The Little Things

When people talk about their experience at DIS, a lot of times they focus on the epic adventures -- the week-long travel breaks spent in the shadow of the Eiffel tower or trying to right the Leaning Tower of Pisa, bar crawls that last until the early hours of the morning, study tours that take you to countries you have never even heard of before -- but I have found that my experience in Denmark has been equal parts the epic and equal parts a sum of the little things. Yeah, I'll never forget the near death experiences biking in the streets of Vienna or the awe-inspiring sight of the Chain Bridge lit up against the night sky, but I will also forever cherish the memories of chilling with my friends in the common room of the IPC, long discussions over dinner with my visiting family, or even the sleepy commute everyday from Helsingør to Nørreport. Here is a small glimpse into the little things that have come to characterize my life in Denmark:

Sitting around the bonfire at IPC. All we need are some s'mores!

Laughter and beer = perfect ingredients for a hyggeligt night. 

Post-Easter dinner with my visiting family. Nielse did
 a great job color-coordinating the utensils.

Lungfish roe. It doesn't really have much flavor, but
 it is really all about the texture.

Lungfish roe with sour cream, red onions, salt, and pepper on bread.

My visiting family invited me over for dinner last Thursday, and I popped on over after my last class. I was a little pooped after my exam, but their enthusiasm is always catching. They wanted me to try food that was as authentically Danish as possible so we had this lungfish roe, white fish baked with onions and lemon juice, and fresh baked bread with parsley and olive oil. I was in heaven. Then for dessert, we had some kettle corn that my girlfriend had brought upon my request from the States. Apparently, the Danes don't use any kind of seasoning on their popcorn besides salt. Their expressions of confusion, then concern, then begrudging enjoyment were PRICELESS.

After our meal, Kristian brought out some ginger tea, and we ended up talking for at least four hours about topics ranging from why it is acceptable to eat some animals and not others, abortion, immigration, seafood, buffets, the food in Taiwan, tipping practices in the States, religion, and gay marriage. So I came out to my Danish parents, I guess. Way less nerve-wracking than when I told my real parents. Whew. Kristian's stance on love: "Love is beautiful." I agree. 

So yeah, definitely look forward to planning massive expeditions throughout Europe, but also look forward to quiet days-in with a cup of hot chocolate and Baileys, philosophical discussions that make so much more sense after midnight,  and peaceful afternoons cuddling in a hammock because in the end, it's the little things that really add up to the full-blown study abroad experience that you'll never forget.