Glædlig Jul

Aww Christmas time. A time to be with family. Although, I was not with my real family I still felt surrounded by love. It started out with a visit to my first host family and they gave me my christmas present. I didnt open it until Christmas, of course, but it was a backpack that i have wanted since I arrived. There is a kind of swedish backpack that is a super popular trend here and will just always remind of Denmark when I look at it. I couldnt believe that my host family had remembered how badly I wanted it. After getting that wonderful surprise, I went out to my grandmothers house with my host family on christmas eve. Christmas here is similar but not the same at all. The presents are opened on christmas eve and you dance and sing around the christmas tree and santa literally visits, not while you are asleep to deliver presents, he hands them to you. When we were running around the christmas tree singing and dancing there were candles lit on the christmas tree. A HUGE FIRE HAZARD but that didnt stop anything. On the last song we even ran around outside and through the whole house while holding hands. It was so funny and so much fun, my host brother and i couldnt stop laughing. For christmas I got my brother a morphsuit which is a kind of costume that covers your whole body and it was quite the site to see. It was soo funny to see him running around the house in it so pleased with it. I feel really close to my brother. Along with the fun customs, the food was delicious. To start i had caviar with quail eggs on white bread, duck, pork, potatoes, and red cabbage. Then for dessert a rice dish with a little twist. It is rice pudding with chunks of almonds but there is one whole almond in there and we all take scoops of the rice with a little berry dressing. When you eat the pudding you have to find the one whole almond which means sifting through the food in your mouth before eating it and if you find the almond you have to keep it in your mouth but finish your rice dish, quite odd. But whoever has the whole almond gets a little extra present. It involves a lot of joking and odd facial expressions while trying to find the almond. It doesnt help either that you cant eat a lot because the pudding hits your stomach like a rock. I love danish food because it is all so delicious and traditional. The dinner conversation didnt lack either. I had to explain what a muffin top was to my family (fat rolls) which was so funny because they just didnt understand and really were trying to grasp the meaning. Another part of the night that was really different for me was the opening of the presents. In my family my brother and I are the youngest so we always get the most presents and open ours first and are always at the kids table and pass out the gifts to everyone else but for the first time i had three younger cousins. It was Christmas from a whole different perspective. For once, i stayed at the adult table and laughed and talked with them then watched the younger cousins open gifts and oh so patiently waited for them to give me my couple presents. It was so cute to see their joy and i enjoyed this perspective. Speaking of cute things, they had this forty year old turtle that was not shy at all and i was feeding and it fell asleep on my neck and it just was so sweet, i loved it. Even after all that I received the best christmas present of all, a phone call to my mom. Skype is a gift from God but theres something about a scheduled time to talk that takes away the sentimental value of talking so far away. But this time, it was a total surprise. The second she realized it was me she started crying and I started crying but it was so good to hear her voice, I cant even express the joy i felt after hearing her voice over the phone after so long. As if Christmas evening wasnt enough the fun just kept coming. That night Frederik and I watched a movie and talked for a couple hours and I really felt like he was a big brother to me. I feel like I can talk to him and I really enjoy his company. He is the older brother Ive always wanted.
The next morning, Christmas morning, we woke up exhausted but the festivities werent over. It was a little odd for me to wake up and not have christmas presents but my packages from my mom and friend had arrived so it was a little like christmas morning but not exactly the same. Talk about perfect timing though. Later that day we went to my host dad's side of the family. It was much more low key and there were no younger cousins so it was just relaxing to have lunch together and i even got a couple more christmas presents which i wasnt expecting because I really didnt expect to get anything.
Unlike in America christmas here lasts three days. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas so even on Monday I had something to do. I went with my friend Christina to her family's julefrokost (christmas lunch). I met her whole family and we talked and played cards and also played bingo but it was so different from in America. The cards werent the same and we played for prizes. In the center of the table were a bunch of gifts lined up and the person that won each round got to pick a gift. It was a really neat idea because we teased each other and laughed and it brought us together. I might just have to bring that tradition back home with me.

Just Another Goodbye.

To recap the past couple weeks:
1. Christmas Fun:
The Rotex (past exchange students) put together a little christmas gift exchange for us with the danes that are going out on exchange next year. It was fun to meet them because they all had questions of course and we also got to play a Danish traditional game, it is similar to the swap that is common in America but not everyone ends up with a gift at the end. It was also the last little get together for the oldies in our district but we still make ways to see each other which brings me to number 2.

2. Goodbye oldies:
This goes in to two parts. The first time was an official, little, hyggeligt get together. We just talked and danced a little bit and laughed. The second time was when one of the exchange students from Brazil, Gustavo, asked us all to join in Copenhagen for his last thursday. I couldn't believe that it was his last thursday, on exchange you just feel like it will never end. At the end of the night when I officially had to say goodbye to him i couldn't stop crying. This could be a forever goodbye and I cant stand to think about it. That is the hardest part of exchange, no doubt, to say goodbye. You grow to love every single person.

3. But back to the happy, my first family. I went to visit them again and O it was wonderful. I just feel like they are truly my siblings and parents. I love every second I spend with them. Dinner at their house is non stop laughs and being with Kirsten just is indescribable. She calls me her party girl and always jokes with me and hugs me like i havn't seen her for a year. I love that family so much and I know that I say that every time I talk about them on this blog but every time I see them my love grows, no joke.

4. On top of the joy that my first family gives me, this host family makes me just as happy. My host brother and I made chocolate chip cookies together today and it was so fantastic. The simplest of things makes our bond stronger. We laughed and joked the whole time, shared music, and talked about movies. I really enjoy his company and he's the older brother that I have always wanted.

5. The good news just keeps rolling. I GOT MY PACKAGES!! For two weeks now I have been waiting for packages from my mom and my friend. They couldn't have come at a better time. Christmas is a little more difficult than I could imagine because it doesn't feel like christmas. America has commercialized christmas so much while Denmark has kept christmas as a small, family holiday and I think I am so used to the American version that it doesn't seem right any other way. The package contained a stocking and food and presents and it just reminds me of being home because my friend and family's personality reflected in everything they gave me. It makes me miss home but at the same time, I love Denmark so much. I am excited for Christmas but at the same time a little apprehensive because I don't know how I will feel but we will see. I am excited to see how my family likes their gifts.

An update to all after christmas. GOD JUL OG GODT NYTÅR. merry christmas and happy new year <3

Odense

This past weekend I took a little trip to Odense to visit my friend Isabel and say goodbye to the oldies (exchange students that came in January/ February and are leaving in the next month or so). It was awesome to see everyone but saying goodbye was really hard. I have only known the oldies for four months and already it was heart breaking to realize that it was the last time i would ever see them, i cant imagine how its going to be when i have to say goodbye to the group that i came with. I cant bear to even think about it.

On the happier side my second host family is amazing. I am adjusting quite quickly and I cant believe how lucky I am to be with such wonderful families. Little stuff may get in the way like getting my keys stolen, having a bike stolen, breaking a cellphone but besides the little crap that looks like it should stand in your way i feel untouchable. My exchange is just too full of wonder, adventure, and amazing components that I cant stand to dwell on the little.

New Family

As you read I just moved in with my second host family. They are absolutely fantastic people. My brother, Frederik, is smart and funny and just really wonderful and my parents are so willing to help and just seek to make me comfortable and assure that I have the best year of my life. Their names are Pernille and Kim. The weekend started off a little chaotic. On saturday I had to pack everything (it was a lot) and move and I had a cold so it was all a little overwhelming. I settled in and got more comfortable and got to spend some time with them, it was meget hyggeligt:] On sunday Pernille's side of the family came over and we made christmas decorations. As fantastic as it was to be with her family it made me miss my family that much more. My cousins, and my aunts and uncles, and grandparents. I just wanted to be with them so bad but no complaints im the luckiest girl in the world right now. Just being with them was great and my host family now speaks mostly danish which hopefully means I will get really good really quickly. My understanding has gotten really good but theres always room for improvement and i just want to be fluent already. Hopefully it will all come together after christmas!

The First of December

O these silly danes. It is the first of december and they are acting as if it is the 24th. If they are this excited for the first day of the month I cant wait to see what the next 24 days holds for me.

Well it has been a while since ive posted but there are only a few things to catch up on. First off I went to Tivoli again the other day but this time with a bunch of exchange students from Odense (a different part of Denmark, about an hour and a half away). I really liked seeing them because I havnt seen them since Holbæk. Of course it was crazy running around the park with them because you put a bunch of exchange students together and its never boring. On top of all the excitement of Tivoli I move on Saturday. My mind is blown, already one third through exchange!! I am so excited to be with this new family but at the same time im being taken out of my comfort zone again. I love my host family as much as I love my real family. They are such amazing people and I couldnt thank them enough for everything theyve done. Ida is so funny and carefree and wonderful to be around. She makes me laugh and the way she enjoys life makes me aspire to be like her. Anne is so charismatic and ready to sing and dance. She is so smart and I could see her helping many many people when she gets out of law school. She has a big heart and she is so caring. Now Mads, that boy will change the world. He is a genius and he is funny and willing to help with anything but at the same time he will not hesitate to challenge you. He sticks up for what he thinks and stands by it no matter what. He is going to have a huge impact on this world, i know it. Christian is the best older host brother i couldve asked for. He is hilarious!!! Although he wasnt around much because of school he always seeked to tell me something interesting when he was here and seemed to always have a question in mind to get the answer to. I get the impression he wants to know everything. For Kirsten and Thyge, O my. On top of raising four amazing childrem, they themselves are just as amazing. They have never hesitated to help me with anything and they are always so willing to show me everything Denmark has to offer. Kirsten is my party girl. She makes me laugh and could cheer up the darkest days. She has a beautiful appreciation and on top of her amazing personality she is the best cook. Thyge is among one of the most resourceful men ive ever met. He knows things that I wouldnt even think of. Thyge always goes to the positive and has the cheekiest laugh ive ever seen. All in all this family was more than I couldve ever hoped for in a first host family. I love them with all my heart and I will never forget them.

Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and so is homesickness. I cant believe that it is already that time. At home thanksgiving is always my family's holiday. My dad would cook for days and we would have all the family over. It was so extravagant that my dad sent out leather menus with the invitations, no joke. It is hard not to be around family during the times of year that you normally feel closest to them. Although thursday will be extremely difficult for me tonight we had a faux thanksgiving with rotary. The food was delicious and we even performed. All of us exchange students from my district got together a 45 minute talent show. It was a lot of fun and a good way to show the rotarians that silly, creative side of us. Of course, us north americans could not resist doing high school musical. We got up there and danced just like in the movie. It was hilarious and we couldnt stop laughing. I really appreciate this night and all that rotary set up with us, I just wish my family couldve been there to see it.

Jeg har det godt.

I have it good:]

This week has just been another wonderful, exciting week as an exchange student. Tuesday was the day that the week really started. I spent the evening bowling with my class. It was so much fun! Every moment I spend with them is unforgettable. I am horrible at bowling which made for a funny game because I couldnt hit a pin to save my life! Three fourths of the time I didnt even hit one but I had fun nonetheless. My class is full of amazing kids. I am so fortunate to have them and I cant even imagine my year any other way without them. We laughed and had an amazing time. On Wednesday there was OD day. It is a day where high school kids work and the money that they get for that day goes to a charity that the school participates. Good idea, right? Well i decided to participate in this wonderful part of danish high school so I raked leaves for my host dad. It was back breaking work and it was awful but worth it because I felt like an average student. After all that thursday was definitely the high light of my week. My best friend Christina got free tickets to christmas themed tivoli and this year it was themed Russian christmas. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Everything was lit up and decorated and it was a gorgeous sight. I went with her and Ditte and a couple other girls. We rode a few rides and hung out and just enjoyed eachother's company. I tried something called æbleskiver and they were so delicious. The perfect definition of fair food. All in all it has been an amazing week and I cant wait for the weeks to come.

Holbæk

O those Rotary get togethers, how splendid they truly are. This weekend we had a halloween get together with the oldies (australians, new zealanders, and brazilians that arrived in january) and the newbies (everyone else that arrived in August). It all started on Friday night when we all rolled up to a gymnasium and couldnt contain our excitement to see each other. My friend Anne Julie asked me to shave her head and the excitement didnt stop after that. You put 200 exchange students in a school and stuff is bound to happen. There was a dj until about 4 in the morning but I didnt stay up for that. I wanted to get my rest and conserve it for saturday for an unforgettable day. Many exchange students shared my viewpoint so we got in our sleeping bags and settled in but 40 exchange students in one room doesnt make for good sleeping arrangements. It was probably an hour before we went to bed because we were all giggling and sharing and basking in the joy of being with each other again. Saturday morning we were awoken by a Rotex with a blowhorn. Not a delightful thing to wake up to but all in good fun. Saturday afternoon we all walked into town, looked around and did a little shopping. When we got back a few of us exchange students did zumba with a teacher that offered to come to the school. It was so high energy and fun to be jumping around with all of us. When zumba was done we all got in our costumes. It was so funny to see what people had decided to come as. I was really pleased with how almost all of us gave 100 percent effort in to dressing up. Madeline and I decided to be cowboys, not cowgirls. We had fake mustaches and guns, it was a sight to see. That night we put on a little show for some people from Rotary and it was a lot of fun to see their reactions to what we wanted to show them. After dinner and the rotarians had left a dj came and the party really started. We all danced all night and in to the morning. When a lot of the exchange students started losing their energy some of us kept going. There was quite a few of us that didnt sleep at all. The dj was going until about 6 in the morning. After the dj left one of the australian girls and i just packed because there was no point in sleeping after that. Unfortunately, we had to leave early sunday morning and it was really hard to say goodbye to everyone because the oldies are leaving in two months and we wont see the newbies again until april and by that time we will be two months away from leaving. I cant believe how fast this is going bye. I got home and just thought about how much I truly love the people im surrounded by and spending my time with. My life will never be the same.

3 months

To think that this time three months ago I was finishing packing, getting ready to embark on the greatest adventure of my life. I feel like it was just a week ago that I got home from intro camp. This experience is 1/3 of the way over and I dont ever want it to stop. I cant believe that time has passed so much. I love Denmark and I cant imagine ever leaving. This short time has made me realize how much I need to cherish the people in my life and how I need to take every opportunity and appreciate everything that everyone has done for me. This experience would not be the same without my class, especially Christina, Ditte, Julie, Ida, Larisa, Amalie, and Frederik. I love these people so much and would do anything for them. I cant wait to get to know the other people better and to have more crazy times. I cant begin to thank Rotary enough for this opportunity.

Halloween

October 31, the wonderful, overrated American holiday! Unfortunately I didnt even realize that it was Halloween until four o clock that afternoon but instead of dwelling on my lost time to celebrate I went trick or treating with Glen's kids. Glen is a man from my rotary and he has the best kids in the world! They are sweet hearts and I had so much fun with them. I learn more danish from them then I do in my danish lessons. When we went out it was nothing like Halloween in America. Trick or treating is very new in Denmark. We only saw one or two other kids out and the costumes were very last minute. The unimportance of the custom reflected when we went to the houses. When we rung the doorbells people only came to the door every 1/3 of the time and even then it was a scramble. They ran around their house looking for something that they could possibly give these kids. Oranges, money, crackers, cake, you name it they got it. It was very funny and unpredictable but nothing like the pillow cases of candy we got. They had about half a lunch bag full of candy and they were done and sure they had hit the jack pot. I was so shocked. When we trick or treat in America we do it for hours and only go back and dump our bags to go out again when we cant cary it because of how heavy it is. It made me very homesick and I was surprised how something we grew up with our whole life could be sooo different somewhere else.
Along with trick or treating my wonderful grandmother sent me candy corn in the mail. A little piece of home that theyve never seen here. I gave the kids in my class some and most of them didnt know how to even eat them and the majority of them hated it. They compared the taste to caramel but a disgusting caramel. It surprised me beyond belief that they have never seen it let alone tasted it and most of them didnt like it! Nothing like home at all.

VACATION!

While many of you were in school waiting for the day to end I spent last week on vacation! Yes in Denmark we have a week off for fall vacation. I began mine on friday with a girls night. I went in to the city with a few of the girls from my class. After a crazy night with my girls and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing to get ready for the rest of the week. It all began with Sweden on monday. My host mom, sister, brother, and I took a train to Sweden. It amazes me that you can go to a whole different country in only 45 minutes. Of course from vermont we could go to Canada in little time but it didnt even feel like crossing borders. I didnt have to take out my passport or anything!In sweden we found this little store called the American store. I felt like I was at home. They had everything and it was so great to walk around and tell my family about everything and even buy a few things to bring home and try. Unfortunately, the store made me very homesick but I looked at my host family and thought about how truly lucky I was to have these people in my life. When we got back I was exhausted. The next day I went into town and met up with another exchange student, Anthony, from Canada. He really is a sweet kid. We went and got tea at a little cafe and just caught up on what was going on in our lives. Its nice to know you arent alone on exchange. That night my host sister Anne and I had a little bonding night. We went and saw footloose; it was awesome! We spent the whole ride home laughing and talking and having a good time. I spent wednesday decompressing so nothing really crazy or exciting happened that day but thursday the excitement resumed. I spent the whole day with my younger host brother, Mads. He wanted to try KFC for the first time and we looked one up in København. After he realized how gross greasy, fast-food chicken is we walked around and ended up finding a store that sold root beer. Later that night he and I made root-beer floats and we watched a movie. We became overwhelmed with a sugar rush so we took a late night run. It was a refreshing way to end a fantastic day. But the fun didnt stop there. At the end of the month Holbæk is happening, its a halloween party for all the exchange students and we dress up in costumes. One of the exchange students, Madeline, and I went costume shopping and ended up buying cowboy hats, mustaches, and water guns. Its going to be a good night. I then went to my friend Christina's house and I love having her around. She really is wonderful. I feel comfortable around her and we always have a good time no matter what we are doing. On saturday morning I woke up early and headed home. My family and I went out to brunch and then went to a little kite show in Dyrehavn, a HUGE park on Sjaelland. I was reading "The Kite Runner" at that time so it was interesting to have the image of this blissful event along with what was happening in the book. After the kite event my host sister, Ida, and I went back home and carved a pumpkin! It was so nice to have one of those little traditions from back home. We carved a classic pumpkin face with vampire fangs. We had so much fun doing it. I couldnt just let the seeds go to waste so Mads and I roasted them. I have never roasted pumpkin seeds before but they actually turned out pretty fantastic. Unfortunately came sunday. The last day of vacation, I was not ready for it to be over. Sunday I spent relaxing and getting ready for school. All in all it was an amazing vacation. I got closer to my family and i truly cherish their company. It will be very difficult to leave them.

the hard times.

My mind wanders because it has the time.

Im sitting here in class doing absolutely nothing and feeling stupid. I have never felt to insufficient and dumb in my entire life. They tell you "you are so courageous for leaving your family and going to a whole other country." That is not even the difficult part, we all leave the nest at some point. The hardest part is having to feel so inferior. Its not knowing, anything. After feeling like you are finally somewhat intelligent you get thrown into baby years all over again. The social norms are different, the language is different, the classes are different, NOTHING IS THE SAME! I would never trade this experience for anything because it is absolutely amazing and I am learning and experiencing so much but damn....this shit is hard!

I am starting to feel like more of a burden, i feel as if i am not contributing everything. Even at "home" I still feel like a guest. One of my host sisters gets really mad at me and yells at me and tells me to stop feeling like such a burden and frankly it doesnt make it better. She used to be an exchange student and I feel as if she would understand but she just gets mad. I have always been independent and i dont enjoy the feeling of codependence and here, i cant do anything by myself. It is a belittling feeling.

50 Differences

1. no one says bless you after you sneeze.
2. they serve alcohol at school parties.
3. every party has a pre party (a warm up as they call it).
4. you take off your shoes at the front entrance.
5. real strong black, salty licorice is VERY popular here.
6. carrots everywhere, its the main snack and in every food.
7. every single bakery is delicious, even the gas stations.
8. you call your teachers by their first names.
9. "fuck" and other very bad cuss words are natural emphasis words here, appropriate to use in school and in front of adults, no repercussions.
10. kids are trusted and have a lot of responsibility so when you do something wrong you suffer the consequences and just deal with it, theres no guilt tripping and dwelling. whats done is done.
11. hygge.
12. everything costs money including ketchup at mcdonalds and water everywhere else.
13. theres no saying excuse me here.
14. medical care is free and so is dental care under the age of 18.
15. public transportation is god's best gift.
16. riding bikes is completely normal and for all ages, starting at about 3.
17. training wheels before 3/5. we have training wheels from 5 to 8.
18. stoplights: red for stop, red then yellow then green for go not red yellow green.
19. you eat all food with a fork and knife, everything.
20. they dont raise their hand in class they raise one finger.
21. everyone participates in class and is eager to learn because it is not the law to go to high school.
22. you stay with the same class, all day every day.
23. no tipping at restaurants unless you are feeling generous.
24. everything is very expensive but they also learn double what our minimum wage is.
25. no one likes peanut butter.
26. brown bread is very very popular.
27. a lot more liberal here.
28. people are very closed-off and soft spoken at first.
29. they love obama.
30. you can smoke in some cafes.
31. they have a smoking section at school and EVERYONE smokes in between every class.
32. school schedules are very different, they are all online and constantly changing.
33. teachers just leave you alone in a classroom and expect you to do your work.
34. everyone brings their laptop to school.
35. school is based on personal choice to learn and responsibility. you dont turn in assignments besides projects and specific homework or tests.
36. they speak danish, not dutch but EVERYONE knows english.
37. h&m's are everywhere.
38. everything is closed on sundays except for the first sunday of every month.
39. everything closes early (6/7)
40. everyone dresses up to school and no matter what everyone looks very presentable. it looks like everyone (boys and girls) just walked out of vogue.
41. you wear heels and nice dresses to parties.
42. drinking age is 16.
43. its 100% legal to drink in public.
44. people either have the most high tech phones (iphones) or the crappiest, low tech phones. there is no in between.
45. detention is a myth here.
46. there is no gummy worms or sour patch kids or chocolate pudding or peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese or s'mores or graham crackers or macaroni and cheese.
47. will ferrel is not a hilarious genius here. (most people havnt seen step brothers or anchorman)
48. no censorship.
49. no thanksgiving.
50. all cars are manual, its rare to find automatic.
51. Christina loves tara

Tango:]

O Denmark, how i love you so. Today was no ordinary day at school, I had tango lessons for spanish class. Yea you read that right. Instead of a boring spanish class i learned to tango from professional teachers with 50 other spanish students. FINALLY I WAS IN MY ELEMENT! A language barrier didnt matter, i saw what they were doing and I felt the music run through me and let every frustration of not understanding leave my mind and i just danced. Pure and simple. I was in a place ive always loved to be in. Not to mention we switched partners every ten minutes, great way to meet people and enjoy some hilarious encounters. I will never ever have any other opportunities like this. Thank you Rotary and my family that supported me, for without you I would not have this.

Just Another Weekend

This weekend was a little uneventful but still fun. I went to a class party on friday which was fun because I just grew even closer to the kids i spend almost everyday with. The closer I get to them though the more I realize that even i dont want to leave them next year. Then it dawned on me, the soonest rotary suggests visiting is in two years and they will all be off at Uni or on to bigger and better things, living their lives. I cant believe that when i say bye it will truly mean goodbye.
But lets forget the sad, depressing stuff and get back to this great weekend. On saturday I went to my friend Frederiks house which was fun. We made rainbow cupcakes and dinner and my other friend Thomas came over and it was a really relaxing, fun night. I really enjoy their company and they make me laugh harder than anyone else.
On Sunday I went sight seeing with my family which was awesome because they told me so much history of the buildings around us and it was mind blowing because most of Denmark's historical, architectural achievements happened even before America 1700s, before America signed the declaration. I really enjoyed going around with my mom and seeing everything and I even climbed to the top of this really high church which was scary as hell because i have the biggest fear of heights. My legs were trembling and my hands were shaking. I felt like crying but with Kirsten's encouragement i did it and felt really good about it afterwards.
I am surrounded by some amazing people.

see those gold staircases? yea thats right, i went to the very top!




and just in case you wanted a closer look!!!

The Voice

On Tuesday of this week I went to the voice concert with my friend Christina. It was quite an experience. There were so many people and it took place in Tivoli, the amusement park where I saw Kanye West. There were boys and girls from all ages from 8-50. Weirdest range of age groups but the concert featured all of the really popular, main-stream pop artists. Christina and I had so much fun going on a couple of rides, dancing around, and just having a lot of fun people watching. We also met up with a bunch of the brazillian exchange students and boy the brazillians party like no one else.

She was the perfect person to go with and I cant believe how much I cherish the friendships that I have only just started to build. Two months have passed and 8 more months just doesnt seem like enough.

Weekend Recap

Where to begin. Well lets start with Friday, the first day of the world championship race and for all its fascination and making history, it was a pain in the ass. No buses running and there was no way to get a bike through the masses of people so I walked to the station. It was about a half an hour walk which actually wasn't too bad after I started appreciating the exercise. I went to meet up with my friend Hannah, she is from Jylland and she came to visit me and we immediately started the weekend. We went to the movies with a bunch of kids from my class and the movie was absolutely terrible. If you ever feel tempted to go see Drive with Ryan Goseling (however you spell it) DONT SEE IT! If you thought he was sexy before this movie will ruin any sex appeal he did have. Ok back on track. It was a chill night and a good opportunity for her to meet my friends. On saturday we went to København with my friend Christina. It really was a fantastic day. We did a little shopping, a little sight- seeing, and a lot of walking. On saturday night we hung out with a few of the boys in my class and it was a night full of laughter and good times. It was very hyggeligt:] On sunday, history was made. Sunday was the biggest day for the world championship bike race and i cant even begin to describe the masses of people everywhere. There were also many eccentric people. It was a good day. My family had a little stand for drinks and food and all that good stuff. My little brother was being quite the little entrepreneur. He was rolling in money by the end of the day. It was a party everywhere and at the end of the day when I took Hannah to the station, the trains reflected that. You couldnt walk an inch, there were masses of people everywhere. It was a crazy, full weekend but totally worth seeing history happen right in front of my eyes.

15 KM!

As you may be able to tell from the title, 15 km is pretty significant. Its significant because that is the distance of the tour for the world championship bike race and i rode my bike through the same path they are taking! I couldnt believe i accomplished it, no easy task but really great and such a good feeling after:]

Flea Market

The past weekend I went to a flea market in København with my third host sister, Sophia. It wasnt much different from the ones in America but it was crazy and packed and so chaotic. I didnt think I was going to make it out alive. Luckily, I found two cute items so it was worth it. Unfortunately, it started pouring rain and I had to ride my bike home. In brighter news this week the World Championship Bike Tour is happening in denmark, RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE! This is the perfect year for exchange in Denmark; elections, races, and more events than i could describe. This weekend another exchange student is also visiting me so that should be fun and I will have more to post after that:] I hope all out there in the world that are reading this are doing as good as i am.

Election Day.

Two nights ago the election in Denmark happened and boy was it big! Some people told me that it's the biggest election yet. I did a project in my societies class and was really involved and eager to learn more about how Denmark came to be as great as it is. The night of the election the school held a get together to watch the results and how could i say no? I went with a few of the girls which i didnt know so well and it was a nice, relaxed setting to get to know them. I got to the school and there were so many people. The two sides are rød (red) and blå (blue) so some kids were dressed in red and some were dressed in blue. My class was debating back and forth and they were really in to it. Good for them for wanting to be so involved but my personal feeling is that if you cant do anything to change the election by voting then why get so worked up and mad about it? Get really involved when you can vote :] That is the exact reason I dont follow politics. Besides sitting with my class and getting to know them a little bit better something I will never get used to was going on. THEY SERVE BEER AT SCHOOL FUNCTIONS! All the kids here are to responsible to get crazy drunk at school functions but still I couldnt believe it!. Teachers were walking around and talking to us while a bunch of kids had beers in their hand. It was quite a sight to see. I told my friend Ida that I would never get used to it and she looked at me laughed and said "If there was no beer, no one would come." I love Denmark<3

idrætsdag

Yesterday was such a fantastic day! I cant even express to you the craziness of idrætsdag. The direct translation is gym day. Its like Harwood spirit week packed into one day. Instead of each grade having a them each class gets a theme and my class chose to do Smurfs (smølfs). Yea thats right we painted ourselves blue from head to toe and dressed in white. We also competed in competitions. I started off in the relay race which we did ok in then I played on the volleyball team and we kicked ass! We made it to semi finals which was a huge accomplishment. Hopefully next year my class will win something huge, unfortunately I wont get to see it. Along with dressing like smurfs we had a boombox and found smurf cds and walked around jamming to it. It was just such a good day and I felt really close to my class and I felt a part of the class.

intro camp!

Now that was an insane week. So much everyday, i have never felt so extremely exhausted in my life. The first day started off simple with arriving a tour then dinner. We met the teachers (all young, smart, funny, and attractive!). The second day was when the long days began. Six hours of danish lessons a day and you may so only 6 and i would say YEAAAA SIX ITS SOOO LONG. They were sooo tedious but luckily my teacher, Emil, was amazing. He was funny, into music, and art. Anyways back to the days. The third day of intro camp was my birthday, not so great. It was nice that we learned how to sing happy birthday in danish but it was more of a lesson than a celebration. People wished me happy birthday, the same 20 people but nothing too exciting and great. I am still not used to saying im 17, it just feels weird. On the night of my birthday there was a campfire and a climbing wall and i talked to Emil about movies because hes a movie buff just like me! We also followed this dansk (danish) tradition of twisting bread dough around a stick then baking it over the campfire....IT WAS SOOO GOOD! We put some jelly on it and just sat around the fire, delicious:] On the fourth day after our tedious dansk lessons our teachers presented us with a surprise. It was a concert by the Striving Vines (a very popular danish band) just for us exchange students!!!!!!! I couldnt believe that they went through so much just to bring them to us. It was a blast. After the concert that was the first night i noticed the brazilian dance parties. Half they kids there were brazilian and boy were they crazy but i loved them!! That night i walked downstairs and in a chill room off to the side the brazilians set up a stereo and were just having an insane dance party, how could i say no? I joined in and it was sooo much fun. They are soo full of life and fun, i couldnt resist spending so much time with them. The day after the concert we went to a place called Åhus. We started out in the museum and it was absolutely amazing. The art was soo captivating and fascinating. I would explain all the exhibits but i dont even know where to begin. When we were done at the museum we set out on the streets. We got set free and we went shopping and looked around and it was a really cool place. Of course i wanted to save money so i didnt buy anything but unfortunately not the whole day went palnned. Some girl tried to shoplift and got sent home. She tried to steal tweezers and nail polish, is that really worth it? I couldnt believe someone would jeopardize their adventure here for two things that ninety percent of the girls had at the camp. I felt bad for her because of all the rumors that started but it was her decision and now she has to reap the consequences. On a more positive note after our excursion we watched the movie the movie In a Better World, it is a danish film and it won the best foreign film award at the academy awards. It was pretty good and heart wrenching. The last full day was by far the best. We joked around, made up dances in our classes and performed them then had a dance. The dance was crazy! Music sucked but we were all to excited to be with each other to give a care in the world. We danced from 9 to 1 am. My legs have never hurt this bad, not even from bike riding. It was an insane week but I wouldnt trade it for the world. Its my first day back at school and i miss all the brazilians and crazy kids that i met over the past week.

happy birthday:]

By that i mean fake birthday. Good day then a family birthday party by night. It was a relaxed party with my counselor and host families but it was perfect. Kind of weird at first because they were strangers but as the night went on I came to realize how great they all were. One thing that is really cool and different here is on your birthday theres Danish flags everywhere, i dont know why but its awesome:] It was so kind for my mom to do this and then have people bring me presents. I COULDNT BELIEVE IT. It was the best fake birthday i could have asked for:]

A Few days gone by.

It has been a few days since my last post because not anything really crazy or noteworthy happened. Although, two days ago the rotary meeting was in the middle of a lake which was awesome because we had to row out there and it was absolutely hilarious and sooo much fun! Besides that I made a successful dinner of mac n cheese for my family and they absolutely loved it. It was their first time ever trying it, they had only heard about ti in the movies. It was quite comical. Last night was such a good night because I went to a rotary members house for dinner. He, Glen, has an amazing wife and two beautiful children. Their daughter, Sophie, was seven years old and didnt know a word of danish. It was interesting to say the least. I had to use every scrap of danish I could muster and she ran around teaching me new words. It was absolutely amazing and I love the kids soo much. The kids in my class are absolutely amazing. They make all the hardships of being an exchange student so much easier. They are accepting and welcoming. Im soo lucky!

perfection all bottled up.

Started off as a perfect day. I rode my bike all the way to school instead of taking the lazy way out on the train. Rode into school feeling quite accomplished and proud. Had a great day and found out we are taking a class trip to Bosnia.....i guess cool? I know nothing about Bosnia. Then our class walked to Mcdonalds and we all ate lunch together. I was one of them, no difference. To my surprise Mcdonalds here is SOOOO expensive. For a 9 chicken mcnugget meal it was 12 dollars!! HOLY MOLY. Anyways I got out of school at 1. Went around Birkerod and a kid in my class Thomas showed me what there was in the small town. It was really nice and it got even better. I went up to Copenhagen with Sophia (my third family host sister) and went in to shops and found the best bakery ever and bought cupcakes and croissants for my family. I was pumped! We rode back to Birkerod station and instead of taking my bike to Holte station (only one stop away) I thought hmm....Ill be a crazy dane and ride my bike home with my backpack and bakery bag and be fit and healthy well guess what!? FLAT TIRE. A perfect day with an embarrassing ending. Thyge (my host dad) had to come pick me up and I felt so bad. I interrupted family dinner. Not my proudest moment but I wont let it ruin a perfect day. Godnat (goodnight) <3

SUSHI!.

Madeline, Ida, and I watched this nordic roller blade race thing. In Vermont when people practice for nordic skiing they practice on these elongated roller blades with ski poles and in Denmark they actually race on them. It was intense and interesting to watch. It was a gorgeous day so after we went and got ice cream at the harbor. Yum:]

Later that night came my favorite part. Kirsten (my host mom), Ida (my host sister), Anne (my other host sister), and I went and got sushi. IT WAS SOO GOOD! The sushi here is amazing and all so different but extremely expensive. More so than in America. The waiters were nice and the restaurant was beautiful and all of us ladies were looking fine. All in all it was a beautiful day and a wonderful evening.

I also learned that skaal/ skål is the word for cheers. Learning something new everyday.

ps/ footnote

ive decided that doing a blog every single night is great but ive been posting lame stuff a few times where ive done nothing. I have thought about it and i will post when something exciting/ thought provoking happens or when i have to blabber on and talk or have something worth reading about. :]

first school party.

Yesterday was SUCH A GOOD DAY! I woke up that morning just feeling great. I really needed that sick day. I went to school with my head held high ready for an amazing day and it was nothing short of that. It started with me in danish class which is kind of like english class in America. literature and all that good stuff. The teacher saw me reading and asked if i wanted to give a presentation along with all the other kids about my books so i said why not? Could it really hurt? I was finally going to be part of the class. Giving that presentation was the best choice I made. It made me one of the classmates, we were all doing the same thing with the same nervous pang of presenting in front of peers. They had the chance to get to ask me questions and see me as an individual in their class not just another exchange student thats blankly staring at the teacher from the back of the class. It felt good plus I love reading so it was a great start for me to get to share what I love. After danish I had social sciences which is all about the government and stuff and we started learning about the government and were assigned a project. In my group they asked if we could present in english so that i could join in, it felt good to be included but then the real shock came. When the teacher said yes he said why not just have the whole class present in english and they were not happy but none of them blamed me! Although i felt bad, they looked at me as just one of the other kids that would have to suffer through this (even though there wont be any suffering for me) and my group looked at me as if I was the best thing to ever happen to them because they got the American girl that actually could speak perfect english. I was a lucky asset to them. I loved every second of it. After all my classes I got to leave school at 1:30! Such a good feeling.

That night the joy just continued. I met up with some girls at the train station and we went to the park where the school party was. There was about six schools there spread out across the park and i could not believe how many people were there. From just are school there was at least 600 kids.....AT LEAST! It was absolutely amazing. One of the girls brought a blanket and we sat there people watching and just laughing and meeting new people and just having a blast. I couldnt believe how fun it was. The more and more I talked to the girls, the more and more I knew that this was going to be an amazing year with them! At first the kids in my school were very closed off and it made me feel like they didnt want an exchange student but as i talk to the danish people they all reassure me that they are closed off at first but they are very nice and want to know me and i see that more and more as i meet and get to know people. These danes are some great people:]

yesterday and today.

Sorry about not posting last night but here I am posting for today and yesterday. Yesterday was confusing and i didnt understand a word but thats expected for the first month. I cant wait until the day that i can confidently understand in class. I am retaking chemistry, blah, but at the same time YAY because i understand the material and can focus on the learning. Today I felt sick so I took a sick day. Read and laid in bed but tomorrow I am going out with my friends and have a half day at school, i just have this feeling that its going to be a good day. Thats all the events i have for now but hopefully there will be more soon! :]

a taste of home.

Why was I freaking out? For all of those who consoled me,  YOU WERE RIGHT! The kids were welcoming, hell they clapped when I was first introduced. I already have two friends and have already been invited to two parties, ON MY FIRST DAY, nuts! The school is so different from America. First off, they are allowed to smoke during breaks and lunch. I could not believe it; they smoke everywhere outside. Secondly, they have english class which luckily was my first class but it blows my mind that they have english class then the block after that they have another language!!! It was really cool though. I became the go to person in my first class, good way to be introduced. Unfortunately, I have to retake chemistry which is NOT my favorite subject at all. Sufficed to say i crashed and burned last year in chemistry but the teacher was going over the syllabus (at least i think she was) and I understood most of it. Thank you Mrs. Sherman for preparing me for Danish chemistry:]

In other news, I made dinner for the first time for my family tonight. A home recipe of green bean casserole and my own creation of a summer salad. They loved it!!!! And by loved I mean they could not get enough of it. They ate 105% of it and you may ask how could they eat 5% more than was there? Well I will tell you, THEY SCRAPED THE DISH. Every last bit was gone. It made washing dishes very easy. My first day/ night of success is feeling pretty sweet. I cant wait to make them homemade mac n' cheese next week:]

reality is setting in

Oooo the butterflies. Today was nothing special but tomorrow life begins. And by life I mean school. There is an abundance of butterflies and not enough will to sleep. I want to sleep but how can i sleep!? This is like my first day of kindergarten on crack. So much to learn and so many people to meet and so many expectations to block from creeping into my mind. The questions floating around in my brain are numerous. What are the kids like? Will the teachers demand a lot of me? How much will I get lost? Will they just put me out there on my own? Whats lunch gonna be like? Where will i sit? How much will i mess up? How embarrassed will I be!? AHHHHH too much swirling around. I guess we will just have to see. The suspense is literally KILLING ME!

rain rain go away.

Madeline, the exchange student from illinois that lives super close, slept over last night and might I say boy is it good to have someone that speaks PERFECT english that understands. She knows all the struggles and pains and difficulties. It was sooo great to have her here and we really get along great. WOOH first friend:] We woke up late wandered into town, got lunch and tipped the waitress which people dont do in Denmark (sufficed to say we were embarassed), and went to a rotary meeting. At this rotary meeting they went over rules blah blah blah blah but we got to meet the other exchange students in our district which was actually very cool because they were sweet. Plus I got to meet my third host sister and we agreed to meet up before and after school to go to and from school together. THANK THE HEAVENS I KNOW SOMEONE! I am soo nervous for school because it is going to be very hard to make friends at first and I know that but im also excited because im ready to get involved and not be stuck in the house or searching for things to do. Its going to be nice to have school occupying my days and NO WAY am i riding all those kilometers to school uphill. I will take the downhill home but lets face it, i am a very lazy american.

all american

What a good, painful day. It started off with a lacrosse game. I took my three older siblings to go watch a lacrosse game in copenhagen and get this, it was an american team playing a danish team. Just absolutely nuts, of course america won:] Once I got home my mom offered to ride bikes into town so she could show me the house where a rotary meeting is tomorrow and all went well it was only about 4 km, 2 miles, no worries. But then the real hard part came, we rode to my school which was another 6 km, 3 miles away. Out of those 6 km, 4 of it is uphill on the way there. Now I am just a silly american that is out of shape from avoiding exercise all summer so its easy and fair to say that the bike ride more than kicked my ass. Walking up the stairs is like being on an uphill climb on a treadmill for an hour, NO FUN. After I got home and felt like I would never got on a bike again I had to ride my bike down a huge hill (not bad at all) to meet another exchange student, Madeline, to have a sleepover. Yes, when you are a foreign exchange the first few sleepovers that you have are playdates set up by your host parents. Kicking it old school. But anyways back to this bike ride, as they say; what goes up must come down. Unfortunately, i decided to go down first then had to go up to my house again. My legs have never burned this bad. Boy will I be in shape when I get back to America. Ill be running marathons like theres no tomorrow.



ps: new danish sentence of the day:
hvad vil du med mit talent?

translation:
what will you do with my talent?

Thats right, saw that on the cover of a magazine and IMMEDIATELY understood. Its coming along people.

weekaversary.

Well, this day was short of amazing. Had a very very lazy morning, little bonding, and some family time. It started off with watching crappy tv on my laptop not moving a muscle out of bed. A nice way to celebrate my weekaversay here. My mom and i joke all day about me being here for one week. My dad took me to the dump, WOW CRAZY........not. Then i got back home and my mom and i made a delicious pear pie which was actually a lot of fun because i was so bad with preparing the pears and she was so good at doing it that i started calling her pear whisperer and she called me decorating lady because thats all i could do with the crust and the pears. After dinner my sister, mom, and I watched burlesque and I painted my sisters nails plus before the movie my sister and I talked about everything and had a really bonding moment, it was great. Although, this day was uneventful and yes, boring, I am closer with my family and i dont even want any other host families, I love them sooo much.

KANYEEE

Today was quite a good day. I met up with the other exchange student in my area and her name is Madeline. She is very sweet and we really bonded because we are going through the same thing. We also bonded over shopping and boy was that fun!
After shopping i went to a kanye west concert! IT WAS SOO MUCH FUN. the energy and enthusiasm in the people was infectious. I met a few cute danish boys and had an amazing time with my girlfriends. I couldnt have asked for a better day. It makes me anxious for the adventures to come in the future:]

ps. sorry for the short entry

an ordinary day.

Today was quite the boring day. Literally I did nothing. I laid on the couch all day in my pjs watching sex and the city with my sister. It was nice. I then went to a Rotary meeting which was quite nice. The men were all nice, funny, and eager to participate in the meeting. I did not understand a single word but I still got through it. Ida brought two australian exchange students to spend the night and they are quite nice plus it is refreshing to have english speaking people here, i dont feel like such an outsider. I also bonded with Kirsten a little bit today and she told me how much she enjoys me being here and I didn't feel on the outside at all. Plus my older brother Christian sat down with me and helped me with my danish for 10 minutes and it really helped. I feel a lot more accepted than i did yesterday.

and so it begins.

Today was not the easiest day. I felt lonely and I felt like an outsider. I had made a great lunch of grilled cheese with tomato which the danish do not know what grilled cheese is. MIND BLOWN. So that went well but then i was washing dishes and a glass broke and so did my feelings of being a loser. They were talking in Danish and I didnt understand and I felt like a lost child. For the first time, I didnt feel like I was welcome and I didnt fit in but then Ida took me to her friends house tonight and I was quite nervous. But they were very nice and kind and welcoming. They spoke a lot of English and really accepted me. They even invited me to a little get together that they have as a tradition at their school. It really showed me that everything will be ok, I will make friends and it will work out. It took the emotional stress of today and washed it away. Even when they spoke Danish I listened and just relaxed and watched what unraveled before me. The well spent night was what I needed to show me that, HEY TARA, YOU ARE HERE FOR A REASON, EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE!

so much information.

Today was not as eventful as the others but it didnt lack information in the least bit. I started out the day with my counselor, Henrik. He is a very funny man. We traveled to the bank and the bus and train station to explain to me the public transportation system, which is convenient yet very confusing. We also went to my school where we talked with a man that clearly had no idea what was going and did not help in calming my nerves in the slightest. I am very nervous for school especially because I barely know 15 danish words and I would really like to graduate but transferring credits from one country to another is no easy task to take on. I am excited for the learning and prospects of school but I am nervous about not making friends or having difficulty fitting in and actually really having a complete cultural experience. Fortunately, I already have two friends, Ida and Anne, my host sisters. They are so wonderful. Anne took me into town today and showed me a thai, italian, and sushi (my favorite) restaurant. Anne also showed me the local movie theatre which was quite small and unfortunately it was closed but she said the inside was beautiful. Everyone that I have been going lately has been on a bike and today Henrik gave me a bike that actually fits me. HALLELUJAH!!! When I got home I talked to Kirsten, my host mother, about transportation to school and back and I am riding my bike! On the positive side I will be in shape and I enjoy riding my bike. On the negative side it is 6 km which in America is about three miles and lets just say im not in the fittest shape I could be. The bike is kicking my ass, literally, its sore and so are my calves but its all in the fun of becoming a dane.

And to all those people that I miss and are missing me as Henrik says, "Thats life."

cakes with taste.

Today was quite a calm, uneventful day but not boring at all. In the morning my sister, mother, one of my brothers, and I decided to go across the street and watch the championship bike tour. The tour started at one point in Denmark and went all through the country. The last stage was in our town and Christian told me that the man that won the tour de france was participating. It was very cool to see and experience. After we got home my sister, Ida, and I made chocolate chip cookies which was weird. When we were making them we put oats in them which turned out to be good but was still very different. We also had to ride our bikes down to the store which was a challenge because my bike is too tall for me so its like watching a midget get on a unicycle, no easy task. When we got to the store I asked her where the chocolate chips were and get this, THEY DON'T HAVE CHOCOLATE CHIPS! She didn't even know what they were so i explained to hear that they were tear drop shaped tiny bits of chocolate that made chocolate chip cookies easy. MIND BLOWN! We had to kick it old school and cut the chocolate ourselves. It's funny to think that something so common and ordinary to Americans has never been seen by the Danish people.

another lovely day.

If everyone says the first couple weeks are the hardest then I cant wait for the rest of the year because the only challenge im facing is the language. My family is absolutely amazing. They are nice and caring and have so much to offer me. Between watching tv with my youngest brother, bonding with my sister, or talking sports with my oldest brother im having a blast. Unlike yesterday, today was a chill day. I layed out on their hammock most of the day reading and I went on their trampoline for a bit and played with their puppy, Watson, he is an adorable little black lab. Today we also went out to dinner as a family at a local golf club and had amazing, delicious hamburgers. We rode our bikes down and I have my own bike but its too tall for me so its always hilarious watching me try to get onto it. After we were done eating i told them i was full which is a common thing to say in America but my sister warned me that in danish full meant you were drunk, I guess I will have to watch myself with certain words.
Danish is no easy language to learn. My host mother already speaks a tiny bit to me and they tell me what a lot of things are in Danish but the sounds of the language are so difficult and Im dreading the first 12 days of school before our intro/language camp. I start the school the sixteenth and although I am excited I am also a little scared of whats to come. Its all so new but I am like a sponge, ready to absorb new knowledge. The intro camp will be so helpful and im really looking forward to meeting all the exchange students. I am going to have one great August. My mom is even throwing me a small birthday get together with all my host families and representative!

the first day.

Even though I arrived at 1:00 pm after a full night of not sleeping through a long flight the day was nothing but eventful. When I first arrived we took the train to their house and saw my awesome room and met my amazing family. They were all so welcome and open and we are already joking and mixing pretty well. They took me to a town called Lyngby where there were all these gorgeous stores and this huge supermarket. We went grocery shopping and my older sister, Anne, just kept telling me what everything was. We would walk around and I'd just be learning random danish words. I already know about 14 more words then I knew when I arrived 5 hours ago! When we got back home I unpacked and then my host dad, Thyge, took me down to the local tennis club to watch the finals. I've never been interested in tennis but one of the kids was freaking out the whole time and it was actually suspenseful. I met their oldest son, he was very nice and definitely helped me to understand tennis a lot more. All in all its been an absolutely amazing first day. Oddly enough though it doesnt feel like I'm going to be here for 10 months, I'm dreading the time when that realization creeps up and slaps me in the face.