Yesterday felt like one very long day, instead of two days like it really was. My very long day included three breakfasts, one lunch, and two dinners. It started in Cincinnati and ended in Copenhagen. I had a very easy flight without the usual Combs Family airport drama. I even met a girl studying with DIS (my study abroad program) at the Cincinnati airport and was able to stick with her between flights. After a long flight I finally arrived in Copenhagen! My day involved a lot of emotion, going from happy to sad and from excited to wondering what I got myself into. It was when I landed that my emotions confused me. I knew saying goodbye at the airport would be sad, and that take-off would be exciting. I also knew my first thoughts when the plane landed in Denmark would be "I can't believe I'm finally here," what I didn't know was that the thought would continue to something like "i'm nervous!" All summer people have asked me if I was nervous to go abroad and I was so far from it the question confused me, I didn't know what to be nervous about. But there I was, in the country I've been waiting to see for so long, and I felt nervous. Sometimes I think people understand others better than themselves.
Luckily the nervousness that caught me so off guard faded within 10 minutes. I then faced my first challenge and even had to work with a group to conquer it! How were 10 girls each with two loaded suitcases and weighed down backpacks supposed to get up an escalator as wide as one person, walk around a corner, maneuver them through bars as wide as one suitcase turned to the side, and then back down the skinny escalator only to pull them another 100 yards to a hotel nearby? The answer was slow moving, lots of trips, and not worrying about broken toes or arms being pulled out of our bodies.
Finally I got to a small room, zipped through a small orientation, and then met my host family. Finally, I felt like I was in Denmark! My host family was one of the first families to arrive and I could even see them waiting for me during my mini orientation. The family is made up of a dad, Verner, a mom, Anne, and a 10 year old boy, Anders. They all speak english very well and were very talkative. I am lucky Anders speaks english so well, most children can't. The family lived in the US for two years because of Anne's work and there Anders learned a lot of english and still remembers most of it. When I arrived at their house, they had a table set with American Flag napkins and red and silver ribbons draped around the overhead light. It was so cute of them! We sat at the table for my first Danish meal! They bought breads, cheeses, and danishes on our way home. Like I said I would, I tried a danish, my first pastry in years! It was ok, but I liked one of the breads much better! They said the one I had wasn't the real danish anyway, so I'll try one again later.
The rest of the day I spent unpacking, visiting with my host family, taking a short nap through the rain, and taking a walk to the beach, which is very close to their house! It is less than a ten minute walk to get to the shore, and it is beautiful! In the distance you can see windmills and they told me sometimes you can see the bridge to Sweden. Just another five or ten minutes down from the shore is a harbor filled with sailboats and fishing boats. I love it and am so lucky to have it so close! The harbor reminded me of my grandfather, I know that he would have loved it.
When we returned we visited some more, had dinner on their back deck, and enjoyed a peaceful evening. I went to bed at a pretty normal time, I don't think jet leg is going to get me to much this time!
Now for Day 2
It was my first day in the city and I loved it! It's a wonderful mix of old and new with its very own kind of European charm. My host dad was very kind and took some time off work to walk with me to the train station (8 min.) and ride with me to the city (30 min). I'm so lucky to be so close to the city! Many students are not so close. Once in the city my host dad took me to a place where I could meet up with students and then left. There was a big welcome ceremony for all DIS students which included a speach from the lord mayer of Copenhagen! Afterwards they served us pancakes (it's not what you think...) and some soda and water. From there I met some friends to walk around the city with. It was fun exploring, and it will take many more days of exploring before I fully know the city. Until then I will enjoy the lost-but-so-excited-because-it-is-new perspective you get from being fresh to a city.
Warning: it really DOES rain in Copenhagen! And I really will have to bring the sunshine! I think I will get used to the feeling of soaked jeans and a hood or umbrella over my head. I will adopt the attitude of the Danes, which is it doesn't matter. When the rain came no one left. The streets didn't get less crowded and the shops, bars, and cafes didn't get more full.
I proudly and independently (almost :) ) found the train station on my own, got on the right train on my own, and even got off at the right stop - on my own! And I got it right on the first try! I'm usually terrible with directions. Maybe (just mayyybe) this will be something I improve while in Europe.
For those who made it here, sorry for the long post! One of my goals was to keep these brief yet informative. I'll keep trying but if it doesn't work in the next few posts I may have to let that one slide.
In conclusion, I am happy, having fun, learning, and missing you all very much!
Hillary - don't worry about keeping these short. Every word is fascinating. And continue to include the pictures. The look like post cards - very beautiful.
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