Culture Shock: Absorbed

Go Danmark! I am currently watching the handball game between Denmark and Espana. It is the semi finals so as my host family says 'It's a really big deal!  Kind of like the superbowl of handball'. I am contently sitting here drinking tea and listening to Andreas (my host brother) and his friends exclaim from the other room with each goal (Ayyy if it's the other team, Yeah!! if it's our goal). We are ahead right now, but its only 10 minutes into the game, so we'll see!

I got to play badminton again this evening with Karina (host mom) and another couple.  They all said I'm getting better :)  I'm actually thinking of joining a badminton team with a sports club in Copenhagen.  I already tried soccer and decided it wasn't quite right, so maybe badminton is where it's at.

So here is how I decided soccer wasn't for me.  I really wanted a way to get out and meet people but not be super competitive (highly unlikely for me, but I thought I would give it a try).   I met a few other girls who were going to join this soccer club and they encouraged me to sign up, so I did.  I played soccer when I was younger on a team and again during recess nearly every day so I figured I could at least fake it and have fun.  Well...turns out all the DIS girls who came played competitively in highschool and/or college. Uh oh. We left from the DIS main building shortly after 6pm and all took the metro to Christianshavn (a neighborhood on the island of Amger), then we walked what felt like 100 miles in the dark cold to the fields.  I thought I was fairly prepared with my tennis shoes, shorts, and Prairie Fire tennis tshirt.  Well, as we were changing clothes in the locker room I realized two things. #1: I look nothing like a soccer player and #2: we would be playing outside.  Oh.  That was unfortunate. I put on my light sweater that is not made for exercising and my cute mittens and followed everyone to the field. About 10 minutes into this practice I wasn't even sure I had legs anymore.  We did a few drills that were completely unknown to me and I am happy to report I did actually make a few goals! But although it was nice to run around a bit, I honestly could not wait for the hour and a half to be over. For the last 20 minutes or so we split up into teams and played a real game.  I felt rather sorry for the poor girls who had me on their team.  I ended up as a defender, which wasn't too bad until my teammates start yelling all sorts of things that apparently should have told me where to run, who to cover, ect ect. I had no idea what they meant so I felt like a chicken flailing about without a head. On the bright side, one of the girls who knew I wasn't really a soccer playing told me I was doing a pretty good job of holding my own.  Even though I did end up enjoying the final game I was very happy when we were finally told to bring it in.  I stood by my motto (if I have the opportunity to do something, I will try it at least once) and I am pleased I made it through without bursting into tears (believe me, I was close a few times), but in the end it turns out soccer here just isn't my calling.

Let's see, the second thing I wanted to write about was what I miss from home.  Random items pop into my head every day while I'm riding the train, sitting in the lounge with my lunch, or drinking my nightly cup or tea. So far I have made this mental list:
Wheel of Fortune dinners with my parents  (when we sit by the fire and watch Pat and Vanna while eating dinner)
Swedish fish
Cheap candy (there is basically a junk food tax here--which I think is a great idea until I have a hankering for peanut m&ms or a twix bar-- both of which they have here but they are very expensive!)
Cappuccino that is sweet and not simply coffee and milk (even that still costs the equivalent of $4 here!)
Being able to text my sister or my friends whenever I want-- it's nice not always being attached to a phone, but it is so hard not being able to text people whenever I want.
Zumba!! I miss Zumba so much. There is a class at PalmFitness but I have not been able to make it yet.  I desperately need some latin rhythms in my life
Those are the main ones for right now-- so on the other side of the spectrum, there are also lots of things I absolutely love about Denmark so far. Here goes:
My host family-- it's easier not to be homesick when you have such a lovely home to stay in :)
My host kitty

The plethora of tasty pastries and bakeries from which to get said pastries

Babies in adorable snowsuits

(I'm sorry that is sideways, I cant figure out how to turn it. Can you see that adorable striped suit??)

Shops along nearly every street with fashionable (and very expensive) clothes sitting out in front to peruse or simply gawk at as I'm walking by

Amazing architecture: both the gorgeous old buildings and the new modern ones

The simplicity of Danish design; white walls often with black or grey furniture, modernist artwork, basic and funky stools and chairs, lots of windows, ect. Basically most of what I've seen so far looks like it came right from Ikea- it's awsome.
Being able to walk around the city both by myself just for fun and with at least 3 of my 6 classes for actual academic reasons
Cafe tables being out even with snow on the ground (for the brave who might want to eat dinner with hats and gloves on, though I have yet to see something like that)
Constantly being within 10 or so minutes from either a royal castle or another old, important building
Momentary update: The handball game is now 23-22. YIKES!
Anyway, there are so many things I love about being here and I imagine that list will continue to grow everyday
Oh and another thing I love about Denmark isn't actually about Denmark...but I love how much I get to skype with Hannah (my cousin who is studying in Scotland right now) We constantly share our stories with each other and it is just comforting having a friend/relative only a country and some water away from me

I know I said I also wanted to talk more about Danish architecture but this post is pretty long already so I will save that for another day.
DENMARK WON!!! What a close game! That was very exciting-- now they will play on Sunday in the final against France! I will definitely have to watch that one too.  It's the first time they have made it to finals in 40-some years!
Oh yes, tomorrow I am headed to Roskilde for a "Vikings and Kings" day trip. There is a cathedral where lots of kings and queens are buried and a Viking museum.  I'll have to bundle up and charge my camera.
And just a heads-up: my first study tour is coming up on Thursday! We will be heading to Western Denmark (Jutland) for lots of academic and cultural experiences. So I'm sure there will be a few long (and hopefully exciting) posts in the near future!
Until later- hej hej!

Tillykke med du fødselsdag Andreas! ---- Happy Birthday Andreas! (or more literally, congratulations on your day of birthday, Andreas!)

Today was my host brother's birthday; he turned 12 (tolv in dansk).  I was able to ask him this morning "Hvor gammel er du?" (How old are you) To which I think he responded "Jeg er tolv, og du?"  (I am 12, and you?)  I fumbled my way through "Enogtyve" (1 and 20). Thankfully they understood and helped me pronounce it.  Backing up just a little...Sunday we had family and friends over for brunch in celebration and it was awesome! There was a smorgasboard of rolls, pancakes (American pancakes!), fruit of all kinds, yogurt and granola, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, lox (cold salmon fillet), various cheeses and cold sausage, cupcakes, smoothies and juice.  Oh my goodness it was amazing.  I should have taken a picture. Plates covered the ledge beneath the window and the coffee table in the living room.  As I began eating, Jesper (my host dad) offered me a bottle and pointed towards a very small glass by my plate.  I sort of thought it was syrup until he said "Yeagermeister. Do you have that in America?  It's alcohol. Would you like some?"  Keep in mind it was 11:45 in the morning... So of course I said Sure!  You'll probably hear this again, but my motto for now is 'If I have the opportunity to do something, I might as well try it, at least once'.  (Don't worry, this only goes for good, morally sound experiences that my mother would approve of. Although I am not sure she would completely approve of the yeager at 11 in the morning but you get my point)  I like to think I took that shot like a champ but actually the nice man sitting next to me offered to finish it off for me when he realized I had taken only a few rather small sips.  I think I still need a few weeks to work up a more Danish tolerance of alcohol.  After we finished eating we sat around the table and talked and talked and talked for at least an hour or two. Well...they talked and talked and talked and I listened to their rapid Danish and tried to pull out words I knew while I smiled at the right times and laughed when they did, but really had no idea what was going on.  Every once in a while they would translate for me and summarize the conversation, which I greatly appreciated.  I am learning Danish as fast as I can but so far I'm only up to basic conversations and the number 20.  I'm glad most Danes understand and don't get too annoyed.  Anyway, after the very hyggeligt Sunday afternoon...(have I mentioned hygee before?  I'll go into more detail later but it basically means a cozy time with food and friends)..so after Sunday we had lots of delicious leftovers just waiting to be packed up for my lunch yesterday and then today was Andreas's actual birthday.  This morning we all woke up extra early and snuck into Andreas's room where we woke him up by singing the Danish birthday song and waving the Danish flag. Apparently this is a very common tradition-- and a fun one if I may say so myself! I had to just listen and smile with the Danish song, but to my surprise they sang the American song too! We had a lovely breakfast and Andreas opened his presents, which consisted mostly of money to go towards his XBox 3 fund, some toys from his sister and the book The Giver and some American money from me so he can buy a souvenir when they go to New York this summer (I recommended the Statue of Liberty crown hat). 

I was able to come home from the city around 3 today and this evening we had a fancy dinner with a smaller group of family and friends.  Then, this is my favorite part, we had birthday cake. It was this wonderful concoction called Layer Cake. It was light, fluffy dough in 2 (or maybe 3) layers with fluffy filling and crushed up cookies layered with bananas, grape slices and the Danish equivalent of chocolate chips (which actually look like flattened American chocolate chips).  It was delicious!  I may have to request this for my birthday next November when I am back home. After cake we had tea and just chatted about all sorts of things.  I think this was one of the most relaxing Tuesday evenings I have had in a long time.  I am so pleased Andreas was born today, 12 years ago, so we could celebrate :)   I have much more to talk about, but I should get to bed soon so I will post again in the next few days.  Here is a summary of things to come:  my attempt at soccer, things I miss from home, some in depth info about Danish architecture (both from my class and from experience) and my favorite things about Denmark so far.  Until next time...hej hej!

Time flies when you're busying having the time of your life in Europe

             My first day of classes picture.  I'm just practicing adding pictures so when I have more exciting ones to show you I will know what I'm doing :)


             I have been here 6 days and although it has gone by in the blink of an eye, it also feels like forever ago when I hopped off the plane last Sunday morning.  I have now had two days of classes and I honestly love all of them so far.  On Thursday I had my first Danish language and culture class and European Urban Design Theories.  Dansk (Danish) was quite fun and I learned how to say who I am, where I am from, where I'm living in Denmark and what I am studying.  I love that I get to practice with my family.  Rebecca and I worked on the alphabet after dinner one evening and I got to look at a fun little children's book with pictures.  I keep saying all the letters in my head so I think I am getting better each day!  Here is a taste of danish:  Jeg bor med en dansk familie i Bagsværd.  And here is how I think that phrase actually sounds "Yi bore meth en dansk familia e boughs ver."  Haha, it is difficult, but I am so glad I'm learning it.  Jesper  (yespa), my host dad, told me that if I can learn all the numbers 1-100 in danish before I leave there will be a prize. I will get to work on that soon.  Back to classes...so after danish I had a break for lunch, which I spent in a student lounge happily eating my smørrebrød and clementines, then I went to European Urban Design Theories and felt a little out of place being the only psychologist in a room of architects and urban design majors.  We talked about how the layout of Copenhagen came about- it started as a fortified city and when it started to expand, the neighborhoods were named after the directions: Nørreport, Østerport, and Vesterport  (North, East and West)  South is where the harbor was...but now there is the island of Amger (am-ah)...which is nicknamed shit island because they used to use it as a landfill.  Nice danish facts, right?  Anyway, after our lecture, we went on a walking tour of the city.  It was gorgeous, but will be even more so in the spring so that is when I plan to take lots of picture and post them for your visual enjoyment.

        On Friday I had Positive Psychology and then Sustainability in Austrian Architecture.  This psych class is fascinating and I actually wish we had it more often than twice a week.  I am looking forward to our study trips with that class.  Our first one is in less than 2 weeks!  On the 3rd we will head to Western Denmark (Jutland) for a few days.  Our first "assignment" in that class is to write down 3 things each day that made us happy.  They can be small things someone else did or just a thought that crossed my mind.  It's just a little happiness booster to work on over the next 7 days. I'll let you know if I am suddenly much happier :)

         In my Austrian Architecture class I again felt out of place, but the teacher seemed really happy that a psychologist was in the class.  He said it will be good to have many different areas to pull from for the discussions.  I am so excited about that class and our trip to Voralberg, Austria at the beginning on April.

         After my successful classes on Friday I ate lunch and got some readings from the library (which I have yet to do this weekend), then I went to PalmFitness for my first workout there.  I even braved the scary free weights room where the big muscly guys were.  After I got back from the city, Karina, Jesper and I went with one of their friends to play badminton. I wasn't very good at first but it was actually a lot of fun! It was a nice way to unwind after the crazy week.  I even got better at "smashing" the birdie, which is similar to smashing a tennis ball, but even more fun because the birdie rarely goes out of bounds.

       I ended my Friday night at the DIS welcome party at a club downtown. The first few hours were only for DIS students so it was very American. American music, American dancing. It was ok but nothing special.  Later on, the Danes came and I have to say, that was way more fun.  I met a few Danes, danced to some Danish music and made it home safely on the night bus.  It was overall a good city nightlife experience.
      
             Today was spent sleeping in (oops!), having brunch with homemade rolls, butter and rhubarb jam, cleaning my room and taking my first trip to Ikea! I bought a few small things for my room and drooled over the beautiful room designs.  And now I am home waiting to skype with my family!  This will be the first time I have seen or talked to them since I left, although we have been emailing and facebooking.  As much as I love it here, I definitely miss them and am anxious to see their smiles :)    Oh, tomorrow is my host brother Andreas's birthday brunch.  The house will soon be full of family and lots and lots of food!  I will probably sit at my computer tomorrow in a food coma and attempt to write about my first Danish birthday celebration.  

Day 2 of orientation and exploration

Today is the end of our first two orientation days. We have one more tomorrow and then it will be time for classes to start and for people to stop pampering us and saying "Are you still jet-legged? It's ok, you just got here."  Here is what we did these first two days:
Welcome Ceremony
Lunch in groups of 6 students (we picked a burger place) and a city scavenger hunt
Our tasks for the scavenger hunt included familiarizing ourselves with the DIS buildings, the shops and cafes around DIS, going to a grocery store, understanding the various types of public transportation (bus, S-tog, metro, etc), and learning which stores give us discounts for being DIS students.  We split up after finishing most of the questions and I walked from my S-tog train stop to the DIS buildings so I know exactly where I am going for classes.  Then we had a "Immerse Yourself" fair where different groups were waiting to give us information and encourage us to sign up.  I gave my email address to a soccer club and got info from another sports place where I can take dance classes.  I don't know yet what all I will do but I just know I can't go a whole 4 months without some good ballroom in my life.  After that I headed home on the train and walked back to Graevelingestein, the neighborhood I am living in. Karina and Jesper made Greek frikadellar (meatballs) and Greek "yogurt" with garlic, cucumbers, and some other stuff. They also made nachos and baked bread chips. It was a meal of 'tapas' or appetizer-like things.  It was all very yummy!
This morning we had a session "Urban Awareness" where we went out in groups and visited various landmarks and historical sites.  I liked this even more than the scavenger hunt because we got to see so much more of the city.  We went to the Cathedral (Church of our Lady), Christiansborg Castle Square, The Royal Theater, a charming square with some veeeery old buildings and  the Queen's Castle (Amalienborg).  At each place there were DIS people waiting to tell us the historical aspects of that location. It was fascinating. We learned a lot and arrived at the Castle at the perfect time to watch the Changing of the Guards. It happens at noon every day apparently and its a pretty big deal. Some of the guards play instruments and play various marches while marching around the square before actually switching some guards out with different ones.  After being super touristy and talking pictures of the castle and the guards, we headed to a Netto (grocery store) to buy our assigned items for a lunch all the groups made today later.  We had sandwiches and meat, cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers...and I even tried liverpaste!  I was quite proud of myself with that one and I can't even say I hated it...it was just interesting and even yummier with cucumber slices on top.
After that whole session was over, we split up into our core class sections.  My core class is Positive Psychology and I am in the section whose study tour is to Milan.  My professor's name is Anders Myszak and it seems like it's going to be a fantastic course.  Yay!
Anyways then I walked to a little Wal-greens type store with some friends where I found a bunch of stuff I wanted but couldn't bring myself to buy anything at the ridiculous Danish prices.  I guess I can go without a little stand up mirror to put on my desk so I can do make up there.  My final stop of the night was at PalmFitness, a very nice gym on my way from Norreport train station to DIS.  I got a tour and decided I would sign up for a membership tomorrow. They have Zumba classes! and lots of other cool things.  Now I won't put on a ton of pounds from all these Danish pastries.  I nearly fell asleep on the train home because it was such a long day.  Good thing I know now how to recognize Stengarden, which is the name of my stop and isn't pronounced they way you think it is :P   I ate dinner with Karina and Rebecca until Jesper and Andreas came home from table tennis.  Then Karina took Rebecca off to her swim lessons. Maybe one of these days I will ask to see the pool where she swims.
So it's 8:30 at night and I just want to lay in my bed and fall asleep, haha. Exploring a new city and trying not to get lost amidst a crowd of Danes is hard work.
One last thing-  Yesterday I had a very interesting experience. During the welcome ceremony, Anders Larsen, one of the program directors, was speaking and I suddenly saw the U.S. in a slightly different light.  No longer was it the center of my world.  It had always been easy for me to just see the American side to things and almost feel the U.S. encompasses most of the world. That is a lie.  Yes America is large and is also an important influence on many european cultures, but in my eyes America just shrank.  It's very hard to explain, but I also began to notice how young America is in a way I hadn't before. I cannot describe the history in this city- it's incredible.  It is so old and even though it has burned down many, many times, there are still some places that have not been destroyed and you can really see the history.  I just hadn't really put America's beginning into a context that included the history of European countries.  Ok I am too tired to go on but hopefully that made sense!  Bye for now...

Hej from Bagsværd!

Guess who made it all in one happy piece to Kobenhavn (Copenhagen)??  If you guessed me (which you should have since it's my blog and it's about me being in Denmark)...you are 100% right! After a teary goodbye with my mom and dad yesterday morning I was off on my own to begin my adventure. I could not have asked for better travel, except for the moment of panic at the beginning when the lady at the desk told me I didn't have an eticket for my first flight.  But once that got all figured out it was smooth sailing! Almost all of my flights left and arrived a little earlier than expected, I got a window seat on the way to Chicago from Omaha, I had an aisle seat with no one beside me on the nice Lufthansa plane, where we got to watch 2 movies and eat dinner and breakfast, and then in Frankfurt I made it to my gate in plenty of time and even met 4 other DIS girls.  All in all it was a calm, pleasant trip.  

Once we got to Copenhagen the other DIS girls and I picked up our bags and found DIS helpers.  I walked with one of my new acquaintances to the Hilton Hotel where we registered and then kept ourselves busy for 2 1/2 hours before my host family and her Danish roommate came to pick us up.  We had a brief Announcements and Welcome session after which they opened the doors and called us out when they found our family/roommate.  When the nice DIS girl called my name I walked over to the doorway and immediately saw the Larsen family (whom I recognized from the picture they sent me) so I told her I saw them and she gave me my paper and wished me luck.  I walked up to the family and immediately 11-year old Andreas stepped out to give me a big hug and say hello.  It was such a good welcome.  I hugged each of them, Karina, Jesper and 9-year old Rebecca (who is a little shy with the English but is extremely sweet).  I led them to my luggage and Jesper grabbed the two large, heavy ones and off we went to their sleek, silver car.  They began chatting with me right away about how the flight was, if I had eaten recently and whether it was hard to leave my family (the answer is definitely yes).  They even let me sit up front in the car so I got a good view of wintery Denmark...which actually looks a lot like bleak Iowa, haha. But I was excited nonetheless.  

It didn't take long before we arrived in their neighborhood Bagsvaerd.  It is a quaint little town with houses much closer together and more heavily vegetated than my own neighborhood in Newton.  We drove from there up to the Station that I will be walking to in the morning so I can take the train to my DIS stuff in Copenhagen.  It isn't a long walk at all; I think I will enjoy it very much.  Then we drove back to their sweet house and we carried my stuff inside.  First thing I noticed was the plethora of beautiful windows, the white walls and the colorful furniture, accessories and art that make it so cozy-feeling.  They showed me to my room where I have a bed, a cute yellow dresser, a beautiful desk and some art made especially for me by Rebecca and Andreas.  I will add pictures soon!  

After that they fixed some lunch and I got to experience my first smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich). There were various toppings like cheeses, meats, tomatoes and cucumbers.  I made two different delicious combinations and was quite pleased with the outcomes.  After lunch the Larsens showed me their photo album from Yellowstone!! I had sent them a picture of my parents and I from this past summer when we visited Yellowstone and they were excited because they had been in the same exact place. Crazy!  So I saw beautiful pictures of places in the U.S. that I have been and also places I have never been...like the Grand Canyon and Salt Lake City.  This family really loves to travel! I later got to see their album from Greece. Beautiful! 

After a while we all bundled up in coats and gloves and drove down to a nearby lake for a walk, stopping first at a grocery store so I could tell them what sorts of things I like to eat. I kept saying I'm not very picky but I did end up telling them which kinds of fruits, meats and cheeses I particularly enjoy.  It was so strange having all the food in another language so I could barely tell what was what....oh, except for Oreos.  I knew what those were without even reading the name.  Anywho, it was actually in the high 30s or maybe even low 40s so being by the lake I felt almost like it was spring.  We slid across some melting ice and crunched through some snow, chatting and looking at the sights on the lake.  It was lovely and I the fresh air was just what I needed.

  

It got dark quickly after our walk and we all sat down and watched X Factor, a Danish version of American Idol (there is even a somewhat rude Danish Simon Cowell type guy!).  They did some translating for me so I had an idea of what was going on...but thats one nice thing about music: even if you can't understand the lyrics, you can still appreciate the beauty of it.  At this point I began to feel like it was 9:00 at night because it was dark and I was so sleepy, but then I realized it as 16:30 and we hadn't even had dinner, so I unpacked all of my stuff while Jesper and Karina made a delicious meal.  Meals have already given us some time to get to know each other and I like this family more and more every minute!  Andreas started chattering with me as soon as we got in the car today and although Rebecca is more quiet she will definitely talk to me if she understands what I'm saying and if not she just does a cute little laugh.  They have already helped me with lots of Danish words too and they said I am a fast learner :)  

Sorry this post was so detailed and lengthy, I was just so pleased with my first day in Denmark that I wanted to document all of it.  Oh! Before I forget- the Larsens loved the presents I brought them (especially my mom's caramels!) I also brought them a Knox calendar and a book of Iowa photography.  And they were intrigued with the cool ribbon I brought and they want to try to make their own (Seyb family, you should know what I'm talking about :)

Ok, now I think I can wrap this up- I'm sure I will have lots more to talk about soon but I am quite tired now as it was such a big day and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep on any of the flights.  So, tak (thanks) and godnat (goodnight)!

Last night in the US

I wrote this post while riding in the car with my parents on our way to Omaha, where we are staying in a hotel until my flight tomorrow morning.
"We just had a lovely family dinner at HuHot with Abby and Kyle.  Of course this is the exciting time I’ve been getting ready for…but the saying goodbye is simply not fun at all.  As my time at home grew shorter, the more I began to realize how much I would miss it all.  It feels as though I will hop on a plane, fly for a little while and then land back in Iowa and return to my now very clean and somewhat empty room.  But that is not what will happen.  Tomorrow morning I will get on a plane and travel across the ocean (of course I do have a 3 hour layover in Chicago first, but that’s not the point).  On Sunday I will land in Frankfurt and get on a final flight to Copenhagen.  And thus begins my adventure.

Things I am looking forward to:

Meeting the Larsens, my host family

Seeing Danes ride bikes in the snow

Figuring out what European music is really like

All of my classes, but especially my Psych of Happiness class

Public transportation (I know it seems silly, but I’ve never relied on public transportation before so it’s exciting!)

Strolling down Strøget

Seeing Nyhavn in person and, of course, taking pictures of it

Hearing Danish everywhere I go…which will be awesome albeit totally overwhelming

And yes, I am very much looking forward to Danish pastries J

That's it for now! Next time I post I will either be in Chicago waiting for my flight or already in Denmark!!

The most exciting news yet: I have a host family!!

Yesterday I got an email from my host family: Jesper, Karina, Andreas and Rebecca Larsen.  I don't think I have ever been quite so thrilled about an email :)  I grabbed my computer, slid my way into the kitchen (tile floors and socks make for good sliding) and excitedly read the email to my mom, dad and sister.
The Larsen's sound wonderful!  Andreas is 11 and Rebecca is 9 and they all play various sports.  Rebecca swims (just like me!) and does horsebackriding. Andreas play soccer and tabletennis.  My dad is a rather avid table tennis player so when I read that part I think he started trying to figure out how he could go instead of me, haha.  I'm not sure exactly which neighborhood the Larsen's live in, but I will have about a 30 minute commute by bus or train to DIS, which is in the center of Copenhagen.  I've never actually gotten to commute before so I'm really looking forward to it.  It'll give me some time to read, write and see more of Denmark.  This will be only my second real experience with public transportation (I rode the metra a few times in Chicago) so I'm anxious to see what it's like!

Andreas and Rebecca are learning English; I bet I can help them with that while they help me with Danish!  Every time I try to speak Danish in my mind, I come up with Spanish words instead.  There must be a "foreign language" part of the brain and right now it is overpowered with espanol.  Hopefully that will change soon!  I do know how to say thank you in Danish though-- tak. And thank you very much-- Mange tak.
Once I get all of my summer internship applications done today or tomorrow I will spend a lot more time learning phrases and such.

Back to my host family, they have a cute cat named Tiger.  I will have to send them a picture of my cat, Scooter soon :)  Also, I was surprised and pleased to read that I will have wireless internet in my room.  I would've been happy to be in a house without it, but it will be very nice to be able to check email, skype with my fam and friends and write on my blog from the house.
All in all, I could not be happier about my upcoming experience and I'm very excited to meet the Larsen family in just 11 days!!

2011, the year of adventures, has begun

Well the holidays were wonderful and flew by in a red and green flash full of family, friends and food. We had a cozy Christmas followed by a few unfortunate days of sickness (stomach flu hit me Christmas night), but then we were all healthy and happy to ring in the New Year at our traditional party with Mike and Ginny Dalton (a.k.a. my parents' best friends that I have known and loved my whole life). I am completely convinced that a New Year's Eve spent any other way than at the Clark/Dalton get-together is just not right for me. We had a blast playing games and discussing the good and the bad of 2010 and then we welcomed 2011 with cheers and hugs and the talk of resolutions. Just in case I forget my resolutions, here they are:

-Survive Denmark...and enjoy it.

-Smile more.

-Get an internship for this summer.

-Dance A LOT.

I realize they aren't magical or even unique but I honestly don't know what to expect of 2011 so I decided to be vague and then I can just go with the flow. Hopefully in a year I can look back and laugh at how much I've grown since writing those resolutions.

Trip update: My flight issues have been resolved. For whatever reason Lufthansa moved my first flight back an hour which would have caused me to miss my Chicago flight. So now I have to leave on a 10:46 am flight from Omaha and then sit in O'hare a little longer than expected. Good thing I got an awesome book for Christmas that can help occupy me. My parents and I will head to Omaha the Friday night before I leave and stay in a hotel so we don't have to leave Newton at an ungodly hour Saturday morning. I will have to be at the airport around 8 or so to check my bags and such. I will (hopefully) arrive in Copenhagen the following day (Sunday, Jan 16th) around 9:30 am.

Less than two weeks to departure and loads to get done. On the super bright side, my cousin (Hannah Seyb) is going to Scotland and we have decided to run amok in Europe together during spring break! We basically want to go to every single country, but I suppose we will have to shorten the list when we make our official plans. Wishing her safe and happy travels as she is leaving this Friday!

Happy back to school to my Knox friends.

Until next time...