Fire Season

The past few days in Copenhagen have been crazy and filled with a ridiculous mixture of schoolwork and fun. I saw the ballet "Giselle," and went clubbing in Copenhagen's up-and-coming meatpacking district. I saw Muse in concert, went to the Icebar, and sang karaoke. I also managed to write a midterm essay, take three exams, create two powerpoint presentations, and outline a research paper. It has been quite hectic, but thankfully, things are really great.

Daylight Saving Time in the EU occurs a week earlier than it does in the United States. The sun sets at around 4:30 p.m. So I wake up in the dark, go to school in the dark, come home from school in the dark on some days, and obviously go to sleep in the dark. Cue seasonal affective disorder?

And so tomorrow night, I fly out to London for a few days, followed by a trip to Rome and a week in Russia. The madness of midterms means that fall travel break is here. So two weeks sans classes means two weeks of travel, fun, and games.

Icebar

We love karaoke!

Muse in concert at Parken

Allie and me during Muse!

On Danish Nightlife

On Being Danish: A Numbered Set of Lessons Learned Through Nightlife

1. Denmark is not like the US. There should be no looks of surprise on ay of your faces when I tell you that Denmark is very different from the United States. The culture here is vastly different, and therefore so is the nightlife.
2. Danes can be very anti-social. Danish people are known for being reserved and laid-back. They enjoy spending time with their personal social circles, which can sometimes be difficult to penetrate. In public places, such as bars and clubs, they are likely to socialize among the group that they arrived in, and only with those people. This means slightly less creeping than in similar American locales, but when it does happen, is can be much creepier. However, it should be noted that on the whole, Danes are friendly when you do interact with them. They will be straight forward and tell you their intentions. It is actually quite refreshing, and the people that you do meet are usually interesting, to say the least.
3. The ideal way to enjoy a bar is at a table. With lots of candles. This returns to the Danish idea of hygge, of coziness. If you are sharing drinks with your closest friends, you want to be comfy. You want a table so everyone can talk and Skal and just have a good time. Candles add to the mood, and warm up the room to add to your comfort.
4. Popular taste in music is questionable. Every so often, you might be out and here a song that makes you wonder just who is playing DJ wherever you are. In Denmark, I seem to have this feeling all the time. While sitting in a bar called the Happy Pig, waiting for the live musician to start playing, my ears were graced with "Mamma Mia" by ABBA. As a huge ABBA fan, I was excited but puzzled to hear this. I went upstairs to the club housed in the same building, and the first song I heard was "MMMbop" by Hanson. A few songs later came a song by Aqua. And while I do have fond recollections of this music from my childhood, I was shocked to hear it, even in this "disco." Later in the evening I went to LA Bar, a local favorite of business students. It tends to be a bit fratty, with a large amount of guys crowding the room. As we got past the bouncer and coat check and finally entered, I was shocked to hear "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, and to see a ton of guys dancing. In America this would never happen, for many reasons. But in Denmark, anything goes.
5. Cities develop in the same way. Copenhagen has a Meatpacking District. It is making the transition towards nightlife hotspot, much like its New York counterpart, but it is still functioning. Even though the area smells like meat, I easily had one of my best nights here so far hopping from place to place.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Rather, a glimpse at some of my evening activities with some weighing in on what Danish nightlife culture is really about.

Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic

When I first made the decision to study abroad in Copenhagen, it did not occur to me that things would actually happen here. And yet, Copenhagen is the home of environmental conferences, enormous cultural events, and other sorts of activities that lend to my countless adventures. Most recently, Copenhagen was host to the 121st IOC session, and the XIII Olympic Congress, where host city for the 2016 summer Olympics was announced. The four contenders were Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid, and Rio de Janeiro, and people from all of these locales made their way to Copenhagen to voice their support. Oprah and the Obamas were among the big names in town - I did not see them, though I certainly grumbled about how they disrupted public transportation and made me rather late to class, despite leaving early.

The true highlight of the entire Olympic event was the announcement ceremony, where popular music acts performed, and the host city was officially announced. I arrived at Rådhuspladsen in time to hear a live performance by the Danish band Aqua, of "Barbie Girl" fame. They are indeed reunited, back and ready to perform with more crazy costumes and hilarious songs laden with pop culture references.

When Aqua performed, it was actually a dream come true. Well, a dream of my 10-year-old self. And lived out in a way I never imagined. But still. I saw Aqua perform "Barbie Girl" live, in Copenhagen. For free.

I was still hanging out when the time came for the announcement of the host city. Chicago was the first to be eliminated. As cool as it would have been to see Chicago win, not to mention the United States, announced as a winner while standing in a sea of foreigners, I was not heartbroken. The other host cities had good bid presentations, and it seemed like the economic push that comes hand in hand with hosting something as big as the Olympics could be put to good use in other countries as well. Tokyo was next to be taken out, leaving Madrid and Rio de Janeiro as the final contestants. With great ceremony, the winners were announced:

Winning the bid is actually quite an accomplishment for Brazil. South America has never hosted an Olympics. Though there were people who doubt the city's ability to be ready for the games in 2016, but it is already slated to host the 2014 World Cup, so everything has to be in place (not to mention the Rio hosted the Pan American Games in 2007). Plus there are perks - almost all of the events will be held within city limits. Past Olympic games have involved locations far outside of city limits. During the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, events were held as far away as Tallinn in Estonia. But regardless, this is an excellent opportunity for Brazil, and it was very exciting to be in Copenhagen for the energy and excitement of the Olympic announcements.

In the Islands

It seems like I have more and more to blog about, and less and less time to do so. Things have been hectic, with schoolwork, reading, and travel-related activities. Though I'm quite in denial, I do have work, I do have tests, and I do care. Well kind of. I want to do well in my classes, but I also want to see Denmark, experience different cultures, and travel. Luckily I have been finding the balance, and will hopefully maintain it.

I went to Malmo, a town in Sweden that is very close to Copenhagen. It is an easy day trip, you don't need your passport, and it only costs about $24 round trip. Not to mention that I totally can just run off to Sweden for a day. I went with my friends Deborah and Lisa, and we shared a nice day together. We went shopping at H&M, had lunch at a random coffee shop, and spent time walking around and seeing the city. We chanced upon a gay pride parade, with plenty of 90s music blasting from floats filled with dancing people in sparkly outfits.

On a separate occasion, Lisa, Deborah, and I cooked a lovely dinner together, throwing together our random ingredients with the hopes of creating something delicious. It worked.

This afternoon I'll attend an AQUA concert (yes, the masterminds behind the "Barbie Girl" song), and then hear the live announcement of which city gets to host the 2016 Olympics. Then it is Sukkot, the festival of booths. Then off to Estonia and Finland until next Friday afternoon. Have a great week!

A Year of Magical Thinking

When the average person thinks of the fall, they tend to think of a new season, of leaves changing, of the weather growing colder, and perhaps of a new school year starting if you are of the student variety. But for many people, September marks the start of a new year. This new year is the Jewish year, marked by a remarkable string of holidays, too much food, and time with family.

This year, seeing as I am a little less than 4,000 miles away from home, my holidays are not quite the same. Different city, different language, different customs, different melodies - observing holidays here sometimes do feel like I'm in a foreign country (pun intended, it was the best way to put it). And yet, I feel remarkably at home. The events of my Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, truly reflect that.

I went to the local Chabad house for a pre-fast meal, since I was not sure of my ability to cook an adequate and filling meal prior to fasting for 25 hours or so (not to mention the potential trauma that purchasing kosher chicken would wreak on my wallet). I was planning on sleeping over there to save myself the 45 minute hike back to my kollegium, so I went upstairs, prepared my bed, and came back down to help out in the kitchen. At the meal, which usually involves eating potatoes with my immediate family, and worrying about being late to Kol Nidre (even though we never are), I definitely had a different taste. I sat with my friends, fellow Americans, bonding and commiserating over the approaching holiday and what celebration meant for us overseas. True to form, after dinner I ran upstairs to brush my teeth one last time, and then rushed to the Great Synagogue, because we were afraid that we would be late.

As I have described in my previous posts, the Denmark Synagogue is a sight to behold. I find myself comparing it to the Great Synagogue in Cracow - both locations have that old majestic feeling, decorated in grandeur that is uncommon in the United States. There was a lot of chatter, since most of the Jews in Denmark were congregated in this one building at once. I expected to feel lost, but I actually new a considerable amount of the Danish people, not to mention the American students who made an appearance. Seeing familiar faces, having people say that it was so nice to see me, and inviting to meals for future holidays - it was overwhelmingly like I home, and I was thrilled.

The actual service was intense. When the cantor began to sing Kol Nidre, the room went silent and I got chills. The whole room was listening, and together we welcomed the holiday and absolved our vows. There was a sense of unity about the crowd, not only because they are an enclave among a mostly homogenous society, but also because they were coming together as a community to declare their faith, to forgive, and to be forgiven.

The rest of the evening service was long. Because the building was full to capacity, I ended up standing in the extremely warm women's balcony for most of the three hours. The rest of the evening involved chatting with another exchange student with whom I was bunking in the Chabad house, then tucking into bed to get plenty of sleep before our long day on Monday.

On your average Saturday morning at NYU, you will have at least three options for services, usually four. That is more than in the entire city of Copenhagen. Here, there is the Great Synagogue, the small Orthodox shul, and then a reform shul that holds services and events once a month. Luckily there were options, so I chose to go to the small Orthodox shul for morning prayers. It was very quiet, with less than 15 women in our section at peak attendance. It was very quiet, and very conducive to quiet reflection. There were no speeches and no interruptions (neither in Danish nor in English).

Just as musaf ended around 4:30, I returned to the Chabad house hoping to take a quick nap, but found myself in a small informal lecture about the meaning of Yom Kippur. The Rabbi spoke of the importance of the day, the meaning of fasting, and the idea of the scapegoat. He provided some food for thought prior to the end stretch of the day. There was a minyan in the Chabad house and it started as soon as the talk was over, so it was right to it for the remainder of the chag. This was the first time I had gone to the entirety of all five services on Yom Kippur, and it was also the first time I did the whole day without a break. And yet, the last stretch was smooth, easy, and meaningful.

When we sang the traditional "Napoleon's March" at the end of Neilah, I felt like relieved, like the day was over, like the holiday was coming to a close, and like we had accomplished something. Rabbi Loewenthal spoke about how resilient people are, and it is true. As a community, we made it through the day. As an individual, I'm half way through holiday season on my own (meaning without my parents and family to cook and make it easy). I've established myself here in Copenhagen, creating a community with my classmates, other Americans, other visitors to Denmark, and Danish people. Everyone has a niche, and I am thankful to be carving mine out successfully here in Copenhagen. All of these things seem to portend a good year, and I hope that this is true for all of us.

A Book of Common Prayer

High holidays are usually the time when everyone clears out of school for the weekend, heading home to celebrate the coming of a new year with their families. Being in Denmark, I was not going to fly back to New York for the weekend, so I was set to celebrate Rosh HaShannah the Danish way.

Through a friend of a friend of a friend (not even joking), I managed to get invited to a random Danish family for dinner on Friday night. My friend Naomi is friends with a guy who is in the Israeli army, and one of his friends from his unit is Danish. She was invited to dinner, and extended the invitation to myself and to our friend Deborah. I felt a little bit intrusive, since this was obviously a family gathering and there was no direct connection between the family and the American crew, but they made us feel welcome and at home - it was very hyggeligt. We had an intimate home-cooked meal, and afterwards sat on the couches drinking tea and coffee, and nibbling on dessert fruit and cookies.

It is very unusual for Danish people to invite strangers over to their houses, so I felt especially lucky to have such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Rosh HaShannah with a family. The culture of having guests is very different here. When Danes welcome others into their homes, these guests are close friends. It is very unusual for a Dane to invite strangers over, and it would be even more unusual if they were to invite last minute guests. Meals are carefully planned, with menu and the amount of food predetermined. The whole point is to have a hyggeligt time, and unexpected guests (and the consequences of not preparing for them) could hinder that.

The rest of the weekend was really a blend of going to shul and hanging out at the Chabad house. For the first day I went to the Great Synagogue. The building is old and gorgeous, and the chazzanut recalled times long ago, when the shul was probably full to capacity for all the holidays. There was definitely a large crowd, but the women's section was very noisy, and it was difficult to follow since the huge columns made it difficult to see down to the men's section. For the second day, I went to another congregation called Machzikei Hadas, a very small Orthodox shul that was a lot more quiet.

Being away from home for the holidays, I expected to have a very different experience. I did not think that I would feel at home. I thought that attending a random family dinner would be awkward, but it was nice and I felt at home. I thought that going to shul overseas would be strange, but it was pretty much the same as in the United States. It seems like no matter where you go, you can find something familiar, something common - a taste of home.

I Bought a Toothbrush, Some Toothpaste

I cannot tell a lie. Doing laundry here was a bit of a nightmare. One of the driers in my building does not work, but it was not labeled and it let you pay for use anyway. That was annoying. But there is of course one saving grace - great detergent.

On a separate note, I'm off to western Denmark for a long weekend. It is integrated with my program, so I will not be missing any classes. It should be really interesting to see what the countryside is like - the places that we are visiting are supposed to be very rural, and nothing like Copenhagen.

Many Mansions

Here in Copenhagen, I live in a housing option called kollegium - a Danish dormitory. This is where many students, both Danish and international, opt to live during their time as university students. There are about 40 Americans from DIS living here, as well as international exchange students and young Danes.

My building, Keops, is basically a complex of studio apartments. Each room has a single occupant. We get a bed, a desk, two chairs, a kitchenette, and our own bathrooms. There are larger communal kitchens in each block, which are equipped with ovens and a more suitable space for cooking, but each room has two burners and a small refrigerator/freezer. It is really not a bad deal, and with some creativity, you can practically host a gourmet meal (if you are willing to use the term very loosely).

My room has a a large window and a smoking porch (though if you want to help me feel classy, we can call it a balcony). My view is of a bus station, a train station, and a field where the gangs in my neighborhood have their drug war. The trains come frequently, but I've gotten used to the noise. And thanks to my view of the street, I can always tell if I'm about to miss the bus in the morning.

My desk is decently large, and offers plenty of space to store my books in the lack of shelving. I have a cute little chair in the corner, which is good for curling up on and reading/pretending to read and just looking out the window.

My bed is not its usual green hue, since I could only bring so much with me, and sheets were provided. But The person who lived here before me did leave a pretty cool and convenient mirror decoration, so it makes my room look a little more exciting and carefully put together.

In general, my room is pretty hygge. It feels like home, with my shoes all over the place and a makeshift nightstand. Soon enough I'll add some more color and personal flavor, maybe something more than this Danish beige color.

Pacific Distances

One of the strangest parts of being abroad is that I'm not home. This weekend is Labor Day, the ceremonial last weekend of summer before students return to the halls and classrooms. As my friends all return to their respective universities, I'd like to take this time to be nostalgic, miss my friends, and share a bit about my life back in New York.

While I have many amazing friends (many of whom are reading this), I'll share a bit about a time-honored tradition: Anti-Social Lunch. It started on a Tuesday last fall, when my friend Amy (of Baking and Mistaking fame) and I would have a bi-weekly lunch date in the NYU Kosher Cafeteria. Our dear friend Sarah had once expressed her reluctance to eat lunch there, since she was afraid she would not have any friends to sit with. We were fast to invite her, and lunch was a success. And so, a tradition was born.

When Sarah went abroad last spring, we had a small farewell gathering. When Sarah returned I was in Montreal, but she and Amy celebrated on their own. A few short weeks ago, Sarah was leaving for Kazakhstan and I was getting ready to leave for Copenhagen. So the occasion of numerous departures warranted a reunion/good-bye party, which obviously meant a delicious dessert.

It is definitely strange to be in a different city, and to hear many of my friends complaining about the imminent start of classes. But I'm already settled and excited for more adventures in wonderful Copenhagen. Though I might have to wait awhile for my next exciting cake, it will be well worth it.

Plays it As it Lays

It seemed like the line at the coffee shop would never end. After my friend and I finally got our orders, we rushed to the building where out next class was to meet. We climbed up the narrow spiral staircase that dates back to the 18th century, and huffed and puffed as we reached the fourth floor. The classroom door was closed. And outside? A newborn baby.

My professor for "Health Beyond Borders," Amy, recently had a baby. Though she is entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave, she still opts to teach our class (and take those stairs since there are no elevators in the building). Last time her husband (who was entitled to two weeks off from work for paternity leave) had the baby, but today her daughter joined us. The baby was a bit cranky so Amy spent most of the class outside the class room, but it was not the end of the world. We still went through class with the help of the program assistant, and even formed groups for our major semester project.

Amy opened the class by saying that even though the situation may seem unusual. In America, I doubt that we would often see a baby in a class room, except in extenuating circumstances or a planned visit. But in Denmark, the importance of family and children makes it completely acceptable, and even normal.

Times Mirror Square

Americans love a lot of things - football games, hot dogs, people with accents. But we also have a very traditional concept of lifetime milestones. You graduate high school, go right to college, finish in four years, and hopefully spend a semester or year abroad, so you have the opportunity to do some traveling on Mom and Dad's dime. After graduation, it is time to get a job or continue to graduate school. Everyone should have a plan, an agenda.

But for Danish students, it is very different. Last night, I attended an orientation for Danish students who are planning on studying abroad in the United States. I learned a great deal about the Danish idea of being a "young adult," and got to see the differences between the life of young Danish students and my own higher education experiences.

The typical Dane becomes independent at the age of 18. If you still live under the roof of your parents, chances are you will be paying them rent. Many people work part-time while in school, and it is not unusual at all to take gap time for travel and exploration. But, once you get to uni (as they call it), you specialize immediately. There is no general education or liberal arts curriculum. You go for a specific topic, and spend an average of three years completing your undergraduate work.

I always thought that studying abroad we a mostly American idea - send your kids to Europe so that the can drink even though they are under 21, and let them have some adventure time before they need to get serious and move into the rest of their adult lives. But Danish people study abroad as well.

The group that I met last night was a large delegation to Barnard College, uptown from my home university, NYU. They are coming to the States for a variety of reasons - more advanced classes, the opportunity to see New York and explore a different continent, to decide if they want to pursue a higher degree overseas. They study abroad for many of the same reasons we do - we just think it is strange that they would be so eager to come spend a few months in America, of all places. For us, Europe is exotic, a far-off land with sexy accents, chicer fashion, and a much richer cultural history. We romanticize what lays across the Atlantic Ocean, and create a fantasy about diving into a world of jetsetters and magically becoming more fashionable and classy.

But it works in reverse to a certain degree. Europeans also have ideas of stereotypes that may exist in our country. I met a Danish fellow who asked what my favorite line dance was, since he has been to a bar outside of Chicago that had line dancing on Tuesday nights. One of the girls who is going to Barnard looked at me very seriously and asked, "All I know about Americans is from America's Next Top Model. Is that really bad?"

Maybe it is kind of bad. But we're no better. As one of the speakers at the orientation said that the whole purpose of studying abroad is to expand your cultural horizons and to prepare yourself for the global world that we live in today. This is when I realize that Europeans are real people too, and this is when Europeans realize that I'm not a cowboy, nor am I particularly rowdy at sporting events. Networking with international students is a way of noting and learning to explain the differences and similarities between different groups of people, and fostering understanding and knowledge, rather than furthering ignorance, when addressing the international community. This is really proving to be an excellent opportunity to get to know people who not like me, and yet really not so different after all.

Black Coffee in Bed

The Danes have a concept known as "hygge," which lies central to their entire culture. I'd heard the word defined (coziness, as well as the absence of things that are annoying and the presence of comforting, gentle, and soothing things) and thrown around at various points. I think that today, I finally began to understand it.

After classes were over, I wanted to go somewhere to do some reading. I know that if I get into the habit of reading in my room, two things will happen. I will:

1. be unable to sleep because my bedroom (and probably my bed) will have become a place of work; or
2. be unable to focus, and thereby stop doing my school work.

While I have been trying to forget that I actually have classes this semester, I do have to get things done and not let my grades suffer. And this was a good excuse to do some exploring on my own. So I embarked on a journey to find a quiet cafe where I could sip a relatively inexpensive beverage and read some of my class assignments.

I decided that I would take the bus towards Trianglen, an area where I had gone last week to get my Danish equivalent of a social security number. I walked for awhile, trying to find the perfect place. I settled on a cafe table in an open square. I read successfully for awhile, but it was uncomfortable. The chairs were a strange plasticky wicker of sorts, and the table wobbled ever so slightly. The wind kept sweeping through the open space, and I got a bit fed up. So I walked around a bit more until I found a different coffee shop.

When I walked in the door and felt the warm aroma of coffee fill the air, I had a feeling that I had entered the correct establishment. I ordered a mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream, and climbed up a set of winding stairs to find big, black leather couches waiting for me. As I settled in and cracked open my book (about plagues and pestilence, no less), I realized that this place was really hygge. I had never been to this cafe before, and I definitely did not want to be doing school work when the calendar still read August. But I was cozy. All I could think was, "I totally get it now." I got why this is so important to Danish people. When it is windy and drizzling and the skies are gray, you just want to sit somewhere nice, somewhere without distractions, and without anything to make you feel anything less than comfortable. All you need is some hygge and good company, and you are good to go.

Run, River

My first weekend (not to mention my first full week) in Copenhagen is drawing to a close on this breezy, sunny Sunday evening. I spent my weekend socializing, touring the city, and exploring what it is to live like a Dane.

On Friday afternoon I went on a boat tour of the canals. I felt like a huge tourist, but I have to admit that the view of the city from the water, glowing softly in afternoon sunlight was really lovely. We saw a lot of tourist sites, including the famous Little Mermaid statue. Which, by the way, was not as large as you would think. It is actually tiny. And you can basically walk up to it and touch is (or decapitate it like has happened before). There were a bunch of spots on the tour where I had already been, and a lot more that I did not even know existed. I got a lot of good ideas for future photo ops and excursions for when I feel like being a tourist again.

The rest of my weekend involved exploring Copenhagen nightlife. DIS (the program that I'm on) rented out a club for a big "end-of-orientation" party. It was surprisingly entertaining. They played Michael Jackson songs, and bad music from the '90s. People were blasting music in the streets, but the most popular selections were by ABBA. A lot of the people wandering about were American, and very obvious about it ("OMG in America they totally don't have places like Viking Bar!"). And yet there was such a charm about it. Blasting old Swedish pop music is really endearing. And the '90s throwbacks weren't too awful. There were plenty of Danes. Maybe next time we'll go places that are a bit less touristy. All in good time.

Today was a very quiet day. Most things are closed on Sundays in Copenhagen, thanks to old laws that mandate which businesses can open and close at what times. It was quiet and much like a New York Sunday, though I could not go shopping and spend my hard-earned money. Even though there was not a lot to do, it was the kind of quiet day, perfect for walking and wandering, that you need every so often.

Rock of Ages

Even though I'm still pretty sure that this is vacation and that I am certainly not going to school, classes have surprised me with a sneak attack. They started bright and early this morning (8:30 a.m.?!). However, the first day went remarkably smoothly. I reached each class on time, and had no difficulty finding the buildings. The topics (Healthcare in Northern Europe and Health Beyond Borders) are similar enough that they compliment each other nicely, and there are several people in both classes.

The actual buildings where classes are held are very old. The classrooms feel like sitting in a building in colonial Williamsburg or in old Philadelphia. The glossy paint coats the floor squeak when you slide your chair back, the windows with thick glass panes seem to be painted shut as the result of restoration and maintenance, and the stairwell up to the fourth floor is twisting and rickety - it felt like going down a slide and one misstep could have sent you down on your back. And yet there is something so charming about these less than state-of-the-art facilities. It is part of the charm of studying abroad and of being in a medieval city - stuff is old.

Where I Was From

The past few days have been a whirlwind, but I am thrilled to say that I have been in Copenhagen for a solid two and a half days. After a smooth flight to Reykjavik then to Copenhagen, after registration and orientation sessions and introductions, and after a short bus ride, I arrived in my new home, the Keops Kollegium. I'm living in a single room, with my own bathroom and a kitchenette. (I'll post pictures once I am completely unpacked and settled). There is a decently large group of Americans living here, and we're already forming our own community in our building.

Copenhagen is gorgeous. It is a mix of medieval and modern. Winding cobblestone streets are lined with stores like Gucci, Chanel, and H&M. Modern glass buildings are across the way from old row houses. Pedestrians battle bicyclists and cars and buses on the roads (and bicyclists tend to win). This city is a different world.

These past few days have been full of typical orientation activities - opening ceremonies, guides to living in Europe and with Danes, and a scavenger hunt designed to help jump start the process of getting to know a brand new city. I have spent plenty of time getting lost, trying to read maps, and trying to make sense of completely foreign street names. I still can't pronounce the street that I live on, but maybe our Danish survival lessons will help that matter.

The overall atmosphere at DIS right now is just like freshman year. Fall is in the air, with crisp breezes and warm sunlight bouncing off the old bricks. Everyone is trying desperately to make friends and find excitement. We all talk about where we're from, where we go to school, and what classes we're taking. We speak with excitement of the adventures just around the corner, and exchange numbers so we can meet up later. Everyone is a little bit lost but trying their hardest not to be. But soon enough everyone will have settled in, found a routine, and find their own place in Copenhagen.