Mom does CPH!

Mom arrived on Wednesday morning (April 29)....and from then on it was non-stop walking, shopping and sightseeing. We went on a canal cruise and saw all the sights from the water. We shopped and bought souvenirs and I got some Georg Jensen daisy earrings! Thursday afternoon we went to Tivoli Gardens. It was SO AMAZING to see all the flowers but we avoided the rides. It was too bad that we couldn't stay until it got dark because there are SO many lights.

Friday we spent the day in Malmo, Sweden. It was Labor Day (May Day) so a lot of the stores were closed but it was fun to see the city and explore a new place. We had a great lunch on the board walk looking out across the water to Copenhagen. Friday night was Drew's 21st birthday party and we had fun at that. Mom got to meet all my friends and she enjoyed talking to the kids. 

Saturday we walked over to the palace and had dinner in Nyhavn right by the canal. Mom left sunday morning and I begged her to take me with her. She did take a whole bag of my stuff home including lots of my souvenirs! 

After she left, it was back to the grind. I had a final on thursday and a paper due thursday as well. I've been studying at DIS today because I have my econ final on monday and the finance one on wednesday. Both will be pretty hard. 

After that...I AM DONE! I get to board my plane to the states on saturday morning. I could not be more ready to go. Copenhagen has been great, but I am ready for America. I want to see Tyler and start earning some money instead of spending all of it. 

Back from break and HATING school

The last week of our travel break was AMAZING. I was in Nice, Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome. Since I was traveling, I kept a paper journal so I will not be posting a FULL update on the blog. But here is the short hand of how the week was!

Nice:

I arrived in Nice on friday with NO wallet and NO friends. My friends weren't supposed to come until saturday night and well, my wallet got stolen in Dublin. 

Nice was BEAUTIFUL!! It is a great city and I had so much fun FINALLY using my french. 

Cinque Terre: 

We stayed in this amazing villa overlooking the water. We hiked to each of the 5 towns for the day and it was amazing. It was so nice to have some warm weather and HOT sun beating down on us. I even got a little color. 

Florence:

So beautiful and so Italian! It was fun to be in a city and explore all the culture. One of Greg's friends was studying there so we had a personal tour guide! We saw the David and basically walked the entire city. 

Rome:

I mean, come on....it was ROME! We saw EVERYTHING there possibly was to see in Rome including the Sistine Chapel, The Ruins and THE POPE! We had easter service at the Vatican. 

Overall, each city was so different and so unique. I loved all of them. 

Copenhagen is FINALLY beautiful. It is around 50-60 degrees everyday and SUNNY! It makes the city so much better. But unfortunately, I haven't been able to enjoy the weather as much as I would have liked because I have had SO much school work. It is really annoying and I feel like it's really holding me back! I just want to be able to relax and enjoy the city. 

I am leaving in about 30 minutes to go to Hamburg, Germany with my Holocaust and Genocide class. We are seeing the Neuengamme Concentration Camp and some other sites in Hamburg. I will be back saturday night. 

My mom comes on Wednesday and I could not be more excited or more ready for her to come. It will be great to have a slice of home and she'll be here for the great weather!! We will probably go to Malmo, Sweden for the day and visit Tivoli as well now that it is open! I can't wait to take her shopping on Stroget and take her on a tour of the canals. 

Only 20 more days until I get home and am reunited with America and more importantly TYLER!

Take a look at some of my pictures on Picasa!

Nice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome

The Irish are so damn lucky!

Ireland!

I spent the second week of my travel break in Connemara, Ireland. IRELAND IS AMAZING!!!

We spent the week at the Delphi Adventure Resort in the West Coast of Ireland. The irish countryside is so incredibly beautiful, full of mountains, sheep and rolling green hills. It was love at first sight! The adventure resort was awesome. We had amazing gourmet meals and the whole place was so cozy.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon and checked into the resort. There were 8 girls in our room and one sink, talk about morning madness! That night we had this AWESOME meal of soup, salmon and apple tart with butterscotch sauce! Then we met our guides and they took us on a "bog walk" This "walk" was a 2 hour hike in the dark through 1ft deep water and mud! It was so crazy! We had JUST arrived and we were literally throw right into the mud. We all ruined our shoes and came back soaking wet. But we had a BLAST!

Monday: We woke up at 7:30am and had an awesome breakfast. Then we headed out for team building challenges at the ropes course. After lunch we went surfing, yes I said it, surfing...in March in the west coast of Ireland. It was absolutely freezing, wet suits and all. The cold water stole your breath everytime you went under. But it was a sunny day and an amazing experience. We warmed up by the fire with our books before another mouth watering meal.

Tuesday: We went for a hike in Connemara National Park. We hiked up this HUGE 1000ft mountain. It was absolutely gorgeous! I got a little nervous at the peak but it was so cool to climb through the clouds! We had lunch at the top and then made our way back down. After the hike, they took us into town for some beers and a snack. We ended the night with yet ANOTHER amazing meal.

Wednesday: We started the morning with team raft building. I must say that this was my least favorite activity because it was freezing and our raft sank and I had to be resuced from the freezing water because I was about to pass out. We went back for lunch and then headed out to the rock wall. I knew this activity was coming all week and I knew that regardless of my fear of heights, I was going to climb that damn wall. I was the second person to go. I made it all the way up with hardly any pauses! Then I had to repel down the other side. That part was hard because I had to lower myself over an edge, but I DID IT! I got over my fear and did the whole thing.

Thursday: We drove into Dublin and spend the afternoon and night there. Sam and I walked around the city and then we went on a Musical Pub crawl that night. Dublin was really fun, but I think I'm a country girl at heart.

Spring Break in Europe has begun!!

Today, I leave for my study tour in Prague and Berlin. We have a 12 hour overnight bus ride to Prague!! YIKES! Then we head to Berlin for the second part of the week. I come back to Copenhagen for ONE NIGHT to repack and then I'm off for 15 more days!! 

I am traveling all over Europe and I'm so excited to see all the cities. Keep yourselves posted on where I've been by checking this blog. I'll be adding pictures if I can! 

BON VOYAGE! 

"I'm Hungary for Budapest!"

Budapest

I just spent this weekend in BUDAPEST! It is SUCH an amazing city with so much culture and beauty. We had 2 jampacked days of sightseeing.

Monica and I left friday night. We got to the airport and when we went to check in, the Malev Airline attendant made me check my backpack! She said it was too long. I have a midsize camping backpack that is definitely carry-on sized. I was NOT happy about having to check my bag especially because it's a soft sided backpack and I didn't want it getting dirty or smooshed. Not to mention when we made it on the airplane, it was EMPTY! We had like 6 rows to ourselves with 3 open overhead bins...annoying. 

We arrived at the airport around 10:15pm and got an airport shuttle to our hostel. When we got to the place, the driver simply dumped out bags on the street and said bye. We had NO idea where the hostel was because he dropped us in front of a random door. Thank goodness a young guy walked up to the door and helped us figure out where the hostel was. 

The place was nice with a kitchen and large living room. We had a private double with a bathroom down the hall. It was a clean place and we didn't mind it. 

We met up with Max, Susanne, Jenni, Jeff and James at the flat that Max, Susanne and Jenni were staying in. We hung out for awhile and then ventured out into the city. 

We visited a couple of bars and just had a good time talking and interacting with each other. Monica caused a scene when we stole a pastry from the kebab stand. 

The next morning we all met up around 10:30 for a funfilled day of culture. We were staying in Pest so we headed over the bridge to Buda. We walked alll over the mountains and took some great pictures. The city is so beautiful and the buildings are all so ornate and unique. 

We hiked up to the Citadel which is the highest point in Budapest and you can see the statue on top of the mountain from almost any point in Budapest. It was quite an accomplishment when we got to the top. We were so lucky to have nice weather because originally it was supposed to rain all weekend. We had sun and relatively warm temperatures! 

After our hike we headed down the mountain and in search of the thermal baths. With James and Jenni's expert navigating we found our way to the metro and arrived at the baths. Unfortunately, Monica and I were stupid and didn't bring bathing suits so we were forced to rent one from the baths. 

The baths were so interesting. It's like 2 huge hot tubs filled with all kinds of people. There are massages and spas you can go to as well. 

After our baths, we were starving and craving some more kebabs. We headed back to our hostels to rest up for our night. 

That night we explored Pest some more and ended up at a club called Alkatraz. It was themed after the prison and all the drinks were so cheap! We had a good time just sitting and hanging out there for the night. 

Sunday we headed out for some more culture. Captain James led us to the Great Synagogue and we got a really great tour and learned how the temple was a huge part of the Holocaust. It was all very relevant to the Holocaust class I am taking. 

It was a super cold day and really windy but we made our way to the basilica and the House of Terror after we had a gourmet lunch that cost all of $8. 

We took a break after all the sightseeing to rest up before dinner. The boys picked a street and we started exploring restaurants for our last meal in Budapest. We found a Hungarian/Italian place that had GREAT pizza and some really interesting Hungarian food. 

We turned in pretty early after getting some pics of Buda at night. 

We were supposed to get a taxi at 5am to head to the airport but my alarm never went off and we were a bit late for our taxi, but we got to the airport with plenty of time. 

I was so sad to leave the city but SO glad that I went. It was such an amazing place and I learned so much about the city and it's role in the Holocaust. 

Studying vs. Traveling

I am booked for the next 7 weeks. I am travelling every weekend or I am having a visitor.

Last weekend, I went to Amsterdam with Jillian, Drew, Jim and Alex. We stayed at the Hotel Armada which was right on a canal. The city was beautiful and very similar to Copenhagen with lots of bikes, water and overcast weather. I visited the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank Huis and the Heineken Experience. I walked the whole city and when I got home monday morning, I was wiped.

Tomorrow night I am headed to Budapest with some new friends. I have heard really good things about the city and I am so excited to travel again. Everything is a lot cheaper there and I can't wait to see the natural hot springs! I just bought a new "camping" style backpack and it makes travel SO much easier.

When I get home on monday, I am faced with 2 research paper midterms. They are due the week after but Tyler will be here and I don't want to spend my time on school work while he is here. It is taking all the self-discipline I have to get these papers done in advance. I have already done the research and made an outline for the finance paper, but I have yet to even pick a topic for my 10 page Holocaust & Genocide paper!

Tyler comes in 8 days!!! It could NOT be at a better time. I can't wait to see him and show him the city. Having visitors, especially your boyfriend, is so exciting!

Tyler leaves thursday and I leave saturday for 3 weeks of travel. I'm really looking forward to Berlin and Prague and I know my adventure trip in Ireland will be so exciting.

On another note, Colin and I got bikes yesterday. There is a place where you can rent them and they use the profits to fix up bikes and send them to Africa. For about 2 months and 2 weeks of rental, we paid 700 DKK which is about 115 dollars. We chose to get a bike that was one level up because they were a bit nicer. I rode to class this morning and managed not to injure anyone. I'm still very slow and unsure about the rules. After a few more ride, I'm sure I'll pick it up. It is so liberating to finally have a bike because I do not have to rely on public transportation. My bus went on strike last week and it was so much more difficult to get around because the train station is not as accessible. I'm excited to explore more of the city on my bike.

Side Comment: I have finally figured out my living situation for next year. Lizzie and I found a really cute 2 bedroom place on McFarlin. It is within walking distance but now that I'm becoming such an avid biker, I really want to bring my bike to school and ride to class and maybe even venture out on the Katy Trail. Since I have to bring more stuff to school this year, my mom suggested that I rent a UHaul van and drive to school. I have already secured Tyler to assist me with this trip. It will be fun for him to see SMU and who else would I want to keep me company for a 24 hour drive to Texas?!?!

A few people have already had their parents visit and it is getting me so excited for when my mom comes in April!!

Alright, that's all for now. More when I get back from Budapest!

Busy, busy, busy

SOOOOO much as happened over the past few weeks! I haven't been keeping up! Where do I begin!?!?

A few weeks ago we went to the ICEBAR in Copenhagen. The bar is located in Hotel TwentySeven and they have a bar inside made out of ice. The drinks are served in ice glasses and you have to wear these really cool capes and gloves. The experience was fun but a one time only thing. Overall, we had a really fun weekend. On Valentine's Day, a few of us went to see "He's Just Not That Into You". It was really cute and the theaters here are really nice. 

Tuesday we went to the Norrebro Bryghus for a tour and tasting. We had some awesome beers and we stole a few glasses! I can't wait to take Tyler for a tasting when he comes in 19 days! 

FC Kobenhaven (futboll/soccer team) played Manchester City on thursday night and we all made a split second decision to go to the game. It was freezing and snowing the whole time but it was SO much fun! The crowd stands and sings the whole time. Copenhagen tied Manchester City in the last 2 minutes! It was a very exciting game. I'm also going to take Tyler to a game when he comes. 

Friday night we went to a pub down the street called Magraths. We took over the whole place. The bartender gave me a free Guiness shirt and tons of free Fisk shots! Fisk is this really cheap alcohol in denmark that tastes like cough syrup, but it grows on you. 

Saturday night we were all pretty tired after recovering from the night before. It was snowing a lot so we decided to venture out to a movie instead of the bars. We went to see Doubt. It was ok but I thought it had a weak ending. 

Today (Sunday) we went to visit Jillian's visiting family. Today is Fastlhaven in Denmark and it's sort of like Halloween. The kids all dress up and hit barrels until they break. They used to have a cat inside but today they just have candy. Then Stine made me a wonderful birthday cakes and they gave me some presents! It was really sweet to be able to celebrate with them. 

My 21st birthday is on tuesday and I'm so excited! Even though we're not celebrating in America, I'm sure it will still be so fun! 

So now for the travel plans!!! Here we go:

Feb. 27th - March 2nd = Amsterdam

March 6 - 9 = Budapest 

March 14 - 19 = Tyler comes! 

March 21-28 = Berlin and Prague study tour

March 29 - April 3 = Ireland adventure trip

April 3 - April 13 = Nice, Cinque Terra, Florence, Rome 

April 17 - 18 = Cruise to Oslo??

April 24 - 25 = Holocaust & Genocide Trip (concentration camp)

April 29 - May 3 = Mom comes! 

May 16 - ? = Barcelona with Tyler?!?!

Program over!!!!! 

BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!!!! But I am so excited!! Trains, hostels, budget food, beaches, shopping....it is going to be SO AMAZING!! 

Study Tour Weekend!

I had my first adventure around Denmark this weekend. Wednesday, my European Business Strategy class had a study tour to a bioteck company called Genzyme. They make enzymes and treatments for people with very rare diseases. The company visit was interesting but a little irrelevant when they started showing us how the grow cartilage to repair a knee. 

Thursday, I woke up bright and early and headed downtown to meet my group on our bus in Kalenbourg. It is a small town in Western Denmark where we were  having another company visit. That night we checked into our hostel and met some of the local kids. Then in the morning we headed to Arhus which is the second largest city in Denmark aside from Copenhagen. There we visited Pressalit, which is a luxury toilet seat manufacturer. This was the most interesting visit of the whole trip because we got to see a seat being made from start to finish. That night we met some other DIS kids at our hostel and explored the town of Arhus. Saturday morning we went to a REALLY cool modern art museum called ARoS. They had some really interesting modern art including a new collection called digital art which was very unique. After the museum, we had some lunch and went on a scavenger hunt around the city. We needed to run around a little bit because we had a 4 hour bus ride back to Copenhagen ahead of us. 

I was so happy to get home even though I met some really great kids. It was nice to have some peace and quiet. Everyone went out but I didn't get home until 8:30pm and I have a cold so I really wanted to stay in and rest. 

Today, I have a little bit of work to do. Classes are really picking up and I have my first test on Thursday!

This coming weekend is Valentine's Day and I think Jillian and I are going to go on a date! My 21st birthday is only 15 days away and then we're off to Amsterdam! 

My schedule is really picking up as the semester gets under way. There is so much to see and do and I'm beginning to feel pressed to get it done! I'm sure I'll find a way!

We call ourselves - The Group

Classes are officially under way. I'm taking 12 hours so I will have plenty of time for travel and fun. I really like my Holocaust & Genocide class and I also think that my International Finance class is really interesting. The teacher is really cool and totally wacky.

We had out first real weekend out last weekend. On Friday, DIS hosted a Welcome party at a club called LUUX. It was fun to see everyone out together and get a taste of Danish nightlife. One interesting thing they do here is that you have to check your coat everywhere you go. When you go to a club, they make you check your coat before you can go in and it't not FREE! Nightlife gets pretty expensive here. Saturday, our contact people at Tasingegade took us on a pub crawl. It turned out to be more of a "walk all over the city and get lost" crawl. But it was fun to get out and meet some Danes at the different places we went.

Sunday was a big recovery day. Jim and I decided to go on an exploration walk around the city. We found this HUGE park that goes on for miles and cirlces around the soccer stadium. We walked around for hours and had a really fun time.

However, when it was time to go home, we saw the street we needed to be on but we decided to try to take a different route. We ended up walking 2 hours south of where we actually lived. In the end, it was a LONG day and we were exausted when we got home but it was fun to get out and see the city.

"The Group" consists of me, Jillian, Jim, Drew, Alex and Jordan. We all live in the same building and we've all naturally bonded. On wednesday, we went to this amazing AMERICAN breakfast place. It was just what we needed after a long night out.

AND! exciting!! we booked our first trip! We are going to Amsterdam the weekend after my birthday. We are going to go for 3 nights so we will get back Monday morning. I'm so excited to check out the city!

Next weekend, we have a short study tour with our program. Mine is going to Western Denmark and visiting some Danish companies that we have to do a written report on. We take a bus to all the places and then stay over night in hostels. DIS provides some of the meals and then we have the nights free. I think the trip will be fun, but I don't know anyone in my class so I'm a little nervous.

I'm also very excited to report that....Tyler is coming! For his spring break! While the trip has no been confirmed, he's waiting to hear back from a friend in London, but nonetheless...he's coming!!!

Tonight we're making tacos for the boys. I'm craving Mexican so it should be a good night.

Honeymoon Phase

We had our first beautiful, sunny day on Wednesday!! It was warm (relatively) and the sunny was shining through the buildings. Jillian and I let ourselves sleep in Wednesday morning, until about 1:30pm. We really needed to catch up on sleep and we felt SO much better. When we woke up, we ate some cereal that we had managed to buy at the grocery store on tuesday. We thought we'd be able to tell what everything was just by looking at it, but that was NOT the case. Just buying milk was a tricky task. Finally we got some items and we've even tried some new things like Danish yogurt and Danish chips. Of course we had to buy Nutella as well.

My room is finally feeling cozy. We bought some candles for the ledge by our window, a rug for our floor and bathroom, and some posters to bring some color. I really need a new pillow because the one they gave us is flat and lumpy. The room isn't so bad anymore. I actually really like our location. We get a chance to see more of the city and we know how to use the bus and train like pros now.

Wednesday night we decided to venture to a place near us called Cafe Paris for dinner. It was our last horrah before classes started the next day. We all had pizza (mainly because that's all we could understand). We're still getting used to the money here and we're trying not to convert it in our heads.

Jillian and I both had 8:30 am class this morning and when we left to walk to the bus it was still really dark. I had European Business Strategy. It is the core class for the IBE program and it is the class that we go on our study tour to Berlin/Prague with. I don't know anyone in my class and I'm not sure if I'm going to have any best friends in my class, but we'll see. After class, I had about 3 hours to kill before my next class. We needed to get some school supplies so we headed to Tiger and then got some lunch at our favorite bagel/sandwich shop. We're becoming regulars there. We also went for a walk on Stroget, the main (tourist) shopping street in Copenhagen.
My next class was Holocaust and Genocide. Thankfully, Drew is in my class so that was comforting. The teacher has a strong accent but the class seems like it will be very interesting. My economics teacher is holding another class tonight since he's going to be missing a week, so I have class from 6-9 tonight and then my regular class tomorrow.

We've all decided that we want to try this bike thing. EVERYONE rides bikes here and they have their own lane! There is a place that we can rent bikes for 180kr a month, which is only about $30. It's a great way to get around. Drew got one today and he has already biked home on it. I took the bus leaving at the same time and I got home at the same time as him! Jillian and I are going to go on Saturday to the bike place and check it out. I'm going to try it for a month.

I have finally started to fill in my calendar. Turns out we have a lot going on. Drew, Jim, Jillian and I are going to sit down on sunday and try and plan out our spring break. We want to go to Italy and somewhere else. Then we're also thinking of going to Amsterdam for my birthday!

Everyone says we're still in the "honeymoon phase" of culture shock, Everything is new and exciting and we're not bothered by the climate yet. But they say it's coming...

Everyone says you have to get lost at least once...mission (already) accomplished

My roommate Jillian got in around 5:30pm last night. It was so good to finally unite with her. We unpacked a little and then headed to this hole in the wall "bar" that had 3 sixty year old men and a pool table. The boys learned how to play billiards from the locals and so we all joined in. It was fun to get out a little. Then our "contact people" took us out for dinner...to chinese! It was definitely not what I wanted to eat on my first night in Copenhagen. Jillian and I were wiped by 9pm so we headed home to settle a little more and hit the sheet. We both had a pretty restless night despite our exhaustion. The pillow is too flat and the area picks up lots of noise.

Today was the Opening Ceremonies. We all got up and met in the lobby of our building before heading across the street to a bakery for some breakfast. I swear their croissants were better than in Paris. I also had the best chocolate milk ever! Then as a group of about 30 we all headed to the train station for our first experience on public transportation.  I tried to watch very closely to where we were going so that I could get my bearings. The trains and busses are SO nice anc clean and new! It was actually a very pleasant experience on the train. Then we walked a couple blocks to the Glyptotek for the ceremony. This building was SO cool. Apparently, the inside is designed to look like a Greek/Roman temple. There are TONS of greek statues and they also have some french impressionism.  It's a really cool place and it's free on Sundays so we're definitely going back.

After the ceremony, we were released into the city for lunch. We met up with some of our friends who live downtown by DIS and they have a BEAUTIFUL, brand spankin new place. It has a huge kitchen and gorgeous bathroom. Jillian and I were definitely jealous. But we'll make our room homey soon enough. First priority is a hair dryer, hangers, more pillows and some candles.

We had 2 more sessions today about DIS and living in Denmark. They were sorta boring...
THEN! I had my first experience getting lost. We had to get back home from downtown BUT we had really no idea how to do that...so we just tried! And an hour later...WE MADE IT!

We adventured out tonight but it didn't go well. Restaurants close at 9:30pm and it was raining and really cold and then i slipped and fell and RUINED my knee.

I miss tyler TONS!

First Impressions

I live about 20 min north of where the DIS center is. I need to take the train or the bus to get to my classes. Tomorrow, I'll need to go get my train/bus/metro pass with the money they have given me.

My "dorm/apartment" is TINY! When they said kitchenette, they really meant kitchenette. We have a tiny mini fridge, 2 twin beds (that look smaller than a twin bed), 2 nice desks, a microwave and a burner. We hardly have any other amenities. There may be an oven and a coffee maker in the common area where there is a TV but I have yet to investigate that. This is basically an old dorm room! I must say, the SMU rooms are nicer.

We have these little "closets" with one shelf and a bar. No place for folded clothing. I will need to be investing in some amentities for the room. There is a group IKEA trip in a few weeks that I will definitely be taking advantage of. Now, the bathroom is a sink and a toilet and a cabinet. It's all tile and then there is the shower with a curtain. But there is no ledge or wall protecting the shower water from the rest of the bathroom...that should be interesting. We will probably need some sort of bath mat and a shower cady to keep things neat. I also really feel like this whole place needs to be Cloroxed. I am going to buy a big container of Clorox wipes ASAP. We will also need some dishes, most likely we'll just get paper stuff since washing dishes is a bit of a task. I need to find out what we do with food trash and how/where we do laundry. I have a HUGE list of things that I think I need such as a laundry basket, paper towels, a new pillow, hair dryer, FOOD, some sort of closet organizer, and we even need light bulbs because these lamps don't have bulbs!! I think we need a rug too since we just have an icky fake wood floor.

The bedding seemed to be all brand new. There was a bottom sheet that came in a sealed plastic packaging as well as a duvet cover and a pillow sham for the most awkward shaped pillow. It's also very lumpy. I'm very glad I brought my own towel wrap, shower shoes, and cozy blanket. It makes the room a little more homey especially since I won't get to a store anytime soon.

My whole building is filled with kids. I already took a 10 minute walking tour with one of our "RAs". He showed us some grocery stores, an ATM, and some good places to get take out. Tonight we're all having dinner as a group at some chinese restaurant around the corner.

It's chilly here, but not really unbearable.

We have a busy few days with some more orientation stuff, a crash course in Danish, picking up our textbooks, and getting acclimated with DIS.

I'm wiped because I'm having serious jet lag but we're supposed to stay up as late as we can so that we can get on a good schedule.

I'm still waiting for Jillian to arrive. I hope she gets here soon because I'm lonely!

No Lost Bags!

I have officially arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark. I had a direct flight from Newark Airport right into Copenhagen. I'm currently hanging out at the Copenhagen University with Emily Gerdts (fellow SMU student). We were on the same flight and it has been so nice to have a friend to travel with. It's already 11am and it's not even light out yet. Compared to home where the temperatures were around 10 degrees, the 35 degree weather in Copenhagen feels warm! We're waiting for our housing orientation. I'm living in the DIS Shared Housing. It's like apartments exclusively for DIS students. I'm rooming with Jillian Sarles (also fellow SMU student). Again, while I'm so excited to meet new people, it is so nice to have a friendly face to look forward to when I walk into my room. We have a kitchen and bathroom in our apartment so we will be expected to make all our own meals. I'm really excited to be able to cook for myself finally! Much better than a sorority house!

We have a whole bunch of programs this week, including a crash course in Danish. Classes start on thursday and I have an 8:30am class everyday. Nobody in the program has class on Wednesdays because there are group study tours on Wednesdays with our classes.

Getting used to the Danish language should be interesting. Everything is typically in Danish and English...as least in the airport.

Overall, today has consisted of lots of waiting around. There were 50 other DIS students on my flight to Copenhagen last night. (I had a 5:30pm flight and arrived in Denmark at 6:30am this morning). I am THRILLED that I didn't loose my bags or have any problems like several other students did.

4 days left in AMERICA!

As my departure date nears, the nerves are rising. I only have a few more things left to do. Packing is the most annoying part of going on a long trip. I have to decide what I really need and what I can live without. Also, Cophenhagen is cold, however, if I travel, I might go somewhere warm. So I need to think about what I should bring for multiple weather climates.

There are lots of things we're very used to having in the US. But abroad, you need to consider not having all the same immediate luxuries. I need to bring adapters for my appliances. I need to buy a new hair dryer and flat iron in Denmark since the higher voltage will blow my other ones up.

I ordered some Danish Kroner today from my bank. CHASE does it for free for their customers so I can avoid paying a conversion fee. This is going to be an expensive few months so I need to make sure that I budget wisely.

More to come after takeoff!