Oh, Nostalgia..

hej igen,


This last week was officially my 5 months in Denmark.. that means that half of my exchange is over. How can this be? It seems just like yesterday I was finding out my country…


I think this is rather fitting to talk about because the new outbound exchange students from my district back home are getting ready to find out their countries for this next year. Looking back, I feel so much different than I used to be.

I remember sitting in my polka dot dress, nervously twisting the ring on my finger wondering where I could possibly end up in the year 2014. Well, here I am in the glorious country that is Denmark, and I can honestly tell you I never want to leave. Personally,  I know I have changed. I believe I have become more openminded and adventurous, and of course more independent. Where would I be without Denmark? I could well possibly be back in Palmer, Alaska, doing the same old things I've always done; the only difference being that I would be just a little older.

But instead, I am speaking a language I had actually never heard spoken until a year ago. I wouldn't be riding trains, traveling to different countries like Sweden and Germany with 3 families that will now always be a  part of my heart. It is incredible to me how fast these 5 months have gone by… I have already made life long friends, been through my fair share of struggles and funny adventures, and there is still 6 months to do more. For now I guess I'll just have to take it day by day, savoring each moment to its' fullest extent.

I guess it is really true that going on exchange is not a year in your life, but a life in a year. I firmly believe this now, and I will cherish all the amazing times of my exchange with every part of myself.

Enough of all this nostalgia; it's only January! Now I would like to tell you a little about my plans for my remaining months in Denmark.

My friend Sarah (yes, I think I've written about her before) have made a list of things we want to do together before I leave. They are just typical things; like watching certain movies, taking a beach trip in the summer, etc., but I know they will be special because they will be spent with someone who I fully believe is my long lost sister :).

Along with the list, I will be taking a series of lovely trips around Europe! For instance, I will be going on a trip to Spain on my birthday (April 23rd for those of you who don't know) for 4 days with my Spanish class from school. I am really excited! I have wanted to go to Spain for sometime because of it's rich, exotic culture, which makes it seem extremely appealing. Plus, it makes it that much better because it will be on my birthday :)

I will also be going on EuroTour with my Rotary district in Denmark on May 23rd. I believe there will be about 40 exchange students participating, and we will take a bus for 3 weeks all throughout Europe. I know for a fact that this will be one of the most amazing experiences of my life because we are traveling to not only some of the biggest cities in Europe, but the smaller ones as well. I think this is very important because there is often just as much history and culture in the small cities as the big cities, but you could never know that until you visit them. I have included a map of the route we are taking so you can see where we will be visiting.

EuroTour and my trip to Spain aren't for another 4 months or so, so until then I will continue to live happily and blissfully in Denmark :) Until next time!

xoxo fra Danmark

Danish Holidays

Hej,
Min Juleferie i Danmark var meget sjov og hyggelit! Jeg bare slap af, spise, og sover. Det var rigtig fint. Så nu jeg skal fortælle jer alle om min dansk Jule og Nytår! Er du klar? :)

Hi,
My Chirstmas vacation in Denmark was very fun and cozy! I just relaxed, ate, and slept. (Not to mention, enjoyed all the many wonderful Danish traditions). It was really great. So now I will tell you about my Danish Christmas and New Years! Are you ready? :)




To be completely honest, Christmas is probably one of the best times to be in Denmark. The Danes go CRAZY over Christmas. Essentially, Christmas starts in the beginning of October. And since there is no Thanksgiving to kick the holidays off, Christmas sort of just appears out of nowhere… You can see it arrive day by day; the hanging of Christmas lights, the smell of roasting almonds in the street (too bad I'm allergic!) and of course, all the manic Christmas shoppers that fill the store up to the point of exploding. I wouldn't even dare to venture into the city during the arrival of Christmas unless you are fully prepared to nudge your way through crowds of overexcited Danes. I know what you're probably thinking: "Well, that's how Christmas is in America! What's so special?" There are so many things that make a Danish Christmas special and most certainly unique.

Much to my surprise, Santa does not exist in Denmark. :( Yes, you see him in the windows of store shops, and maybe on a few Christmas cards here and there, but that is only because of the English influence that exists in Denmark. It is not a tradition that Santa comes to your house during the night and leaves presents. Instead, they have a Nisse.


Definition of a Nisse: a small, elf like person that wears a red (usually pointed) hat and red pants. A nisse often lives in your attic, and he leaves presents each day for young children until Christmas. As you get older however, the nisse only leaves you 4 presents; one for each Advent Sunday until Christmas.

Since I have never experienced a Danish Christmas before, my nisse was kind enough to leave me a present every day. I got little things like Christmas decorations, candy, and a Christmas cd. Usually my nisse would leave my gifts on the stairs or outside my door. It was a really neat tradition to take part in, because I had never seen anything like it before. My host parents even bought me a Nisse doll, and it would lay there with my presents every time I received a new one.

For one, as much as they all love Christmas, the tree doesn't go up until December 23rd, always. This is because it's a real tree, and most people don't want it to die before Christmas. (On that note, I think I should tell you that I almost gave anyone who asked a heart attack when I told them we have a fake tree for Christmas. It is practically unheard of in Denmark!) Another really strange thing some Danes do is after Christmas (usually on New Years), they take their dying Christmas tree and put it on their neighbors porch or hang it on their flag pole.. Don't ask me why they do this, because frankly I have no idea, and most Danes can't even explain it themselves!

Christmas is celebrated on the evening of the 24th, instead of the morning of the 25th. This year, I woke up to a glorious breakfast of "American Pancakes" on the 24th. We also had a nice lunch, and then went to church for the Christmas service at about 4. The church we went to was something like 800 years old. It was quite small, but beautiful all the same and also packed full of history. After church, we went home, where I helped prepare Christmas dinner. It is tradition to either have duck, often with potatoes, red cabbage, and gravy. Then we had a sort of rice pudding for desert with a cherry sauce on top. This is also VERY Danish! It is made with finely chopped almonds, but there is also one whole almond that is placed somewhere in the bowl. Whoever finds it gets a prize! Since I am allergic to nuts, my host family was kind enough to make me a separate bowl without any. I wasn't able to participate in the "search for the almond" but it was really fun to watch! After dinner, we all gathered together around the Christmas tree. Following the Danish Christmas traditions, we took each others hands and started to dance around the tree in a circle. To add to the festivities, we also sang Danish Christmas carols. Each person in the family was able to pick their favorite, and everyone had to sing it together as we circled the tree. I know hoe crazy this must sound to those of you who are reading this.. When I was first told that everyone does this at Christmas, I honestly thought it was a joke! But after having done it, I can say it was actually pretty fun, and it made me feel like I was a part of the family.

Finally, at about 9:30 P.M, we were able to open the presents! I would like to thank everyone for all the wonderful gifts I got this year. I really wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many people thought about me over the holidays. Even a little card wishing me a Merry Christmas was amazing for me. Also, a special thanks to all my host families. They really made me feel apart of each family. Not to mention the well-thought out gifts they gave me. I am so thankful to have 3 amazing families who care about me.


New Years

 New Years in Denmark is not really family orientated. It is usually spent with close friends. Saying that, I am very lucky to have Sarah in my life. She has been there for me since I arrived in Denmark, and I know that she will continue to be. I think it is really nice to have a friend like Sarah because she is Danish, but she has also lived in the USA. That way I can learn more about Danish culture while also having a bit of connection based on the fact we both grew up in America. Not to mention she is just so sweet :)

Anyway! I am getting of task. To start the New Years off right, Sarah invited me to her friends house to have a nice dinner and watch the fireworks. We also watched the Queen's New Years speech on TV; another Danish tradition everyone follows. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the evening was! The food was great, and so were the people. I couldn't have had a better way to start 2014.

To end this festive post, I have decided to list a few of my New Years resolutions for 2014. They include: 

• Speak only  Danish at home
• Speak more Danish in general
• Appreciate every moment in Denmark
• Keep trying new things 
• KEEP SMILING 
• Try my hardest to get through the hard times
• Be Danish ;)

Well, that's about all for now. I will keep you updated on how my resolutions are going! But just so you know, I am determined to follow through with all of them :)

xoxo fra Danmark