Hej Hej! I have now arrived in Denmark and have been here for a few days. While it has only been a little over 72 hours I feel as though I have been here for ages. It is funny how time seems to slow down when you are first in a new place and trying to adjust to a different environment.

There have been many ups and downs since my arrival but overall I am loving it here. My host family picked me up at the airport and were excited to see me despite my post 9 hour travel glow. They drove me home through the heart of Copenhagen so I got to see some of the sights just hours after landing. My family lives in the Lyngby district which is about 15 miles north of the city. It is a very residential neighborhood with lots of nice houses. They kept me up until 11 the night I arrived (yes that means I was up for 30 hours straight) which ended up being great because I have virtually no jet lag.

As someone with dietary restrictions I was really worried about living in a homestay, but I could not have asked for a more accommodating family. They went out and bought all kinds of dairy-free milks and cheeses and yogurt which are all surprisingly good! They have also been making vegetarian meals at dinner such as curry, hummus wraps, and veggie burgers. I have been actually making my family hummus to use for the week because that is what I do at home and they wanted to try some that was not store-bought. It is a fun way I can contribute back to the family and it also tastes like home.

I do not have any classes until Thursday the 23rd, so the first few days here have been pretty open. My family taught me how to take the bus into the city and I also learned how to take the S-train, and Metro as well. I am very proud of myself for now managing to take the all three modes of transportation by myself. That is not to say that I haven both gotten on the wrong train and bus once or twice. Biking is also common here, but I am not super confident in my abilities yet so I need a little more practice before I am ready to take on the world with two wheels. My host dad was joking that they can get me some training wheels they use for children if I need them, but I think I will be okay (updates to come in the next week!).

I have met a bunch of new people since being here and they are all so nice. It has been fun to meet up with a couple friends from American University, but I also want to make sure I establish relationships with those in my homestay network and in my classes. I did yesterday however, explore both Nyhavn and the Botanic Gardens with my good friend from home which was a really fun afternoon. I 10/10 highly recommend both and expect myself to spend lots of time in both locations.

All in all, I do not have much I can complain about, Denmark is a pretty amazing place and I am so excited for the semester. I know I will run into some road blocks such as Denmark not having three hole punch paper (they have 4 holes which means none of it fits in my binders), taking three modes of transportation just to get to class by 8:30, and feeling a little left out of all that my friends are doing in the city both here and at home; however you just have to it take one day at a time and work to overcome any obstacles that are tossed my way!

Next challenge : Actual classes, the morning commute, and making new friends!