Hey there, welcome back to my Danish blog of deserts, photos, and dogs! When I started this blog in August I intended to document my fall semester with DIS, and rightfully named it 120 Days in Denmark. Well, I’m here to tell you that title is somewhat false. In reality, I’m actually spending my entire junior year in Copenhagen with DIS, so the “120 Days in Denmark” title has changed to read “240 Days in Denmark”! 240 days, 5,760 hours, 345600 minutes… I am unbelievably lucky continue my love affair with this incredible city beyond the autumn season and into the spring.
I may still be based in Copenhagen, but thats about the only thing that has stayed the same since December. To try and get the most out of my experience here, I decided to change everything from before: now, I’m living in a homestay in Nærum (about an hour north of the center city), taking Graphic Design as my core course, and pushing myself to explore Copenhagen beyond DIS. The first month has been all about introductions and finding a sustainable routine, and while I could probably fill an entire book with all the reasons why I love my host family, I’m going to try and stay focused today to explain my prolonged danish residency. I knew from the beginning of my study abroad process that I wanted to commit to a full year, but it was only until I returned to Copenhagen in January that I was able to articulate what made Copenhagen so special.
This one really needs no explaining. Everyone knows that Copenhagen is sublime— the tiny colorful buildings snuggle together like friends around a fire, and, especially in the winter months, the coziness is palpable. But there are things about this city that make it ideal for who I am as a person: the biking culture, the smallness, the detail, the safety, the way the blue sky looks after weeks of clouds. In fact, one of my favorite parts about Copenhagen might be the winter darkness— it is only in the bleakness of November and chill of January that I feel wholeheartedly at home in my little warm apartment with my best friends. At the end of five months here, I can confidently say that Copenhagen has become so much more than a place where I studied abroad. It is my center of gravity; my home of coziness and color.
The people. There is a certain kind of communication among the people of Copenhagen that is delightfully subtle and polite— people hold doors for you but respectfully avert eye contact. Furthermore, the social culture that DIS facilities is truly second to none. The friendships that I have cultivated here have sprung up in a matter of weeks with the trust and understanding of an old friend. I’ve boiled this down to the situation: we all arrive in Denmark as a blank slate, eager to explore, excited to experience something at every turn. This engagement and enthusiasm is contagious to every facet of my life in Copenhagen, and has led to some of the most sincere friendships I have ever had.
DIS has taught me more about Communications and Graphic Design in the past five months than I have learned during my entire time at my home university. All of my courses have consistently been hands-on, challenging, and rewarding in very functional ways; my design portfolio has grown to include design thinking exercises, graphic design studies, and photojournalism projects. Furthermore, my electives have just been so much fun! Studying the Meaning of Style or Travel Writing has led me to fall in love with the act of learning again. I’m so grateful for the last five months of my life and beyond excited to continue documenting the next three. Happy to have you along for the ride!
240 Days in Denmark 