Last post

I'm pretty sure this blog currently has zero readers, but I thought it would be nice to do a final post. I've been back in the US for 4 months now. It's been great to see my family and friends and I love being back at Northwestern. Even so, I still miss Copenhagen every day. I've exchanged a few e-mails from my host family since I've been back, they have two new grandchildren who I hope to meet someday.

I feel really lucky to have had the chance to experience a new culture. I also like knowing that I can pack up two suitcases and move somewhere unfamiliar and end up being ok.

Thanks to the people who kept up with this blog over those 4 months in Copenhagen! I'm happy I could share my experiences with you.

Hej Hej!

Also, if for whatever reason you read this post, can you comment? Mostly to satisfy my own curiosity.

Chocolate

I bought my family a special box of Danish chocolates. I bought them at Copenhagen's airport, and they were kind of a pain to take home because I had to have them in my carry-on bag and resist eating them during my 7 hour stay in the Seattle airport.

When I took them out yesterday to give to my parents, my dad starting laughing. Then he went to our pantry and took out a GIANT box of the SAME chocolates. "I bought them out Costco!"

oh, costco

Home again

I'm back in Oregon, after what was possibly my worst travel experience ever.

Abbreviated version:
-My flight to Seattle from Copenhagen was delayed so I spent about 5 1/2 hours in the Copenhagen airport. Although the airport there is really nice, so this wasn't so bad.
-After the 10 hour flight and the 1 hour getting through customs, I had missed my flight to Portland. I then spent the next 7 hours (6 pm-1 am) in the Seattle airport waiting for a new flight to Eugene that kept on getting delayed. To my body, this was from 3 am- 10 am, when I'm normally sleeping.
-I made it home at about 3:30 am.

So, that was not a fun day at all. It feels good to be home, but I'll admit that I was not ready at all to leave Copenhagen.

Last final

I had my last final today from 3-5 pm. My finals felt like more of annoyance than the all consuming thing they usually are. On Wednesday I went ice skating and had dinner at a thai restaurant down in Nyhavn (the harbor and the picture of Copenhagen that is on a lot of postcards). On Thursday after my Cancer final I went to Rosenborg Castle which was pretty cool. I barely studied all week, it was really nice.

I'll miss that aspect of my classes here. I like just being able to show up for class and know enough to do fine on the exams. I decided very early on that school was not going to be my emphasis here and I've stuck by that. My classes are for the most part interesting, and I've learned a lot, but I'll admit that I barely did outside reading or work. Sure, I studied the morning of exams and a bit the night before but that was it. It does not make sense to travel to Copenhagen and spend my time studying. And I have no regrets, I've really enjoyed myself here and a big part of that was not being worried about school.

Walking back from my final I couldn't help but think "this is the last time I'll be at my school here. This is the last time I'll walk on this road. This is the last time I'll wait for the 300S bus to come at Glostrup station..." I've been here for 4 months and I have a whole routine established. It's strange to think that I'll never go through those motions again. Of course I'll come to Copenhagen again. Hopefully many more times. But it will never be in the same way, not living with my host family, not having my group of friend, not having a purpose of going to school and living my life. When I come back I'll just be a visitor. And I'm not ok with that, this is my has become my home.

But what can you do? Time moves on. Tomorrow I'm going to Paris.

Finals week schedule

Tuesday: history essay due, Danish oral final exam, History final quiz
Wednesday: no class or finals! Hopefully smorrebrød at Ida Davidsen's and ice skating. And maybe some studying.
Thursday: Cancer Final
Friday: Human Health and Disease final
Saturday: Political Rhetoric final


Then I'm going to Paris from the 14-17 (Karen and I just booked this, pretty last minute but exciting), then home (Oregon) on the 18.

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-danish7-2008dec07,0,3956278.story



This story is great. Read it!

It gets dark here at around 4 pm. Meaning that at 4 pm, it is just as dark as midnight. It is strange to live in darkness, but it makes it easier to go out at night. My second half of my time here I have been more into dancing at clubs. It's an interesting life, you leave late and get back really early (like 5 am). I've never experienced anything like a european club. Techno music, everyone doing their own thing. In Denmark your average club goer isn't out looking for a boy (or girl) but is just out to dance and have fun. I love it. I only go with a group of friends, but it is pretty common to have people there by themselves, not looking to socialize with anyone but just to dance.

Last night I saw the Crazy Christmas Cabaret at Tivoli. I was happy to finally go to Tivoli. The Christmas decorations were amazing. Maria and I decided to go on the ride that swings you around from really high up. (you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YKd-6fkmhg) For pictures of Tivoli click on this: http://images.google.com/images?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=tivoli%20
The show was hilarious, it was in English performed by a British acting group. It was interesting, some of the jokes we (the small group of Americans) did not understand, and other jokes we were the only ones who were laughing.

Today I'm going to a Christmas lunch and then maybe starting to study for my finals that start on Tuesday

Also: on the Danish television they are showing the CEO of a Danish company that ran off with 100 million kroner of the company's money. He turned himself in in California, of all places.