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Tonight I returned from my "short study tour" in western Denmark. It was interesting, exhausting and most importantly a lot of fun. Getting out of the classroom and embarking on this little journey together was the perfect opportunity for my core class to really bond. We spent the past three days exploring and learning in various cities in Jutland, which is the main peninsula of Denmark. I had a great time and will share more details about the trip later because my bed is calling my name at the moment. But before I call it a night, I want to quickly share the highlight of my day today.

We got back to Copenhagen around 7:30pm this evening. Let's just say I was not in the best mood when we returned. I was exhausted from the trip and the long bus ride. On my walk home from the metro station I remember just dragging my suitcase through the snow, being angry about how cold it was and thinking about how much homework I have to do tomorrow. However, when I approached my house my mood instantly changed. I could see my host family all eating dinner together in the window and I felt a surge of excitement to be back. I walked inside the warm house and saw that they had set a place for me at the table and were awaiting my return. It was at this moment that I realized how much Copenhagen is starting to feel like a home away from home.

Oh Happy Day

My core course week got off to a great start today! We started the day by watching "Happy." The documentary was a collection of interviews of people all over the world talking about what happiness means to them. The interview that really stuck with me was with a cheerful 106-year-old Japanese woman who said that the "recipe for life" was sweat, sleep, sake and socializing. I think she has the right idea. In order to get the most out of life one must work hard, take care of their body, take time to relax and let loose, and spend meaningful time with friends and family. My positive psychology class has taught me to spend more time each day reflecting and counting my blessings. I have been journaling a lot lately, and have found it to be a great way to unwind each night and appreciate what I have. I don't think I will ever be able to put into words how thankful I am to my parents for making this semester possible. I know it's cliche but this truly has been (and will continue to be I'm sure) the experience of a lifetime.
We ended our day with a guest lecture from Alexander Kjaerulf, who travels the world leading workshops to improve happiness in the workplace. The goal of his company is to "create a world where happiness at work is the requirement and not the exception." I thought Alex was a fantastic speaker. I found the lecture to be applicable to my life because I will be starting my first "big girl job," working as a management development intern for Securian Financial when I return home in May. All in all, it was a very inspiring and happy day.

Date with Lincoln

I was fortunate enough to get to spend my Sunday with Anne again! First we went to see Lincoln at the Grand Theater. The Grand is one of Copenhagen's oldest movie theaters. Although very old and small, I thought is was quite charming and had a lot of character. Buying your ticket is much different then the states because you actually pay for a specific seat. Both Anne and I thought that Lincoln was incredible. We were literally at a loss for words when it ended. After the movie we had a wonderful lunch at Kafe Kys (cafe kiss). Then we took a walk to the harbor and rode the harbor bus for a while. It was nice to see the city from the water and even nicer that I had my personal tour guide to tell me what everything was :)

I am excited for school this week because it is "core course week," which means that I only meet with my positive psychology class all week. We have a couple guest lectures, field trips and videos planned for Monday and Tuesday. Then on Thursday I will travel with my class to western Denmark for three days. Although Copenhagen has won me over, I am excited to experience others parts of the country as well.

Christiania

Today I went with Annie, Leah and Claire to Christiania, which is Copenhagen's biggest tourist attraction and truly a unique place. Christiania is sort of its own little world within Copenhagen. There are around 850 people who live in this strange woodstock-ish free commune. The residents established their own set of rules that differ from Danish law. "Pusher Street" is one of the reasons why Christiania is so famous. Here you can find cannabis for sale in all different forms (although hard drugs are strictly prohibited). There are a lot of things to see in Christiania, including many one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants. We wandered around the main streets and then took a walk around the lake, which is where most of the "houses" are. After exploring, we were all freezing and finished off our visit with coffee and hot cocoa at a cafe called the Månefiskeren (moon-fisher).  It was an extremely beautiful and interesting area to explore but we also had to be very careful and respectful of the Christianites in order to stay out of trouble.

Symbol of Christiania-- the circles are for the dots of the 3 "i"s in Christiania

Schoolhouse 

A Christianite's humble abode

Oh and just a little side note, I tried herring for the first time at dinner tonight! 

Finding a Routine

I have now been here for almost 3 weeks. In some ways I feel like I just arrived yesterday, but in others it feels like it has been much longer. I am now completely comfortable getting around the city, which makes life a whole lot easier. I'm also adjusting to my classes and the Danish teaching style. Danes love group work! I have never had so many group projects in my life, which took a little getting used to but will be good for me I think. This week went well. Nothing too exciting happened, but I am happy that I figured out a weekly routine. Here are some snapshots to see what a typical week looks like for me!

Early morning metro rides to class

Exploring the city in my free time!

Going for runs to Christianshavn at sunset

And unfortunately, a decent amount of homework...

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!