Hello There, Denmark!

After over 15 hours of flight time and layovers in Seattle and Iceland, I have finally arrived in Denmark! Was so exhausted yesterday, I barely had the energy to unpack. When we were greeted by a hot meal consisting of rotisserie chicken, sea-salt encrusted baked potatoes, and roast broccoli/cauliflower, I knew I had definitely chosen the right place for housing this semester.

At first, I was skeptical about living a 45-minute commute away from the DIS in Copenhagen. But the appeal of socializing with other international students studying abroad in Denmark and the sense of community that comes with life in a Folkehøjskole definitely overruled my fears. I made the journey to Copenhagen from Helsingør today for Orientation, and my fears have been assuaged! The train ride is so peaceful and quiet, I can definitely see myself using that time to write blogs, reflect on the epicness of each day spent in Denmark, or even just to nap. Also, living in the IPC (International People's College) comes with the perk of an unlimited transportation pass to all zones. This definitely comes in handy if you're like me and have a penchant for getting lost. Got on the wrong train heading in the opposite direction? No problem, just step off at the next station and try again! (True story.)

Woke up at 6:30 AM this morning to eat breakfast and catch the bus. The alarm was originally set for 6AM, but when it went off, both my roommate and I sat up, looked at each other, and with no words exchanged,I reset it for 6:30.

 Breakfast was an amazing mix of unfamiliar cereals, fresh baked bread with Nutella and raspberry jam, yogurt from a carton, and coffee. I definitely look forward to starting my morning with this every day.

Copenhagen, Biking Capital of the World!

At the Opening Ceremony, Director Uhrskov gave an amazing talk that made me really excited to explore Europe and immerse myself in the Danish culture. The open and engaging nature of the DIS program is definitely going to encourage me to step out of my comfort zone and develop the "real identity" that the Director mentioned.

After the ceremony, we were directed to the Amazing Race in Copenhagen. Three hours of walking throughout the city in the snow? Should have been agonizing, but the sights were so amazing, I hardly noticed the jet lag. (The fatigue is settling in, however, as I type. Ow, my feet.) Below, a few pictures of the places we went.

The equestrian statue in front of the
Danish Parliament

The altar at the front of the Church of Our
Savior. If you have the chance to visit,  try
 to count how many elephants there are total.

"Copenhagen" = "Merchant's Harbor"

If you look closely, you can see the two armed guards who
circle the many buildings of the Danish Royal Palace.

Yeah, lots of walking today. Also, we were promised free Danishes at the end of our adventure, but they ran out by the time we got there!! All the disappointment!

Picked up a hefty stack of books at the library this evening. I guess I better get crackin' on that required reading... :\

So exhausted! Got back and had dinner at around 6:30 PM -- that's 12 hours we've been up, out and about.  My roommate and I are now relaxing in the room and refusing to let ourselves sleep until a reasonable hour. I can't wait until I kick this jet lag so I can stop feeling like a social zombie and start actually getting to know all the other students here. 

Orientation: Day Two starts again at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!