I know… starting this blog with a “day in the life” is a bit of cliche. I’ll admit it! I promise though, there’s a point.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned (and have had to re-learn often) since I arrived in Copenhagen, it’s balance.
Turns out, I’m the same person here in Copenhagen that I was in the US, with the same needs. I’m writing this blog post to give a good example of that balance, to maybe help a future DIS Copenhagen student, and to once again remind myself that I don’t need to live every day here as if it is my last.
The First Day in My Life [Friday 9/9]
I woke up early and grabbed a quick breakfast of yogurt with mȕsli (oats). I made it to the train station just in time to enjoy a relaxing commute.
I got to my first class, GIS: Applied Climate Change Cases, at 8:30. It was early, but the lesson was so interesting. We spent the class making our first map in GIS — it was so satisfying to see the finished product at the end.
Pictures from a flower shop on my way to Danish class!
After a short lunch break, I walked over to Danish Language & Culture. Earlier in the week, we were placed in groups and spent a day exploring a new neighborhood in Copenhagen, so during our Friday class we did short presentations about those areas. It was a great way to learn a little bit more about the city (and get some good coffee recs)!
That’s my last class on Fridays, so when it was over I decided to spend the rest of my day relaxing at home. My afternoon was so laid back — I laid on the couch watching TV and talking/arm-wrestling with my 8-year-old host brother, August.
At 6:00, we sat down to eat a classic Danish dinner, steak and potatoes has. I watched some TV with my host family, but at about 9:00 it was August’s bedtime. I went to bed early too, but I made sure to squeeze an episode of the Bachelorette in (I’m trying to catch up right now).
Overall: an easy, relaxing day.
The Second Day in My Life [Saturday 9/10]
Today was very different… and much busier. In the morning, I went to August’s birthday party at a Dinosaur-themed play-place. Once the festivities were over, I met my friend Sydney in Copenhagen! We came into the afternoon with no plans, but we ended up having one of our busiest days so far!
We met at a flea market neither of us knew was going to be there! It was fun to browse and even more fun to get to know some of the locals. At the flea market, we decided we were finally going to check out Nørrebro — Copenhagen’s massive international neighborhood (and now, in my opinion, its coolest).
We spent a good couple of hours walking up the main street in Nørrebro, eating amazing seafood, jotting down the name of thrift stores we’ll come back to, and venturing off the beaten path and to enjoy a beautiful park — where we were the only Americans!
After some amazing exploring, we decided to go even further from the city center and check out Grundtvigskirken. I love looking around old churches, but this experience was especially cool! When we walked in, the most awe-inspiring thing wasn’t the building itself, it was the orchestra and choir rehearsing “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire.” The sound filled the whole room and made us both a bit emotional!
Sydney and I explored the cemetery by the church for a while (to Danes — cemeteries are just parks to be enjoyed) and walked around some stunning lakes and marshes. We were in some of the furthest fringes of Copenhagen, and it was really nice to see some areas that were completely new to us.
That brought us to dinner time — we went back to Sydney’s kollegium and got Döner Kebab for dinner. It was my first time, and it genuinely blew me away. GOOD food! We spent the rest of the night at an event hosted by some of the Danish students in Sydney’s kollegium. It was an absolute blast, and it was especially fun to meet a bunch of Danish college students.
So there you go! For me, putting this on paper (so to speak) is a reminder that studying abroad, while it is a different experience in so many ways, can’t change that we still need balance. If every day was like the first, I would be bored out of my mind. If every day was like the second, I would be stretched way past my limit.
And that’s a wrap on my first post! I’d love to hear from some of you, so feel free to reach out via the contact form — and make sure to follow along with my Instagram takeover this Friday (9/16) on @DISCopenhagen.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next time.