Hej!
Or should I say "hi" now that I'm officially back in America? It's been a couple of days since I've been back now, and I'm still really jetlagged, which is annoying. But I love being back home, seeing my family after four months. I was so excited when I saw my mom there at the airport! But now that my abroad adventure for the semester is over, this will be my last blog post (at least here, maybe I'll blog again in the future!). Before I sign off, I wanted to give some last minute advice to those who are studying abroad in the future, whether with DIS or anywhere else: - Your time abroad is about you. Everyone around you is going to be doing so many different things, but you don't have to judge the success of your experience based on whether it looks like somebody else's. Do what makes you happy. Go where you want to and explore things that will excite you. Make your semester the best one for you. - Being abroad is not a fairytale break from reality. Maybe it was just me, but I kind of thought that besides maybe a little homesickness, everything about being abroad would be really fun. But just because you're in another country doesn't mean that all of the problems you had at home suddenly disappear. It doesn't mean that there won't be struggles, just like there are anywhere else. Every day is not going to be perfect, and that's normal. That's life anywhere. All it means is that you've got to take advantage of the good moments that can only be experienced in your new country, and make sure you have a great support system for the harder moments. - In that same vein, other countries are not ideal worlds. Despite what many people seem to think never having been there, Denmark is not a utopia. Honestly, one of the most unexpected outcomes of my study abroad experience this semester was that it made me appreciate being an American even more. I love Denmark, and I think there's a thing or two the US could learn from the way the Danes do things. But Danes aren't perfect. Certain things that work for them just might not here at home. And they have their own issues. We're all human, and we all have things we need to work on. In the end, that's one of the cool things that connects us, no matter where we are from. - Don't be afraid to try new things. Try local foods. Go to local events. Learn about and participate in local traditions. New can be scary, but it can also be amazingly wonderful. Trying new foods used to terrify me. Even now it's sometimes a good idea to tell me what I'm eating only after I've at least tried it. But I made a goal this semester to try any food offered to me at least once. I tried herring and found that it wasn't so bad. I tried liver paste and found that I actually really liked it. And I tried licorice and discovered that it is literally the most awful thing I've ever tasted, and that I will never understand why Danes like it so much. You don't have to like everything you try. When you try new things, though, you might just discover something you didn't know you liked. - Be in the moment. A semester abroad goes by in the blink of an eye. Don't focus too much on getting the perfect picture to post to Instagram. Don't focus too much on planning your next trip, especially when you're in the middle of one. Really enjoy the places you go. Experience them as much as you can in the time that you have. Make memories that will last decades, even if there's no physical evidence for anyone else. This is your moment. Really live it. - Find a sense of "hygge." Whether you experience it with the Danes, or somewhere on the other side of the world, the idea of coziness, togetherness, that is one of the most invaluable things you can find while abroad. I named this blog "qu'avec le coeur" because the things that matter most to me aren't the pictures or the sites or the grades. It's every person that I've had the opportunity to connect with in some way while I was abroad. It's the love I felt for my three younger host siblings when we were chasing each other around the living room, getting into tickle fights. It's the way that my fellow students in my core course made me feel like I was a part of something really amazing. The things that matter can't be captured in a photograph. They're something that can only really be felt deep inside your heart. On August 19, 2016, I was leaving home to go to this strange new world. Now, I have two homes. I have two great families, and I have friends all over the world. They say that home is where the heart is. Now a part of mine is back in Europe. I'm glad. Seems like a pretty great place to call home. Well, now that I've given you another long, rambling post. I guess it's time to say goodbye. Thank you to all of you who have read my blog and followed me on my journey. Hopefully, any prospective study abroad student reading it has found it helpful. Hopefully these random tidbits of advice above are useful. I had an amazing experience this past semester, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Now I've got to navigate being back. Luckily I've got awesome people around to help me do that. Well, I guess it's time to say it for the last time, Vi ses!
3 Comments
12/17/2016 09:55:10 pm
I love you. You're the best. Have I told you that lately?
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Dara Stern
1/26/2017 08:21:48 am
How close was your host home from the campus? From reading the website it sounds like all accommodations are about a 35 minute train ride. Are there closer place? What is your impression about other housing options.Also, can you comment on the weather. Were you bothered by the rain, cold and short day light? Being from San Diego I'm curious about that. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you! Dara
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Faith Logan
1/26/2017 09:02:24 am
Hi Dara. My homestay was about 30 minutes away from campus by bus, which was the main way I traveled (15-20 minutes by bike according to my host mom). Accomodations really vary with how close they are. Some homestays are only 20 minutes away, and some are as far as an hour and a half away. Most aren't that far I don't think but a few are. Other housing options, such as kollegiums might be anywhere from 10-35 minutes away, and if you do an LLC, most of those are within walking distance from DIS. Distance varies and you don't really get to choose, but I found that I liked my commute, and even people who had really long commutes liked the time to relax or wind down.
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AuthorOn ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. Part of my heart I'm leaving behind in the United States. Join me as I take the rest on an amazing adventure to Copenhagen, Denmark! ArchivesCategories
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