Tag: Hygge

A Home Away From Home

I am writing this blog post on my way out of Copenhagen and can’t help but feel sad that the course is over. It is hard not to miss Copenhagen after spending a month here. Going into the trip, I believed that a month out of the country was enough and that I would be ready to go by the end. “Why would I want to spend any longer than a month out of the states?” I asked myself. I thought that I would be missing out of enjoying W&L if I left any longer than that. I had this irrational fear of missing out and I am not sure why I felt this way but this course has made me wish I spent a semester abroad. I have always loved meeting new people, seeing new places, and getting out of my comfort zone and I guess I just never connected the dots until now that studying abroad is all that and more. Although I am bummed, I am glad I got to experience aspects of studying abroad through this course.

I realized that I thought of Copenhagen as home when I was leaving Vienna with Cole to return to Copenhagen. The same feeling of relief I get when I arrived in Phoenix or Lexington rushed over me when I arrived back in Copenhagen. I was confused why I felt this way considering I only spent a month here but I realized that it’s because I have the same routine and comfortability with this city as I do at home. There wasn’t a moment in Copenhagen where I didn’t feel safe and happy to be there. Although I could not say that I gained the ability to navigate around the city, besides a few memorized routes, I felt comfortable walking/biking around the city.

Although there were times I wish I was back in Phoenix, I really enjoyed the overall experience. Some of my favorite experiences include eating at Nyhavn, The Glass Market, and Paper Island, taking a day trip around Denmark and a walking tour around Copenhagen, going to the top of The Church of Our Savior, visiting Sweden, having dinner with Danish families, going out with friends, biking around Copenhagen, and last but not least working with Claus. I am extremely grateful that I took this class and can’t wait to tell my family about my experience. I hope to visit Copenhagen again in the near future and find myself missing this place I called home for the last month. Hej Hej for now København!

Home is Where the Hygge Is

In a few days, we’ll be leaving Denmark. I can’t help but feel like this place is a little bit magical. It’s the hygge. That contented, coziness that is everywhere. It’s not that these aren’t people rooted in reality. Cancer is dangerously prevalent here. Just as anywhere else, alcohol and drug use are apparent. There are homeless gypsies who live outside of the museums and public buildings. There is definitely hurt here.

But I’ve found that the Danes are a caring people who really do work to eradicate this kind of thing. Healthcare for all. A chance to be part of society as long as you contribute equally. I talked with someone who attended the vigil for the DIS students without even knowing their names beforehand. I talked with a man who met the man who brutally killed several people years ago. He said he had looked him in the eyes and could see that he had changed. This is a country that believes in “life sentences” of under 20 years. They believe that people can change.

People are on time but rarely in a hurry, and they are always glad to see you — ready with coffee and pastries. They are well-educated and direct, but it always seems like they do what they do for the greater good. After all, as Claus likes to remind us, SMEs are primarily value-driven. It is the Danish way. I’m leaving on a jet plane, and unlike Dean Straughan, I am not sure when I will be back in Denmark. It’s been a pleasure to call this wonderful country home for six weeks of my life, and I will forever treasure the memories and experiences that will always be tied to this place. Tak, Copenhagen. Farewell for now. Hopefully I’ll make it up this way again someday.

Spring Sprung in Seconds

Copenhagen is cold, rainy, and windy through the brunt of the Spring, or so I was told. When packing, I made sure to bring numerous jackets, sweatshirts, and sweater, in order to cope with the wind. While the wind has remained, as it is ever-present in Copenhagen, the weather has certainly shifted since when I arrived. Our program might be finished but I figured I would spend a few extra days in Copenhagen with my sister who is also on a Euro-trip. Her arrival seemed to have brought the warmth to Copenhagen and it is near sweltering here.\, at least relative to my first few weeks.

 

Most of our time spent in Copenhagen was cool, crisp, and windy. Knowing rain could strike at the drop of a hat and that it is nearly impossible to predict the weather here, I always had a rain jacket our umbrella close by. Luckily, I can now enjoy the warmth of what seems to be Danish summer, although I have no summer clothes with me. What has been truly amazing to experience is how Copenhagen has transformed in a matter of days. From bleak yet beautiful to warm and lively.

Life seemed to be on pause near the beginning of our trip, with everything from the people to the plants protected in layers to keep the weather out. Since this heat wave has hit, everything in Copenhagen has come to life and the plants have all come out at once. Spring has happened in an instance. From buds hiding behind layers to flowers in full bloom, Copenhagen is lush in a way that is incomparable. Flowers are everywhere and the funny shaped trees which are everywhere now prove why they are cut and handle. Their knobby branches are filled with leaves and they are shaped beautifully, as if they are manicured every day. Bright green grass is everywhere and countless tulips are some of the most notable scenes in this beautiful space.

Even more incredible than the greenery are the people residing and enjoying these spaces. Given Denmark’s cold weather and lack of sunshine during most of the year, everyone flocks to big outdoor spaces when the weather turns. Parks are covered in blankets and towels with sunbathers as far as the eye can see. Music and children shrieks fill the air like never before. Noise was something that was absent in so many spaces. Copenhagen was very quiet for most of my stay here. This is no longer the case and happy sound seems to emanate from every direction. Outdoor seating is almost completely full at any café that offers it. Every glass seems to be filled with chilled beer, dripping with condensation.

While I have enjoyed every moment spent in Copenhagen, these few days have been incredible. Danish joy is palpable in this beautiful, summer-like weather. I have gotten to experience polar opposites and this has been an incredible and comprehensive way to know the city. My time here in Copenhagen will soon be coming to close but I will make sure to take all of it in these last few days.