Until Next Time...

I remember the days leading up to my departure for my semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The frantic packing that my mother and I were doing hours before my flight, the slight anxiety/excitement that I had on the way to the airport, and the feeling that I was not yet prepared to embark on this journey. 5 months later, I cannot believe I am back in my room, in Chicago, typing a blog post about my amazing experience.  It is so hard to sum up the best 4 months of my life in a blog post.  It was almost hard to write this because I didn’t want to come to terms with the fact that my magical semester in Denmark was over.  Time truly waits for no one.  4 months, felt like 4 weeks, and my magical experience seems like it was all a dream.  I have these memories that warm my heart every time I see something that reminds me of my trip, or talk to one of the great friends that I met along the w ay. 

My semester was amazing not just because of the wonderful country, my exceptional host family, invaluable learning experiences, and weeks of traveling the world. 

It was amazing because I grew up.

I grew in ways that are hard to articulate and ways that I really do not understand.  But most importantly, I experienced the way another culture lives. There is a bigger picture and sometimes we get stuck in our own “stuff” and don’t realize that there is so much in the world that we have yet to discover.  Things that will open your mind, people who will touch your soul, and moments that will forever change your outlook on life.    

I miss Denmark already.  I miss my friends, I miss the public transportation, the Shawarma, the cobblestone streets, the fashion, the beautiful Danish men, my host family, being able to hop to another country for lunch, insightful conversations with strangers, I miss the ease of it all.

I miss the Peace.

As I go into my second semester of my junior year at Spelman College, I am thankful for everything I learned in Denmark, for the people I met, and the woman I became.  And I will continue to positively impact my campus and surrounding community.

My traveling days however, are far from over.  I have chipped the tip of the iceberg, and I have so much more to discover.

This semester was nothing short of a blessing.  Denmark was my home, but Europe was my classroom.  Not many can say that.

Tak, Vi ses, and until next time.

Ready for Some Fun?

St. Peder's bakery

Whenever I go to a new country, or state for that matter, I am very interested in the nightlife and the food. I love to have fun and I think there is almost no better way to get to know locals than to go out with them. Food is also very high on my list because I like to eat...and food can make or break an experience.  Luckily, Denmark had more to offer than I thought in both areas.  The food was great, and the nightlife was even better.  Here are some of my favorite places to eat, grab a cup of coffee, and to dance allll night.

Things to Do, Places to See

Sadly, my time in Denmark has come to an end.  However, I could not leave without sharing some of my favorite things to do and places to go for all of my Spelman sisters who will come after me, and anyone else who ever stumbles upon the forgotten gem that is Copenhagen, Denmark.

So. Let’s get started.

Things to See

•  The Little Mermaid Statue

• Denmark is the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson, the creator of almost all fairytales.  The little mermaid is an ode to him, and the pride and glory of Denmark.  She is a bit small, fyi. (Just incase you were expecting something grand) 
• Amalienborg
• This is the royal palace and home to the Danish Royal family.
• The Black Diamond aka The Royal Library
• This library is located in Christianshavn and is a great place to study
• The Happy Wall
• This is where I took one of my first pictures in Copenhagen and can be seen in post #1.  Located in Kongens Nytorv, it is a little piece of Copenhagen that will surely brighten your day.

Things to Do

• Canal Tour



Looking at the Black Diamond on a Canal Tour

• This may seem too touristy, but it's actually worth while. 
• Botanical Garden
• Nyhavn
• You know that cliché photo you see of the colorful buildings along a canal whenever you Google Copenhagen? Yea that’s NyHavn (pronounced New Hown in Danish). If it is warm, grab some wine and cheese and sit on the edge of the harbor with a friend and enjoy the life around you.
• Round Tower
• Climb to the top and see an awesome view of Copenhagen
• Christiansborg Palace



Tivoli during Christmas

• It's beautiful and the Parliament and Supreme Court all hold office here.
• Rosenborg Castle
• Home to the Crown Jewels
• Statens Museum of Kunst
• This art museum has a lot of FREE.99 exhibits. Perfect for students
• Lousiana Museum of Modern Art
• Tivoli
• This is the oldest amusement park in the world and worth a visit. Located in front of the central train station, it's very hard to miss.
• Carlsberg Brewery
• Carlsberg beer is the dominant beer company in Denmark and the Brewery is located in Valby and open to the public.
• Copenhagen Zoo
• I mean...it's like any other zoo honestly, but I'm just a big kid and love zoos.

* For one day only in October, Copenhagen has Kulternatten or Culture Night in English.  This is when most of the cities' attractions have free entry or discounted entry, and restaurants and other specialty places have discounts. For 100kr, you buy the Kulternatten pin and have access to all the specials for the entire day.  The entire city comes out and it is a lot of fun! *

Hope these were great suggestions and if you are ever in Copenhagen, make sure to check em out. 

-Restaurant and Nightlife recommendations coming next!

JUL

Christmas, or Jul (pronounced YULE), as the Danes call it, is the most wonderful time of the year in Denmark.  The entire country becomes a winter wonderland, and Jul traditions can be seen in every Danish household.  In America, the typical sign that Christmas is upon us is that one radio station that insists on playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. However, in Denmark, they put our sad radio to shame.

J-Dag is always the first Friday in November and the official start of the Christmas season.  Why, you ask?  THE CHRISTMAS BEERS ARE HERE!

This day is huge, not just for beer lovers, but for most of Copenhagen.  The entire city is lit up with Christmas lights, fake snow, and a bunch of drunk and happy Danish people in blue santa hats.  The Tuborg Christmas beer becomes readily available in all bars and clubs and it is a night full of fun and spirit. So of course my friends and I had to attend, it was a Danish tradition, we had no other choice.

We walked to the street with most of the bars and right at 8:59pm on the dot, we see the truck.  The back of the truck opens and women and men in blue outfits come jumping out with cases of beer, hats, and flyers.  There are men dressed in huge snow man costumes, and a flurry of fake snow(foam) flying everywhere.  It was truly magical, hilarious, and a great time.  We were so happy that we were given the opportunity to experience a tradition that has lived on for years in the Danish culture. 

J-Dag goes down as one of my best nights in Copenhagen.  The city was alive like I had never seen it before.

 

This is the original commercial that Tuborg used to advertise the coming of their Christmas beers in 1984 and they still use it today.

Other big Jul tradtitions include:

•    Exchanging small gifts with family every Sunday leading to Christmas
•  Eating the traditional Christmas dinner (roast pork with crackling skin, purple cabbage, caramelized potatoes, and this delectable brown sauce) *my mouth is watering*
• Rice Porridge with crushed almonds (there is always one whole almond hiding inside and whomever finds it gets a gift)
• The Christmas Market (these are found in most of Europe and originated in Germany)
•  Celebrating on Christmas Eve
•  Oh….and Æbleskiver. Yum Yum Yum.

ÆBLESKIVER

If ever looking for another country to spend Christmas in, go to Denmark. The spirit will surely not be lost.