Reflections

On Monday night, I attended the Christmas party for my Rotary Club. It started off with a church service led by my second host mom, Maria. Socializing and a glass of Rotary-approved gløgg (mulled wine with almonds and raisins) followed shortly after. Luckily Signe had came along so I had someone to talk to. In between dinner and dessert, I gave a presentation about Christmas in Minnesota, in Danish! Even though I was just reading something I had wrote earlier, I am incredibly proud of myself for doing so. After we ate dessert, and the almond had been found in the ris a la mande, we played a typical Danish Christmas game.

Juanita, my AFS oldie and neighbor, headed back for Colombia this week. Sunday night, Juani, Isobella, and I had a sleepover to celebrate our last night together. To keep the night positive, we refused to talk about leaving or saying goodbye until later. We took a trip to the grocery store, did a little driving around, made smores and watched movies. Waking up late, we didn't have too much time to say goodbye so after the Christmas party, I headed over to her house for some coffee, chocolate, and tear filled hugs. In three weeks, my Rotary oldies leave and I am not sure how I am going to react to that. We have a goodbye get together and I think that I am going to absolutely lose it in those final hugs. I refuse to let any of these goodbyes to be final. Rather, they are a vi ses or a see you later.

Juleferie also started this week so until January 6th, I have very few obligations and responsibilities. I started the break traveling to Ryomgård to visit Claire and we had a very hyggeligt weekend watching movies and eating American candy. We also cooked her host family that American favorite: Breakfast for Dinner! We had pancakes, bacon, sausage, and a fruit salad. I added a little too much salt to the pancakes (stupid scale) so they weren't my best creation. I don't think her host family was too pleased by the fatty food though. As for the rest of break, I will be celebrating Christmas here in Viborg and I have a few plans to visit a few exchange students around Denmark but nothing too serious. I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time curled up in my bed watching netflix and I am perfectly content with his.

Changing gears; just over a year ago, I made a quick scroll through Facebook and I saw other people had received their acceptance letters for exchange. Seconds later, I was out the door, sprinting down the snow covered driveway to my mailbox. Somehow, I managed to get back inside before ripping open the letter and seeing "Congratulations!" For the next hour, I was running around my house, crying tears of joy and calling people to tell them my big news. Thinking back on this day brings up so many emotions; mostly all good. I can remember the excitement and joy that I had for weeks afterwards. I can remember telling my grandparents over Christmas dinner. I can remember the terror that came with thinking about how to say goodbye. I can remember my brother asking "so how many people did you call before me?"

All of these emotionally charged memories feel like they happened yesterday or the week prior, when they actually happened just over a year ago. I ultimately don't feel different than the girl clutching her acceptance letter in her kitchen but I can see how much I've accomplished and changed. I have never felt so alive and I have never felt so lonely in my eighteen years prior. I have laughed more and cried more. I have never been so overwhelmed but I have never been so happy. The one hundred and thirty six days that I have been here have taught me so much. They've taught me the value of a friendship, the complex, inter-workings of time, that public transportation can be a blessing or a curse, and that chocolate can truly fix anything. I know that no matter where I ended up this year, I would be changing as a person, but I love who I am here in Denmark. I feel incredibly strong and independent, interesting, brave and determined. I would not trade this experience for the world.

Congratulations to the 15-16 Outbounds! You've just been handed the greatest year of your life (so far). Vi ses!

Calling my Mom just after being accepted.

 Even the bus companies are festive. "Merry Christmas"

"My friends" taken just before the Christmas Program at school

Den Gamle By.

Tak Far for the Christmas package featuring powdered peanut butter.

Hygge

As an exchange student to Denmark, I am constantly bombarded by people trying to explain the word "hygge" to me. After the first few explanations, I had a pretty good idea of what it meant. But not wanting to be rude, I listen over and over again to Danes explaining it without interrupting. While I have started to get annoyed with these explanations, I find myself dropping "hygge" into conversations with not Danish people, with the chance that I will be asked to explain it. As a warning, the majority of this blogpost is going to be dedicated to hygge.

Hygge (pronounced hooga) has no direct translation into English, but I don't think it was meant to be translated. It was meant to be felt. However, if you did want to translate it, the closest words are probably cozy and snug, but it is far more than that. It is a combination of so many things; happiness, warmth, candles, friends and family, comfort, glow, and love. Hygge is getting coffee with friends in a cute little cafe. Hygge is being curled up on the couch, with a cup of tea, watching juleklejner (Danish Christmas program that airs every night). Hygge is walking through the streets that are illuminated by the soft glow of the Christmas lights dangling overhead. All of my examples are related to Christmas, but that is because that is what is on my mind and is most relevant to me right now. However, hygge can be felt any time of year.

As for an update of my last few weekends, I have spent them in Viborg and that is perfectly okay. Two weekends ago, I went to an art museum in Silkeborg and spent the rest of the weekend curled up in my bed watching Netflix. This past weekend, Claire and Sophie came to visit on Friday and we went to my school party. Saturday morning, we met up with Danny and walked around Viborg. After they left, I went home and did some Christmas baking with my host family. Around eight, I was picked up by my Danish friend (who came to MN on exchange) and my third host sister and we had a very hygge night watching Venner (Friends) and eating æbleskiver. Sunday I went Christmas shopping with Signe, then spent the rest of the day at home. It has been a very relaxing few weeks, and for that I am thankful.

Another major announcement, I am committing to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The process of actually deciding this has been very difficult, and chalked full of mental breakdowns. It just reminds me that I have to leave this beautiful country that I now call home, and that I have to actually study for something again.

Farvel for nu!

Tusind tak Mor for this amazing care package!

Christmas Baking: Pebernødder

"Merry Christmas"

Lights in Viborg.

Scatterbrained

My thoughts in this blogpost are completely scattered so bear with me!

Friendsgiving: Or as we were saying while cooking "No Judgement Thanksgiving." Basically, a mixed group of Australians and Americans got together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Overall, there were very few things that tasted like they belonged on a thanksgiving plate. We had lemon chicken, meatballs with tomato sauce, mashed potatoes with leeks and bacon, yams with marshmallows, stuffing that was basically cut up bread and chicken broth, garlic corn and peas, apple snicker salad, and pecan pie.

Pole Dancing: No, you did not read that wrong, and yes I did go to a pole dancing class. I went with my host sister to this class called 'Pole Intro' but it was far from an introductory class. The three other girls in the class had obviously gone before, so Signe and I looked a little out of place. At one point in the class, I was hanging upside down on the pole. It was marvelous. However, any desire to become an erotic dancer has been utterly crushed.

Ferguson: My first night in Denmark was the night that Mike Brown was shot and killed. It wasn't until social media completely exploded the night after the Grand Jury's decision, that I began to follow what was happening. It is so confusing and frustrating to have to form an opinion about such an emotionally charged topic, without discussion and only information you can find on the internet. I kept seeing so many posts saying "this is the right side of history" or "if you burn a flag, you're on the same level as a terrorist." While those are both extreme examples, I ended up getting very emotional. Do I believe that Mike Brown should have died? No. Do I believe that Officer Wilson should have been indicted? Yes. Is violence and rioting the answer? No and it never will be. To make change, you cannot fight fire with fire. If you look at the Civil Rights Movement, Doctor Martin Luther King Junior led protests, boycotts, and other acts of civil disobedience and found change. Inequality is present, but setting fire to buildings is not going to solve anything.

Elvis Presley: I spent actual Thanksgiving learning about the one and only, Elvis Presley. The upcoming president for my Rotary club took me to the Graceland, Randers. It is the only authorized replica of the house in Memphis,TN. It was a little overwhelming with all the information that was presented, but I had so much fun. Afterwards, we went to the American Diner in the museum. I had my first cheeseburger since coming to Denmark and it was delicious. Unfortunately, it was an American sized burger so I didn't finish it, and couldn't get a box to take the rest home.

Julefrokost: Directly translated "Christmas Lunch," I have been to two in the past week and a half. The first was right after Friendsgiving. I went to the Julefrokost that Claire's host family was having. It was a very hygge night and for the first time, I was in bed before midnight when hanging out with exchange students. The second one was with my class; which was also very fun and hygge. At one point, I was teaching them the dance to Lepo Lepo (Portuguese song) and then a little while later I was laughing while I watched my classmates play darts.

Triple Digits

I have officially reached triple digits! Today is my hundredth day in Denmark and my time here is rushing by. I am halfway through November and I am still unsure of where October went. I mentioned earlier that I wouldn't make note of numerical days in Denmark, but it is difficult to ignore the copious posts from other exchange students who are counting. Today is also significant because it marks my transition into speaking only Danish. Setting this goal was fairly unrealistic, but I have gotten into the habit of repeating what people say in English, to have clarity, then trying to reply. My replies are very slow and laced with English words, but this is far better than what I was expecting of myself. Although it will be hard, the more I force myself to speak Danish, the better I will get and the more I will learn. This is just the little tiny snowball gaining momentum as it rushes down the hill.

My blog may make it seem like my life is chalked full of adventure and sometimes it is, but truthfully, the majority of my time is spent doing nothing. Most days I come home from school, watch National Geographic and eat bread with cream cheese. It took me a few months to accept this, but now I am completely content sitting in my room, being warm under blankets. Having been someone that was constantly busy, planning my life in three day blocks, this lack of responsibility has morphed from a debilitating reminder of homesickness, to one of my favorite things about Denmark. I am no longer under pressure, or deadlines. I don't do homework or take tests. I don't have a job. Instead, I have the freedom to fill my schedule with taking Zumba classes at the gym, get coffee with a classmate, or go to the library to find a new book.

I went on a mini adventure to Hjørring this weekend. I went with Claire to her host grandpa's and brother's birthday party. I overindulged in cake and tried duck for the first time. I also got a lot of Danish practice with the little kids. Afterwards, we went back to her host family's summerhouse. They had an indoor pool, jacuzzi, and sauna that we took full advantage of. Sunday morning we went for a walk to the beach. This is where the real adventure comes in; it honestly felt like we were walking through something in the Lord of the Rings. The true distance to the beach was probably about a quarter mile, but because of these sand hills, covered with brush, our total journey was over a mile. It was also the first time I saw the North Atlantic without there being land near it. It was just open sea until North America. The waves were ginormous and the wind coming off of the ocean was chilly. I was absolutely mesmerized. I don't know how I am going to go back to the United States and have the ocean be thousands of miles away.

As a general update about Denmark, the descent into winter has started with darkness. The sun rises after I have gotten to school and sets before four in the afternoon. This has been very confusing for my biological clock, and I have gone to sleep at nine countless days in a row. However, we have yet to have snow! There has been a lot of rain, but I don't think that we have gotten under 40 degrees yet. I never thought I would miss snow, but looking out and seeing white was always an indication of the holiday season approaching. Now the only cues I am getting are invitations to Christmas lunches on Facebook and seeing red and green fill the stores. My Christmas wish, from all of you reading this, is handwritten letters, and maybe some peanut butter.

Vi ses!

I miss seeing this on the way to school.

Claire and I playing Headbandz with the kids.

The Lord of The Rings.

North Atlantic.

The Map

I have this map of Denmark, and after I visit a city, I make a box around it to signify that I have been there. The past few weeks, I have crossed off more cities than I can count. The most recent are Ebeltoft and København (Copenhagen). I went to Ebeltoft this past weekend to spend the night at a summerhouse with a few of my exchange student friends. Ebeltoft is on the Jutland but on the eastern coast so it is a very beautiful town. Unfortunately, I missed my bus so by the time I made it there, my friends had already seen the town and were waiting for me to head back to the summerhouse. However, I did get to see other coastal towns from the bus window and they were beautiful. I tried to take pictures, but as my iPhone camera is not superior and I was moving, none of them turned out well. I also realized that I still haven't gotten used to seeing the ocean. Before coming to Denmark, I could count the number of times I had seen the ocean on one hand. Now if I travel an hour in any direction I find it right in front of me. I have this tendency to stare at it and think about its magnitude and power. I often think of the quote "if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you." This normally reminds me that staring for extended periods of time into the blue horizon may be a little weird so I advert my eyes to something else.

At 5:30 on Tuesday morning, Christian, Claire and I took off for KBH. Christian had a meeting so he invited us along for the day. The four hour car ride was essentially silent, as Claire and I slept the majority of the way. We were dropped off just a few meters from the Little Mermaid. Thinking that it would be a big, lovely sculpture, with a beautiful, Ocean background, I was utterly disappointed. While the statue is beautiful, it isn't extraordinary and is quite small. The background consisted of little small stretch of water and then factories on the opposite shore. We spent a few minutes here than continued on our way. Because we didn't have any true objectives, besides finding a cafe to have breakfast in, we spent the majority of our day getting blissfully lost and taking pictures. We made our way back to the meeting point around 2:30 and were shortly on our way to avoid rush hour. My first trip to KBH probably wasn't spent in the best way possible, but I saw a lot of the city and had a great day.

As a quick update on a few posts back where I wrote about the things I was struggling with, I am still petrified of switching to only Danish in ten short days, but I keep reminding myself that it is going to have to be done eventually, and my progress in Danish has come a long way. As for lack of excitement, I can say that overall my last few weeks have been pretty exciting. I had full weeks and weekends and now it is nice to have a few days to just lay on the couch. Lastly, my homesickness has essentially vanished. I miss home, but I love my life here in Denmark and I wouldn't trade that for the world.

Shoutout to Rikke, my Danish classmate, because she told me that if I mentioned her in my blog, she might actually read it. Also, she's not weird.

"At rejse er at leve"
'To travel is to live"

The Summerhouse Crew, minus Cal and Didi.

Bus ride home from Ebeltoft.

The Little Mermaid.

Nyhavn. 

Part of the Happy Wall.

And you wonder why we come back fat.

Holbæk Get Together

On Thursday after school, I quickly made my way to the train station to take an hour long train ride to Aarhus. I met up with Sophie (Australian) and Claire (New Yorker), and had a very hygge night with Chinese food and Facebook stalking. In the morning, we were back at the train station to go to Holbæk for the get together. The majority of the exchange students on the Jutland were on this train so there were very few seats and lots of talking. I sat in the aisle for the majority of the train ride. I'm sure the other passengers were very annoyed but the one sitting nearest to us commented that he was "holding in his laughter." Regardless, I am glad I had these lovely people to make the five hour journey with.

Upon arriving to Holbæk , we were escorted by bus to the Holbæk Gymnasium. The reunions in the doorway of the gymnasium were priceless; there were so many hugs, and I think I saw a few people holding back tears. Although it had only been a few months since the last time everyone had seen each other, the bonds that we have are so strong that they allow this kind of relationship. The rebounds running the event hadn't allotted for this reunion time, so by the time we got to dinner, the pizza they were serving was cold. Being exchange students, and having bottomless pits for stomachs, we all had quite a few pieces. After dinner, we sat around for a while just talking and catching up on the few months that we haven't seen each other. Eventually, they got a stage and dance floor set up so I danced the night away, returning to the classroom I was sleeping in just before 4 A.M.

Around 8, the rebounds went from room to room with a megaphone yelling to get up. Although this was slightly terrifying, it was very effective. Breakfast was served at nine, then shortly after we took a group picture then walked into the city for some exploring. My friends and I got coffee then did a little shopping. When we returned to the school, they had lunch waiting for us. We ate quickly then started getting ready for the costume party. Claire and I were going as mimes, and believe it or not, but doing the mime makeup was a huge challenge. The first attempt resulted in raccoon eyes and a very frustrated Millie. About an hour later, we were finally ready. I thought that our costumes were going to be on the promiscuous side, but other than the girl that went as a pregnant nun, we were among the most covered up in the room. We had a very lovely dinner, followed by a show with performances by various exchange students. Cal and Harry, two of my Australian oldies, were the MC's so they volunteered Claire and I to do a mime act. The act before us was two Brazilian guys, dressed as babies, giving a girl a lap dance. I'd like to think that our innocent, twenty second, performance was a nice eye cleanser. The show ended with a video that Eddy, another Aussie, had made. It was twenty minutes long and went through the year that the oldies have had. I didn't see a single oldie with a dry eye, and I have to admit that I was crying as well. I love my oldies so much and I don't know what I am going to do without them. After we had dried our tears, and fixed our smudged costume makeup, we went back out and danced the night away. Everyone was much more enthusiastic about the dancing this night. Eventually, my friends and I headed to the gym and spent a long time talking on the mats. With ten minutes until 5, we called it a night. My towel, which I was using as a pillow, had never felt more comfortable.

On Sunday, they came around with the megaphone at 7:30. Breakfast was at 9, and after eating the oldies pulled out their books and flags to be signed. I made sure to sign the people's who I didn't know if I'd see again, but I am saving most of the signing for later in the year. I watched as so many people cried as they said goodbye. Fortunately, the oldies I am closest to are near me or in my district so I know that those goodbyes weren't final. We left the gymnasium around 11:30. There were two trains that we could have taken, but we opted for the second one, because there was a delicious kebab shop about 100 meters away. When we finally got on the train, there was less running around and more cuddling. I said goodbye at the Aarhus station, and made it home just before 7. After dinner and a shower, I was in bed and asleep.

Monday morning, I woke up more sick than I was before leaving on Thursday. Luckily, my host parents were okay with me staying home. I slept the majority of the day, then spent the rest watching movies on the couch.

Aarhus is not just a city, it's a feeling.

Typical flag picture.

Claire and I; so much love.

Group picture, featuring three zombies, a kangaroo, and Frida Kahlo.

Mimes.

Group Photo.

Sidenote about events on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean: earlier this week, my Great Grandma Hilda passed away after living 103 amazing years. This didn't come as a shock, but I was still saddened by it. I know that heaven gained another angel, and she is currently watching over and guiding me. Rest in peace Great Grandma.

Efterårsferie

This past week, Denmark went on Efterårsferie, which directly translates to "Autumn Holiday." It is a week long break where most people take time to travel around Denmark or go to neighboring countries. Unlike in the United States, the entire country coordinated this week and therefore I didn't have language school, or any other obligations. This gave me a lot of time to do whatever I pleased.

Friday: My holiday started right after school as I took a bus to visit some of my exchange student friends in Aalborg. We spent the night walking around the city, eating french fries, and sitting at the harbor.

Saturday: After sleeping in, Danielle and I went shopping in Aalborg. Although I didn't end up buying anything, it was a lot of fun. We went back to Danielle's house and watched as her host parents made Calzones. The rest of the night was spent watching Netflix and just hanging out.

Sunday: On the bus ride home, I was surprised to see that along with the other passengers, there were four dogs on the bus. I love dogs, so for me this was fine, but a few of the non-dog-loving passengers looked moderately annoyed. When I got home, I took a shower and slept for the rest of the day, only waking up for dinner.

Monday: Signe, Rasmus, and I had a very slow start to our day - being that no one was awake before 10 o clock. But once we were all up, I took it upon myself to make pancakes. I can truthfully say that they were not the best pancakes I have ever made; but Signe and Rasmus loved them. We all got ready and headed into Viborg to do some thrift shopping and walking around. We were down there for a few hours before we decided that we were starving. For whatever reason, we could not decide if we wanted to get kebabs or go to McDonald's so e got both. We returned home just after 4, and I was shortly out the door again to go to my Colombian friends house to watch horror movies and carve pumpkins.

Pancake stack.

The result of an hour of hard work.

Can you tell I've done this before?

Tuesday: Another slow start, but no fancy breakfast this time. At 12:30, I took the bus in to Viborg to meet Emilie, a friend from my class. We had lunch and did some shopping, I ended up buying a skirt, which I love but don't need. Around 4, she had to go to riding school so I walked to my counselors house to have dinner. Normally, I would have stayed to watch a movie, or in this case the Denmark vs. Portugal game, but I needed to get home to pack my bags for Germany.

Wednesday: My host family and I took off bright and early to take a mini vacation to Germany. It was a four hour drive, and I fell asleep almost as soon as we got out of the driveway. Luckily, I woke up a few minutes before we were going to cross the border into Germany. I was thoroughly disappointed when there wasn't someone to stamp my passport, or even a sign that says "Willkommen in Deutschland." I can honestly tell you that crossing into Wisconsin in more exciting. The first thing we did was visit a border shop, which is basically a warehouse lined with various confections and beverages whose prices aren't inflated with the high Danish taxes. Needless to say, we left with a trunk full of Nutella, candy, and cases of pop. For lunch we stopped at a food stand, I had Currywurst. It is hard to describe but it is a sausage cut up with sauce and curry powder on it. I loved it! We resumed driving and stopped about an hour later at a luxury outlet mall. We spent a few hours wandering through the shops, then finally made our way to the hotel. Dinner was at the hotel buffet and after, everyone else was pretty tired so Signe and I were left to explore the hotel. We discovered that there were two saunas, and went down to take advantage of them. Unfortunately for us, there was a naked, old man sitting in the first one, so we bolted into the second one, which happened to be a "Finnish Sauna." This meant that it got up to 90 degrees Celsius, and if the conversion app I have on my phone is correct, 194 degrees Fahrenheit. We sat in there for five minutes before deciding that being able to breathe easily was more important than forcing ourselves to sweat. Upon returning to the rooms and showering, we fell asleep almost immediately.

Currywurst.

Thursday: Our day started at the continental breakfast provided by the hotel. This was probably the best hotel breakfast I've ever had. Unlike in the United States, they actually give you real food; there was bacon, eggs, and my personal favorite, breakfast cake. It felt as if I waddled away from the breakfast table. Shortly after breakfast, we made the half an hour drive to Lübeck, which is listed as a World Heritage Cite. It truly was a gorgeous city, it felt as if I was stepping back into medieval times. We did some more shopping before visiting the Marzipan museum. I was told that there would be a statue of Pope Benedict made out of marzipan, but that was taken away when Pope Francis took over. There were other marzipan people, but none as exciting as seeing the old Pope. After leaving the museum, Signe, Rasmus, and I took off in search of doners. Thinking they would be some kind of German sausage and sauerkraut, I was not disappointed when it turned out to be a Turkish sandwich with lamb, tzatziki sauce, an orange sauce, and lettuce. We did a little bit more shopping, before stopping to get treat at the shop attached to the Marzipan Museum, then headed back to the hotel. Even more tired than Wednesday, we had dinner and took off to our rooms for some much need rest and relaxation.

Marzipan Pigs.

Doner and Lübeck Towers.

The River Trave.

The medieval gate to the city.

Friday: We had the continental breakfast again, but this time I stayed away from the cake, and opted for healthier options. Shortly after we were back on our way to Denmark, and I slept the majority of the journey, waking to stop in a border shop. We got back around three then spent the rest of the day lounging around.

Saturday: My host parents took off early for a weekend vacation to Fynn. Shortly after them, Rasmus left to return to his apartment in Aalborg. This left Signe and I home alone. Having a soccer game, but no one to drive me, I hopped on my bike to ride the 8.7 kilometers it takes to get to the field. Only getting lost three or four times, I was pretty impressed with myself. It was the last game of the outdoor season, and if we won we would be ranked first. It was a good game, but we ended up losing 3:4. I biked the 8.7 kilometers home without getting lost. My plan was to shower and get ready then FaceTime my best friend back home. Unfortunately, I had miscalculated the time difference, so I ended up video calling her with muddy legs and a sweaty face (sorry Brittany). For dinner I made fried noodles, then made another video call, but this time to my mom. I realize that I should spread out my calls home, but this was the first time in a while that my schedule and the people back home's schedule coincided. After hanging up on my mom, Signe and I spent the night watching American Pie and eating junk food.

No street signs and only this to guide me.

Sunday: Like most other Sunday's, this one wasn't very productive; I left the house once to go put some papers in the recycling and I never actually changed out of my pajamas.

I apologize for the excessively long blogpost, but it only seemed fitting with everything that happened in this past week. Vi ses!

The Good and The Bad

There are so many things I love about this country; how there is always cake no matter where you are, slugs with trails of slime behind them, the way everyone will explain the word hygge to you - my list truly could go on forever. Yet I am still finding myself with struggles. In my last post, I mentioned that an exchange isn't always full of excitement and joy. I realize that I did not elaborate on this enough. The following blogpost will take you through some of the doubts and uncertainties I face everyday.

For starters, I miss home. I miss the way my mom would fist bump me and say play tough, or test tough, or work tough. I miss driving and not having to pay through the nose for public transportation. I miss being a regular at Tokyo Grill. Not only do these things make me homesick, but I feel guilty for thinking about them when I have been given this amazing opportunity. Something they tell you at orientation is to be present, so I am constantly questioning myself with "am I present enough?" If that even makes sense.

Another thing I struggle with is my progress with Danish, or lack thereof. It feels as if no matter how hard I try, I am not getting anywhere. Yes, the amount of Danish I know has completely doubled. Yes, I can now pick words out in sentences, and have a general understanding of what is going on. But this doesn't feel like enough - it feels like I am failing. I have set a goal that on my 100th day here, November 17th, people will only speak to me in Danish; I am completely terrified of this. I have exactly 40 days to be at a level that I am nowhere near. I keep telling myself that I will get there and by my 100th day, I will be at that level. But what if I'm not? What if I am setting myself up for failure? How will I handle this failure? Am I putting too much pressure on myself?

Citing orientation once again: they tell you that staying busy will make your exchange better and more fun, this is completely true. I try to stay busy but it is virtually impossible. Without homework, errands, works, and other miscellaneous tasks, I have a lot of free time. I try to hang out with my friends from school, but they have to work, or our (crazy) physics teacher gave them an assignment that will take them hours to complete. I am constantly racking my brain for things to do, but usually end up with nothing so I go home and fill the vacant times with naps, movies, and junk food. While this is fun the first few times, it gets old fairly quickly. I am worried that after language school ends, my days are going to be entirely like this, and I am going to be perpetually bored.

Lastly, I struggle with not constantly have excitement. Something I hadn't necessarily braced myself for was having days, or weeks, where I stick to my routine and don't do something specifically terrific. I had heard about this "phenomenon" by rebounds, and other exchange students, but I guess I hadn't really listened. This again falls into the category of self doubt and wasting my exchange with nothingness.

When you put all these struggles together, it gets a bit overwhelming. Sometimes little things will just push me over the edge and I just break down, like at the bus station in Karup. I also know that these struggles are considered normal along the "exchange student curve" that they talked so much about at orientation so hopefully I will get over this hump quickly.

On a happier note, this weekend was my host sisters actual birthday! After a soccer game, which we lost, I came home, showered quickly, then had a very hyggeligt dinner with my some my host family and host relatives. This was followed by a very interesting, but delicious cake. Essentially, it tasted like popovers covered in frosting, marzipan, and various candies, and it was shaped like a girl. I ate a few too many pieces and went to bed.

A member of my Rotary club and his wife took me to an event at the Asmild Church. The event was a tour and explanation of the gardens, following with a concert from Viborg's Chamber Choir. Not yet knowing Danish botanical words, the explanations of the plant life and uses were not very interesting. But going inside the church was. It was built in 1090, making it one of Denmark's oldest churches. The music at the concert was wonderful and after I got to do a little exploring.

Future exchange students: ignore my whining and turn your application in. You only have a few days left! This experience is truly one of the best things out there and you will not regret coming.

Alt for nu! Farvel.

Signe's Birthday Cake.

The church altar.

Church from the balcony.

Blazer Update.

Halvtres Dage

My 50th day in Denmark has come and passed. While this should feel like a major milestone, counting the days simply reminds my that my days here are limited. There are a few other days that I will make note of, but I think that I'm going to let the days pass without giving them numbers.

Last weekend, there was a district 1440 conference. Essentially, the exchange students hung out all day while the important people from all the Rotary clubs in the northern part of the Jutland listened to presentations and voted on things. I am a little surprised that no one left on a stretcher. At one point, thirty exchange students were playing bumper cars with rolley chairs. This went on for about half an hour until one of the people leading us took notice and forced us to go for a walk. Regardless, it was an amazing day and it was great to see people I hadn't seen since intro camp.

I played in my first soccer game ! The majority of the game I was a forward. Never having played forward before, I felt a little out of place. My coach didn't think so and I ended up scoring our first goal. I caused the majority of the fouls; to me it felt like strict reffing, but talking to my teammates afterwards, they thought I was playing aggressively. Apparently, Danish soccer isn't as rough as Minnesotan soccer. This isn't going to stop me from hip-swinging and taking girls out. We tied the game 2:2, but I am so happy that I got to play. My next game is on Saturday, so fight, kick, kill ladies.

This weekend was also my host sisters birthday party, so on Sunday we all got up early and prepared a brunch for fourteen of her friends. Signe and I were given the task of cutting up fruit; I started with the watermelon, but she saw the pineapple and decided that we needed to switch. Never having cut up a pineapple before, I was determined to do it right. My host family laughed at me as I googled and watched YouTube tutorials to figure out where to start. A few sarcastic remarks and melodramatic sighs later, the pineapple was cut perfectly and then devoured. Although it isn't a major event, this pineapple gave me a lot of laughs and good memory, therefore making it blog-worthy.

To say that an exchange is entirely full of happy times and excitement, would be a lie. For example, I took the wrong bus home, had to wait an hour at a bus stop 30 kilometers from where I needed to be, and completely lost it in the bus station. Luckily, no one but the passing cars could see my mental snap. By the time my bus came, my mental breakdown was over and I got home without problem. Furthermore, I have had minor bouts of homesickness. It's a hard feeling to describe but essentially its a yearning for something that is unattainable. Overcoming these moments usually involves an overindulgence of chocolate and a quick nap. Even with these little moments, leaving this country early has never crossed my mind.
Farvel for nu!

At the District Conference we had to paint signs that represent our countries. 

GOBAMA.

Dinner Party with some of the girls in my class. Very hygge.

Artwork at NB Gallery in Viborg,

Cutting up the pineapple.

Exchange students at VK.

Nationalities Represented: American, Colombian, German, and Italian.

Viborg from above.

A Day In The Life: Photoblog

My life has started to become completely normal. Things that used to be seen as interesting, or blog worthy, have slowly drifted into ordinary. Regardless, I am loving my time here and I wouldn't trade it for anything. However, having a routine makes blogging especially difficult. I struggle to find topics to write about, as I am doing the same things every week. Therefore, I am mixing it up and creating a photoblog. The pictures below will take you through my average Tuesday here in Denmark. Enjoy!

Waking up is never a simple task.

Everyday we leave about 7:20 to get to school about 7:30. This little, white car has the nickname the GoKart.

The one and only, Viborg Katedralskole.

First class: Biology. This pictures makes it look like I am actually paying attention, but in reality, that is my friends' book and my laptop is just to the right.

In the ten minutes we have of passing time, my classmate, Martin, decided to jump out the window.

Second Class: English. We are learning about the Aboriginal culture of Australia.

Third Class: Chemistry. Today everyone in my class did their homework (besides me) so our next lesson, our teacher is going to bring us Flødeboller, which are basically chocolate covered marshmellow creams.

Almost everyday, a few classmates and I walk to Kiwi, a supermarket near our school, during lunch. They get whatever they like, but I always buy a Mini Meal, which is basically tapioca pudding and jelly. They cost about 75 cents so I'm not going overboard. On top of this, I bring a sandwich and so veggies from home, so no need to worry about me starving Mom.

Last Class: Math. Rather uneventful.

Done at 13:35! Short walk to the bus station and then home.

Hanging out with the host sister after school.

Killing time before language school and trying to find my true identity.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I have language school from 18 to 20:30. Then home and sleep!