An Uneventful Beginning to My European Adventure

If you're reading this it's probably because you already know me so I won't bother introducing myself too much. The short story is that I'm an American student from Maryland and I'm spending the fall 2014 semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am writing this blog mainly to update my family and friends on my whereabouts but also to document my experiences so that when I'm older I will be able to relive my travels. I've always admired bloggers and their ability to share their inner thoughts, feelings and details of their personal lives. I've never been very comfortable sharing with the world what feels like a diary entry. But after all, this semester is about trying news things and that is what I must do. 

The first thing I saw when we touched down at the Copenhagen airport was a rainbow in the sky. I took it as a sign that I made the right choice. I had never traveled internationally before and I did not really know what to expect. I was anxious about leaving my parents, my friends and my boyfriend of a year and a half. The day of my departure, I was a big bag of nerves. But when I saw that rainbow in the sky, I felt immediately rejuvenated. Everything was going to be okay. 

    I didn't get a chance to snap a photo of the rainbow at the aiport,
   but a few days later, this double rainbow happened in the center of Copenhagen!

My host university, Copenhagen Business School (CBS), set me up with a "buddy", another CBS student who signed up to help the exchange students settle in and transition into Danish life. My buddy, Hana, met me at the airport, helped me buy a metro ticket and accompanied me to my new home, an apartment in Amagerbro, Copenhagen. I wasn't lucky enough to get on-campus housing from CBS, which sold out in less than an hour after it became available. So I was forced to find my own accommodations. 

I share an apartment with a Danish woman and an Italian woman. Both are grad students in their mid-twenties. I'm much further away from the CBS campus than I would like, but looking on the bright side, this is a great opportunity for me to engage with other cultures. I've asked my roommate tons of questions about what the Danes do, how the Danes act and general inquiries about life in Copenhagen. She's also asked me about the States. It's nice that we can both learn more about the world through each other. 

I arrived here in Copenhagen the evening of Friday the 15th. My first weekend here, I was so exhausted, jet-lagged and homesick, I didn't really do much. I explored my neighborhood and my new school. But I didn't know anyone but my flatmates and my buddy. I Skyped with my boyfriend of a year and a half, missing him already. For once, I was looking forward to Monday, when my Danish class would begin.