8 days have now passed since I touched down in Copenhagen, and I have already had quite an experience. Flying in, I remember leaning over the sleeping man next to me to see the first glance of my home for the next four months and thinking to myself “wow there’s so much water, there must be a big lake…” before realizing that Copenhagen was in fact on an island… which meant that I was looking at an ocean. It’s safe to say that this week has been full of many of these “oh… right” moments that come with adjusting to a new culture and experience.
As soon as I arrived, I went to my Kollegium, which is the living situation that I was placed in for this semester. Although it was my second choice, I am now BEYOND happy that I am here. It is located really close to the city center and within walking distance of everything I could want – including my school. And, for the places I can’t walk to, the city has an amazing public transportation system. Plus, with the Kollegium I get the opportunity to live with both Danish and American students. I have lucked out in that I truly can get along with everyone living on my floor, and I’ve really been enjoying their company this week (4 Danes – 6 other Americans). I am in a triple room, and everyone on the floor shares a bathroom, living room and kitchen. We are fairly extroverted as a group, which is perfect for me as my nights in Copenhagen so far have consisted of us socializing till the early hours.
This week, I didn’t have class until Thursday, so I only got to go to two days of classes. However, I can already tell that I am really going to enjoy them. The course material is very different from what I am used to, and I am super excited for it. There is already a bit of a workload (apparently the professors here LOVE to assign lots of reading), but its definitely manageable. Along with regular work, we get to go on “study tours” with our core class, meaning I will spend a weekend in Hamburg and a week in Brussels for school (and I am PUMPED for it).
Overall, I truly enjoy the city so far – in terms of a capital, Copenhagen is tiny, boasting a population of less than 600,000. However, coming from Fayetteville, AR, that is more than five times what I am used to. So, it is a pleasant change. I have gotten a chance to explore a bit, but mainly in a superficial way – hitting the tourist attractions. Over the next four months, I am excited to truly get to know the different neighborhoods of CPH, moving away from the tourist destinations and into the nitty gritty of the city. The architecture is beautiful, a mix of modern and old that screams “DANISH DESIGN” (bonus fun fact: Denmark is known for its incredible design, as it rightly should be). I’ve only been here a week, and I can already tell that I will probably fall in love with this little city.
For those that made it to the bottom of this lengthy recap (hi mom you’re probably the only one), I congratulate you. I’m sure you get the gist – I’m loving it so far, and I am insanely excited for whats to come.
SEE YA NEXT TIME IN … week 2 lol.
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Maya is a senior International Studies major, spending the spring 2018 semester in Denmark through DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia.
Read more from Maya at travelingpapaya.wordpress.com
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