January 21, 2020
Hej!
Currently I am sitting by the windowsill in my room here in Copenhagen:) I arrived about a week ago (almost) on January 11th, which is absolutely crazy to think about because it does not feel that long ago. Time here seems to slip by me, especially during the adjustment period— hence, why I am just now updating you several days later (sorry!!)
On January 10th, I left my comfortable and familiar home in the Bay Area to catch an 11.5hr flight to Germany where I would then have a 6hr layover before my 1.5hr flight to Copenhagen. To say the least, it was a loooong day and having never traveled to Europe, quite an overwhelming and exciting one as well. Although I was nervous and couldn’t stop thinking about nearly everything that could possibly go wrong, I was as ready as I could be to start my journey to Copenhagen. Last minute packing, sad and hopeful goodbyes, and scrambling to the airport had all lead me to SFO (San Francisco, CA) where I sat in a plane among many other faces of different ages, genders, and races all going to different places.
Once I arrived to Munich, Germany, the colors drastically changed. What was once sunny became cold, dark, and cloudy; and the faces began to look more pale. I began to feel intimidated by the lack of color, afraid that I stuck out like a sore thumb, so I decided to explore and distract myself. The airport in Munich is ginormous, futuristic, and quite advanced in that it had airport showers, “sleep pods,” and even indoor smoking areas known as the Camel Lounge.
I have never been to a country where I did not speak the language, but now I understood the disorientated state one may feel in a completely new space. I anticipated Copenhagen to be much like this experience in the Munich airport, but part of me was excited for the unknown that awaited me. Once I arrived to Copenhagen, I lugged my big suitcase, carry-on, and big ol’ backpack to the Metro station where I caught a train to the neighborhood that was to become my new home.
If there’s anything you should know about Copenhagen is that THERE ARE SO MANY STAIRS!! They’re everywhere– whether it is to come up from the Metro or to go up the stairs to your apartment— picture this: a 5’0″ft girl carrying suitcases equal to her weight up 4 flights of stairs.. a sweaty and exhausting sight. Also, Copenhagen’s streets are made out of cobblestone which makes it quite difficult to walk or roll luggage haha. Needless to say, it was a mission to arrive in Denmark, but I am happy to finally be here.
Since arriving, it has been about familiarizing myself with the area and the people; new customs and cultural values; the weather and lack of sun; the language at DIS and the language as a whole. I have placed myself in the middle of unfamiliarity and discomfort, but I know that being here will push me towards people, experiences, and growth in ways that are unknown.
Classes at DIS have started and I am looking forward to all of mine: Psychology of Endings; Masculinities in Scandinavia; Positive Psychology; Sociology of Soccer; and Neuroscience of Religion and Atheism. The last class mentioned is the entire reason why I am here in Copenhagen– it is the epitome of my academic interests— and although I am looking forward to all the traveling, incredible opportunities, and experiences I will encounter, I am most excited to learn about what interests me.
Bring it on Copenhagen
(Den)marks the spot— A semester abroad 