time to develop expectations considering the sheer amount of work I had to do before arriving. I decided to make the poor decision and leave Saturday right after finals to go to Munich, giving myself no time to pack. I ultimately had to rush out of my apartment and drive to Dulles International Airport. I only began to feel relaxed when the plane took off. Since I went to Munich first, I only really began to form expectations for Germany on the first flight. Munich also took away the original shock of being in Europe that I would have expected to get when arriving here. I was originally overwhelmed when arriving in Germany by myself but the few days there made me ready for my stay in Europe. I noticed how comfortable I really was with being in Europe when I was repeatedly asked for directions by Germans. Although I wasn’t too much of a help to the people who did ask me, it made me realize that I was walking confidently around the city even though I had only been there a couple of days. This made my arrival into Copenhagen feel oddly relaxing, as I felt comfortable with my ability to navigate around Europe (with the help of Google Maps of course).
The only expectation I formed was from watching the video talking about Denmark and its current ranking as the happiest country in the world. Although the people seem nice I don’t really get the impression that they are any happier than anywhere else I have been. It also seems hard to believe considering the gloomy weather. I am really intrigued to find out more about what makes Denmark the happiest country in the world. I have really begun to appreciate their wide spread use of bikes but I am also intimidated by their biking as well. I am intimidated because everyone that I have seen biking has been on a mission and positive of the route they are taking to get to their destination. Since I have only been here for three days I have to use Google Maps to get everywhere. I am afraid the Danes will run me over when I have to check my phone to see where I am going so I still haven’t rented a bike due to this fear.
I am really excited to be here and have already fallen in love with the beauty of this city. From making friends at bars to exploring the city with classmates, I have begun to feel comfortable here and am excited to tackle the difficult project ahead of us in this beautiful country.