Adventures with Anne

Church of Our Savior

I have so much to share (even though my last post was only two days ago)! On Saturday morning I went for a long run into the city. I finally feel comfortable enough to actually make turns when I go running because I know I can find my way home again. I ran to the Church of Our Savior, which I think is one of the most beautiful structures in Copenhagen. The tower has a spiral staircase that you can actually climb up, but I'm waiting until it's a little warmer to do that. Then in the afternoon, I went to the play "Vahalla" with the Larsens. It was in Danish, which was a bit challenging but very exciting nonetheless. Luckily for me, the play was geared toward a younger crowd and I was able to follow along for the most part (Lisbeth only had to whisper to me a few times). The play was about Norse mythology, which I found very interesting because I have only ever learned about Greek mythology. One of Jan and Lisbeth's friends played the role of Odin, who is one of the famous Nordic gods. After the play we got "VIP" access backstage, and I was able to see their friend and the other cast members. That about sums up my Saturday!

Vahalla 

Today was another very exciting day! I met up with Anne, who has become one of my family's close friends. My mom and Anne actually went to school together when my mom lived in Denmark during college. She has been to Minnesota to visit a couple of times when I was younger, and my mom has visited her as well. I just think it is amazing how we have kept in contact with her over the years, and I was very happy to get to spend the day with her! First, we went to Rosenborg Castle, which is located near downtown Copenhagen. Rosenborg was built in the early 1600s for King Christian IV. It was made to be his summer vacation home. The castle took nearly 30 years to construct! After walking through, it was made very clear why it took so long. The amount of detail inside the castle is absolutely incredible. Every room had ornate ceilings, chadeliers, tapestrys, paintings, and furniture. It was really interesting to walk through. Rosenborg is also where Denmark's crown jewels are kept. The crowns, jewelry, and swords were also unbelievably detailed and equally impressive. Anne and I both agreed that we would find it an acceptable place to vacation :)

Rosenborg Castle

Wine purchased by Christian IV in the early 1600s

Crown of King Christian IV

After touring Rosenborg, Anne and I ate smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwiches) at a cozy little restaurant called Puk. The food (and beer!) was absolutely delicious. I feel like I have the most interesting conversations whenever I'm with Anne. We had a great time catching up and discussing all sorts of different topics. Our little adventure continued after lunch!

After Puk, we took the bus to Frederiksberg, which is where Anne lives. We had a nice walk around the area and she showed me where some of the movie, A Royal Affair, took place in real life. We finished off our night with coffee and æblekage at Allegade 10, which is the oldest restaurant in Frederiksberg (and arguably all of Copenhagen). I had so much fun with Anne and did not want to day to end. At least I can look forward to seeing her soon because we already made plans to go see the movie Lincoln together next Sunday!

Sticks'N'Sushi

Tonight was a wonderful night! I went with the Larsens to the Sticks'N'Sushi restaurant located on the top floor of the Tivoli Hotel. The food and drinks were absolutely amazing! I told Jan (the sushi expert) to order whatever he thought was good. He took that comment very literally and ordered enough sticks, sushi and appetizers to feed a small army! It was fun to have the opportunity to try all of the different plates and rolls. I think I had basically every type  of seafood tonight, and it was all  delicious! Even though I was beyond full, I managed to make room for a molten chocolate espresso cake for dessert, which was sinfully tasty. The restaurant has a very unique design and cozy atmosphere. There is a bar area where you sit on swings rather than chairs; a more traditional Japanese dining area where you cannot wear shoes; an outdoor terrace with fireplaces; and another main dining area, which is where we sat. Tonight was the perfect way to end my busy week of class. I can't even explain how excited I am to sleep in tomorrow! I am going to a play with the Larsens tomorrow afternoon, which should be very interesting being that it is in Danish! I'll keep you updated on how the rest of my weekend unfolds. Godnat!

Jeg vil gerne have

Tonight I went out to dinner with my Danish class. We went to the cutest restaurant located right next to the lakes (which are really more like rivers or very large ponds from Minnesota standards). It was the most hyggelig little cafe, filled with unique paintings and candles everywhere! I actually ordered in Danish! The waitress must have understood me because I got what I ordered (a delicious pesto chicken, tomato, mozzarella, avocado, cucumber and bacon sandwich). My professor made a point to tell me to really annunciate the "oooh" sound when saying chicken (kylling). Failing to do so results in the word "killing," which means kitten and I definitely did not want a kitten sandwich! My Danish professor is by far my favorite teacher at DIS. In today's class we talked about dinnertime in Danish homes. Everyone living with a host family (myself included) has experienced the sacred Danish dinnertime. Every meal is made almost entirely from scratch and you wait to eat until the entire family is present. In Danish culture, dinner is a very relaxed time and most Danes spend about 1.5 hours per day eating dinner together (not including preparation). Talking to other DIS students who aren't living with host families makes me really appreciate living with the Larsens. Dinnertime is something I look forward to everyday, and I am so thankful that I have such a lovely family to share it with!

A Royal Affair

I have had a busy couple of days since my last post! I feel like I'm finally getting into a routine between classes, homework and time with friends and family. I have now been to all of my classes and am very pleased with my schedule. I am especially excited for a class called Dynamic Project Leadership. In the class, I will learn new ways to develop my leadership skills and social innovation by training with a famous Copenhagen business program called KaosPilot. I will also have the opportunity to work on an actual marketing proposal for Wonderful Copenhagen, a Danish government agency that promotes Copenhagen internationally. Last night, I went out with girls from DIS. I think the highlight of the night was hearing the entire bar burst into song when Mulan's "I'll Make a Man Out of You" came on (in Danish might I add).

Today I had my first "field study"(basically just a long field trip) for my Danish class. First, we visited the Theatre Museum. The museum is located in the old Court Theatre of Christiansborg palace. The theater dates back to the early eighteenth century, making it Europe's oldest standing wood theater. King Christian VII had the theater built for his own private enjoyment. Besides the royal family, only very wealthy civilians could afford to see a ballet, play or opera in the Court Theatre. During the tour, we learned the back-stories of King Christian VII and his wife Caroline Mathilde. Our tour guide was the museum curator, and was a very lively character. He told many funny stories about Denmark's various kings.

After the tour, we walked back to our classroom and watched the movie, A Royal Affair (or En Kongelig Affære in Danish). My cute little Danish professor brought us coffee and wienerbrød to enjoy during the movie. A Royal Affair is a true story about Denmark's scandalous Royal love-triangle between insane King Christian VII, Queen Caroline Mathilde, and the Royal doctor, Johann Friedrich Struensee. Due to his mental state, King Christian VII was clearly not fit to run a country, and Struensee cleverly manipulated him into implementing all kinds of social reforms in Denmark. In a way, Struensee was responsible for exposing Denmark to the Enlightenment. The movie is actually nominated for "Best Foreign Film"in this year's Academy Awards, which is very exciting! I thought the film was fantastic and highly recommend it! 

The Theatre Museum (Court Theatre)

Crazy King Christian VII

Raspberry Wienerbrød :)

Hopeless Wanderer

Greyfriar Square

Rosenborg Castle

Nyhavn

Perfection :)

Today I had to go into the city to apply for my Danish residency permit. After finishing up at the government building, I decided to spend the afternoon walking around the city. It was so nice to explore by myself because I was more sensitive to everything that I saw and heard. I walked back over to Nyhavn (the harbor with all the colorful buildings) and then stumbled across a large farmer's market near my metro stop. There were two buildings filled with different kiosks. I stopped by a little bakery one and had a shot of espresso and three different bite-sized wienerbrød (Danishes). It was relaxing to just wander around without a destination, AND I'm happy to report that I did not get lost and found everything on my own!

Lisbeth and Me

Emmy Poo!

Drinking Carlsberg & Somersby like true Danes

All of the girls!

Flødeboller

Last night, Jan and Lisbeth planned a little party at our house. Annie, Claire and both of their families came as well as some others. Lisbeth lit many candles and set out all kinds of snacks, treats and drinks. We all sat around the kitchen table talking, laughing and drinking for hours. It was very hyggelig! "Hyggelig" is a Danish word that means friendly, comfortable and cozy. Claire and Annie both tried flødeboller for the first time. Flødeboller is a chocolate dessert that has a fluffy marshmallow filling--so good! While Claire, Annie and I were unanimously in favor of flødeboller, we could have done without the Skipper Mix, which is extremely salty black licorice. It was quite nice to have everyone together for a cozy little night filled with good company and good conversation.

Somersby

Today I got home from class around 2:30pm. I told Jan that I would meet him for a beer after work at 5pm and decided to take a little nap in the meantime. Unfortunately, I woke up from my mini-coma over three hours later! Thankfully, he was very understanding and said we can do it another day. I'm hitting the town for the first time tonight and am very excited! Annie, Claire, Leah and I are going to meet up with some other DIS students at their apartment and then hit the bars! I've heard from my host family that Danes sometimes stay out until 5am, which made me very happy that I got my nap in! Lisbeth gave me a Somersby, which is an absolutely delicious Danish cider. I'm sure it will be the first of many! 

First Day of School

Today was the first official day of school. I didn't feel my normal night-before jitters that I usually get before the start of a new semester, which surprised me. I think it's probably because my jet lag is still lingering. I am happy to announce that, for the first time since my arrival, I was completely confident in my ability to use the metro and walk to DIS this morning. I think I have decided that I prefer taking the metro over the bus. There's a station that is about a 10 minute walk from my house that takes me within another 10 minute walk of DIS, so not bad at all. The only confusing thing about DIS is that it consists of random floors of seven different buildings that are almost all in little alleyways. Luckily, today I only had two classes to find--Neuropsychology of the Social Brain and Danish Language and Culture. I absolutely love my Danish professor and am really looking forward to that class. After class, I did a little shopping and then headed back to Amager (the island that I live on just outside of Copenhagen). I went for a long run around Amager Strandpark, which is the beach area that has many little parks and running/biking paths. It felt so nice to have some time alone to reflect and really take in my surroundings. I must say the view was much more scenic than what I get running around St. Peter :)

What a Day!

I loved everything about today! This morning I went to DIS for more orientation. We were put into groups and went on an "Amazing Race" of the city. Each group had a list of famous sites around the city that they had to find. Then, at each spot there was a DIS professor waiting who stamped our booklet and told us the history and fun facts of the place we were at. My group visited Christianborg Castle Square (Danish Parliament), Greyfriar Square, Amalienborg (the Royal Palace), Skuespilhuset (the Royal Theater), and the Vor Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady). After everyone returned to DIS, each group shared which places they had visited and what they had learned. Although I am by no means an expert, today made me feel a lot more confident about my ability to navigate the city.

Beautiful Nyhavn!

Just a glimpse of Wonderful Copenhagen

After my orientation was over for the day, Claire, Leah (a new DIS friend from Seattle) and I met Lisbeth on Strøget, which is the main shopping street that is only for pedestrians. After browsing through a few stores, Lisbeth took us to the cutest little confectionary called Conditori La Glace. We shared three positively scrumptious cakes. Then, the four of us headed over to the headquarters of Sticks'n'Sushi, which is a high-end chain of sushi restaurants that Jan helps manage. We met up with Emma, Rasmus and Jan there and Rasmus made us all delicious coffees. Jan also gave us girls a tour of the building and we met many of his colleagues. Tonight Thomas came over for dinner. He is a good friend of the family who visited my family in Minnesota with the Larsens a few summers ago. It was really nice to see him again! All in all, today was a very good day. 

Rasmus made us fancy coffee

Our coffee break and tour of Stick'n'Sushi

Claire scoping out at all of the delicious desserts

Lisbeth, Me, Leah and Claire at La Glace

Finally Here!

My host family: Lisbeth, Jan, Jose and Emma

Well, I have had my first full day as a Dane! My host family, the Larsens, picked me up from the airport around 4:30pm last night. I literally could not stop smiling on my flight from Amsterdam to Copenhagen because I was so unbelievably excited to finally reach my destination. I could not have asked for a better host family than the Larsens. They have been nothing but warm, welcoming and helpful since my arrival and I already feel like I'm part of the family. Currently the Larsen household has six people living in it. My host mor and far (mom and dad) are Lisbeth and Jan. I also have two søster, Josephine (21) and Emma (18). Emma's boyfriend, Rasmus, lives with us as well and Jose's boyfriend, Simon, visits often so it is a full and lively house.  For dinner we had flæskesteg, which is a very traditional (and delicious) Danish pork roast. It was fun to have so many people sitting around the dinner table (even if I couldn't understand most of what was being said). I am determined to be able to contribute to the conversation in Danish by the end of the semester! For those of you who have ever heard a Dane speak understand just how ambitious this goal is :) 

All moved in to my new room! 

Today was an orientation day and was spent getting my Danish cellphone, picking up my schoolbooks and listening to multiple talks about the Danish culture and DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad). Although it was a bit draining, today made me even more excited for what is to come. I learned that the Danes are not the most approachable people at first and that small talk is taboo (which was hard to comprehend for a Minnesotan). However, once you crack their shell, I am assured that I will have some of the best conversations of my life. I also learned that financially Denmark is the most equal country in the world. All Danes have universal healthcare and education. They are one of the most eco-friendly countries and have the highest biking population per capita. Over 1/3 of Danes commute by bike daily. It was fun to see a rush hour of bikes on my ride into the city today. I plan to bike to class once I become better acquainted with the city, but until then I will take the metro. 

Denmark is not only one of the greenest countries in the world, it is also one of the happiest. My core class at DIS is called positive psychology. In this class I will explore and learn about what contributes to a person's psychological well-being and how where you live can affect your happiness. As part of my class I will participate in a couple field studies in Copenhagen and two week-long study tours to Western Denmark and Milan, Italy! I am still overwhelmed by all of the new things that I will be fortunate enough to experience in the upcoming months and how truly blessed I am to be here. I am so grateful for my mom and dad for making this opportunity possible. This is without a doubt going to be the experience of a lifetime. 

Today is Your Day

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!” 
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Today IS my day! My flight leaves Minneapolis tonight at 7pm! I cannot believe this day is finally here. Two of my best friends from Gustavus (Annie and Claire) are also studying abroad in Copenhagen. We booked our flights together, which will make things easier for everyone (especially our mothers). All three of us are beyond excited. Next time I write a post, I will be in wonderful Copenhagen!

Countdown to Copenhagen: 0 DAYS!!

My Life in a Suitcase

Well, the packing is over, and let me tell you it was not an easy venture. I never thought that a girl could have too many shoes until I tried fitting them all in my suitcase :). Now that the unpleasantness of packing is over, I am nothing but excited to leave! I no longer feel sad or anxious, just eager to see what adventures lie ahead for me. 

For those of you that may not know, I had a foreign exchange student from Denmark (Emma) live with me for an entire year when I was a senior in high school. The roles are about to be reversed as I am staying with her family for the next four months. I know I will be in good hands with the Larsens, which makes it a lot easier to leave the comforts of my own home.

Countdown to Copenhagen: 3 days! 

Hello All

As I'm sure most of you know, I will be living across the pond in Copenhagen, Denmark this semester! I decided to create this blog to keep friends and family updated on my little (or not so little) adventures abroad. Please don't expect much. I have never been one for journaling, and I'm not the most tech-savvy person but I will do my best to keep it updated!

Countdown on to Copenhagen: 6 days