Or, See you later Copenhagen, I will miss you.
Today is my very last evening in Copenhagen and Denmark. It's been an amazing, uplifting, and life changing experience, and I'm so fortunate to have been granted this opportunity.
4 months ago, I was so nervous, and I didn't want to leave home or my boyfriend. I really missed San Diego and Scott at many many points during this adventure, but each day has truly been a gift. I was given the most amazing host family anyone could ask for and I am so sad to be leaving them. They have invited me to share their family, home, and traditions and I truly love them and am so grateful for what they have allowed me to do. I will bring so many fond memories of them back with me, including drinking tea or coffee with my mom and/or sister, watching Danish TV, cooking together and eating together and sitting at the dinner table for at least an hour each night just talking, watching handball, and walking around the different castles and theme parks Copenhagen has to offer. I will miss their home and their warmth and their companionship, but I am also very excited to see my mom and dad and my brother again and to share with them all that I have learned.
I took 5 classes this semester, but 2 of them stood out particularly for me. Firstly, my core class: Children in a Multicultural Context was an eye-opening experience. I learned about the issue of immigration in homogenous Denmark and the problems and hurdles this causes children in the system, but I also learned valuable cross-cultural skills and I honestly feel as though I emerged a better, more competent person from it. I was thrust into discussions that may have been highly charged and a bit uncomfortable and my comfort zone was challenged, but I am amazed at how much I learned from my wonderful professor Maja. The second class was Danish. I may have been most nervous about this course because I heard Danish was sooo hard. I had the great fortune of being placed into a class with all girls from the Child Diversity and Development course and an incredible professor, Suzanne. If my host mom was my second mom, Suzanne was definitely my third. She made Danish so easy and taught us a lot of culture and clarified those aspects of Danish life that confused us (i.e. why they are so quiet and it is difficult to break through, hygge, etc.). She was amazing and the girls I shared that class with were similarly amazing and I will miss it all.
I met so many amazing people along this journey. I have had more friends in the past four months than I have since high school. Being at Whittier and being lonely most of my time there has made me a bit wary and jaded, I think. I was afraid I wouldn't make friends, but I was so excited to try. I met one of the best friends I had in CPH in the airport waiting for our bags, and we ended up traveling to Greece, Austria and Germany together. I love you Amanda and I miss you already!!! Through my core class I met an extraordinary group of people. I have never laughed so hard or had so much fun or had such a hyggeligt time than when we all went to that little Italian restaurant in SoHo in London then to Trafalgar Square and danced Bollywood together and saw shows. I will never forget any of you and I hate that the majority of you live on the East Coast. I will really miss you Patti, Lena, Jeff, and Trisha!! I have also met amazing people who I didn't get to spend much time with but whom I will always remember! Haley, we'll always have Ribe (and Thanksgiving at my house)! And Katie, I will miss our 1 o'clock lunches and I'm so glad we got to see Harry Potter and eat cupcakes together!! I can't imagine my life without all of you, but I guess I'll have to try, but only for a little while.
Copenhagen is a gorgeous, quiet, and relaxed little town with a lot of history and great people (just give them time to warm up to you, haha). The city and classes were great but what really made this experience for me was the people. I've spent four amazing months here and I can't believe it is over, but I think I am ready to go home. I just wish I could take CPH with me and all the people I love. This time tomorrow I'll be almost home. I can't believe it's over. It seems like I've just gotten my Danish brother and his girlfriend to open up to me and now I'm leaving. I said goodbye to them and I had to try not to cry, so I can only imagine how it will be saying goodbye to my host mom and sister tomorrow. Tomorrow will definitely be a very long and emotional day, but by the end of it I will be home with my family and my cat and my new big girl bed, and a few hours after that I will finally be seeing my boyfriend! I just have to come back and visit all the places I fell in love with and my Danish family, and visit the friends I love in the states as soon as I can!
So, as most Danes don't like to say goodbye, I will just say: Vi ses, og jeg elsker dig København! Jeg kommer til at savne alle mine venner og min fantastisk Danske familie! Ja, vi ses. <3
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