Hej Hej Denmark

Reasons I studied in Copenhagen: (Before)

• Cycling-Copenhagen is the place where cycling is a part of your body and I wanted to experience this attachment that Danes seemed to have with their bike.
• Copenhagen is SO “green”-due to the bikes, Denmark seems to be leading the world in the how to be “green” and responsible when it comes to living on this earth
• Scandinavia-I felt like going to either Spain or Italy was not as exciting as going to a Scandinavian country because let’s face it people, it’s not really destination number one on many American’s list of places to visit. I wanted to go somewhere that would challenge this idea of going to the “regular” study abroad destinations.

Reasons I’m glad I studied abroad: (after)

• Winter: I now know how to properly dress for winter. You may laugh but I find this is an essential skill that everyone needs to know how to do. Winters in Denmark can be very brutal and I went through my fair share of frozen toes, fingers and the dreadful cold that won’t go away to know that it’s nothing to play around with.

• Danish language and Culture: one of my favorite classes. It was just fun to learn how to say each word even though the pronunciation and spelling differ a lot. The culture is just fascinating. Let’s just say I can see why this is the happiest country.

• Friends: here comes the cheesy moment. I've made so many friends while in Denmark that I would have never met. I was able to study with a friend from high school which I didn't think would happen again.

• Fashion: yep, you read right. These people are so fashionable it’s a little scary. They can rock anything with a pair of sneakers. Black is not seen as gothic or emo but the preferred color for every event. Now just because I'm talking about the fashion doesn't mean I've become some kind of fashion expert.

• Biking: What an experience. It seemed as though the wind was always going against me whenever I biked but I can proudly say that I can now ride with no hands, even if it’s only for about 30 seconds.

• Traveling: I've seen and done so much and I hope to never forget the lessons I've learned from these places I have been to.

• Host family: I’m definitely going to miss my host family the most. They took me in without knowing what I would be like and they are just amazing people. Tine, my host mom, is one of the coolest, most caring people I know. I feel as though she is my other mother.

With those reasons said, how can I properly describe my experience abroad?

………..hmmm………………I wish I could describe to you everything I’m feeling right now. It’s not fear or sadness or happiness or nostalgia or courage. Try to imagine all of those things plus some all wrapped up in a box with a beautiful ribbon. I feel like a young child on Christmas morning coming downstairs to see a big box waiting for me. As I approach it, my hearts begins to beat faster and faster as my imagination runs wild with the thoughts of what lies in the box. As I open the box, I know that nothing will disappoint me at that specific moment in time. This is what I feel about my study abroad experience. Nothing can disappoint me about it. Everything I’ve done here, the food I’ve eaten, the experiences I’ve had, and the places I’ve traveled to are forever engraved in my memories. And whenever I think of it, it will be as though I’m opening that big box on Christmas day.