My First Month in Denmark

Hello! It has officially been my first month in Denmark! I've learned a lot and I will be writing about some of the highlights so far. 

School

   My experience with school has been very positive so far. Though it can be annoying at times with the language barrier, everyone speaks English very well, and I'm able to do most assignments. Recently, my English teacher thought it would be really cool to talk to some of the younger classes about my experiences in the US, and general life. I went to over 10 classes and spoke for 1-2 hours in each one. I presented to ages ranging from 9-13. It was a lot of work and I was pretty tired by the end of the week, but on the bright side, I'm very popular with the younger kids. Last week it was project week, everyone had to do a project on something that will change the world. I opted to work alone since I can be more efficient that way, and I managed to write a 22-page report on Donald Trump's election. It wasn't the most fun to write if I'm honest. From an educational stance, schools in Denmark rely on group projects and are much easier than American schools, but I am very happy here. 

   The education wasn't just different. The environment was also new, on the first day I arrived, everyone was so social and excited to see me, and it made me very excited. In Denmark, you will remain in the same class for the entire year, instead of having periods like in the US. It was easy to tell that some of the people here had been in the same class for their entire lives. There weren't any cliques, and though some may like to hang out with others more, there was no bad blood at all. It felt more like a family than a class, and I've been welcomed with open arms.

     Another difference I've seen in Denmark is the home life. Danish hospitality really is something, my host parents are truly the nicest people I've ever met. They treat me like one of their own, and that means a lot to me. Every night, my host mother always puts together a beautiful Danish style dinner, and it's so good! I also always offer to help out and take care of chores, for now, my only chores are to clean my room once a week and clean up if I make a mess.

   I also have a great relationship with my host sister. Though I like to have alone time when I'm home, my host sister always invites me places, and I am always invited to hang out with her and her friends. I've also noticed some differences in Danish youth culture and American youth culture, of course, everyone has their social media, but how they use it sets us apart. Before I arrived, a lot of my host sister's friends would just send me their faces over Snapchat, and when I asked how they were they would simply send their faces again. This was rather puzzling to me, but when I asked my host sister, she explained that "we just like to send each other our faces." I still have to get used to that. 

Food

     I've had mixed experiences with food in Denmark. It's a bit plain, to say the least, and I don't think I can eat any more potatoes. One major difference I've noticed is the food sold at supermarkets. It's much healthier for a better price. In fact, I've lost some weight due to it, which is a good thing. One food that I really enjoy is the chocolate in Denmark, Denmark has some of the best chocolate milk I've ever had! And it's EVERYWHERE! The pastries are also very good but not as exciting. 

One dish I have fallen in love with is aebleskivers, which translates into "pancake puffs." In Denmark it is said you can only eat 3 or 5, unfortunately, I always get full after 4. Another food I love is anything that involves Bacon, and the Danes are champions when it comes to bacon. 

The Scenery

   Denmark is truly a beautiful country. The architecture and sights are so pretty. Unfortunately, it's freezing, especially by a Californian's standards. It is Denmarks warmest winter in over 100 years and I'm frozen. Here are some pictures of the sights I've seen.

My Daily Schedule

   Now I'm going to talk about what it's like each day. I will be using a school day.

At 6 am, I wake up and shower, I then eat breakfast which a homemade bun or yogurt with granola. 

Then I get dressed and my host sister and I walk to school at 7:30

We then pick up a friend and head to school

I spend the entire day at school until 3 pm

Then my host sister, me, and a different friend walk home

When I get home I have a snack, then a power nap, and do yoga

by the time I'm done, it's dinner time

by 10 pm I'm in bed asleep.

My schedule is very basic, and adjusting was very easy. I was very worried about settling in but things have been great. Expect my next blog to release after my trip to London!