Settling In

Hello again!

This week marks my third in Copenhagen and the time is already flying by. Classes are starting to pick up and I’m getting into more of a routine here. I’ve been exploring Copenhagen with my new friends and getting to know my area better. 

I’m really enjoying my classes so far. In addition to my core course (Competing Narratives: Modern European History) I’m taking Danish Language and Culture, Partners and Rivals: EU-US Relations, and Anthropology of Food. My classes are all taught from a European/Danish perspective. This has been really eye-opening and is a huge benefit to studying abroad. Danish Language and Culture has been the most challenging as the Danish language is not an easy one to learn. Basically half the letters in each word are silent which makes for an interesting experience trying to pronounce. But, it’s been a good challenge.

Last weekend I ventured to Malmo, Sweden. Malmo is a short 30 minute train ride away and was right on the water. The weather was beautiful and we spent time walking around the city and parks and even ventured over to the beach. Malmo is very serene and quiet. I also tried a Scandinavian specialty: pickled herring! I honestly loved it and definitely want to try more foods local to the area. 

The next day we were blessed with another gorgeous day. We decided to go to Islands Brygge to take advantage of it. Islands Brygge is a about a 10 minute walk from DIS and is basically a swimming area in the harbor. There’s a platform that you can jump off of which was a ton of fun. I highly recommend this, especially when the weather is nice. 

This weekend while exploring Copenhagen my friends and I climbed up to the top of the Church of Our Savior and explored the grounds of Rosenborg Castle and The King’s Garden. The Church of Our Savior involved a steep climb up. But, the views were amazing, a full panorama of Copenhagen, well worth the climb up. Rosenborg Castle and The King’s Garden were beautiful. There was so many people laying and hanging out in the grass enjoying the sun and soaking in the last few days of summer. 

I also met my visiting host family for the first time. This was a highlight of my trip so far as I was able to go to their house for dinner and spend the evening hanging out with them. I took the train to get to their town. This was slightly chaotic as I haven’t taken public transportation yet. I couldn’t figure out how to get to the right train and then couldn’t purchase a ticket. All worked out and after asking a Danish woman for help I made it! I’m really looking forward to spending more time with them over the course of the semester and learning more about Danish culture. We also enjoyed a hygge moment with tea and flødeboller (a delicious Danish sweet) after dinner.

I must point out a few food excursions I’ve had. My friends and I recently went to Reffen, which is an outdoor food market with tons of food stalls. I had an amazing chicken gyro and will most definitely be returning to try something else from the plethora of options it has. I went to Paludan Bogcafe and tried the smoked salmon sandwich which had come highly recommended. It lived up the hype and also came with a serving of potatoes! 

The Copenhagen Food Festival is currently going on, and my roommates and I decided to grab dinner there. We all got sushi, but with a twist. Instead of importing fish, the sushi was made with cod and trout. It was delicious and cool to see how local resources were being used in foods that typically need ingredients imported. Last, but certainly not least, Skt. Peders Bageri. A short walk from DIS this place is known for its cinnamon rolls. They were delicious and only 18kr!!!! A true steal here in Copenhagen. 

Right now the weather is starting to change and temperatures are dropping. I’m also trying to avoid the sickness that every DIS student seems to have (fingers crossed). Next week we have Core Course Week which is a week fully devoted to our core courses. We spend a few days in Copenhagen and a few days traveling learning more about the region’s unique history. That’s all for now!

Hej hej!