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.