Copenhagen Round 1 (Week 1)

Published:


Alice Pham

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Macalester College <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2022 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Copenhagen, Denmark <i>Program provider:</i> DIS <i>Major/minor:</i> Biology & Community and Global Health / Geography <i>Demographics:</i> First-Generation, Asian-American, Woman of Color <i>Future career aspirations:</i> Epidemiologist <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> Expand my public health knowledge, Explore Denmark and many parts of Europe, and Form long-lasting friendships with locals and abroad students

Here we go!

Itโ€™s been a week since I landed in Copenhagen, Denmark and Iโ€™m already in love with this city.

After landing at the airport on a Saturday afternoon, I went to a waiting room set up by my study abroad program to wait for my host family to pick me up. I was so nervous as I waited, it just hit me that I will be living with a whole Danish family for four months (father, mother, sister, brother, and dog). But what if I donโ€™t like them or what if they donโ€™t like me? This thought kept running through my head until I finally met my host family.

Luckily, things didnโ€™t feel awkward, we were both just happy that we finally got to meet after weeks of virtual chatting. Everyone was so nice and I tried my best to socialize even though I would consider myself an awkward person ~

The rest of the weekend, my host parents took me around Copenhagen. I knew the city was small compared to the big city of Chicago, but I didnโ€™t realize how walkable everything was from one to another (or rather more bike-able). I had a list of the touristy places that I wanted to visit and after a whole day of walking, I crossed out a good 3/4 of my list.

I had program orientation days from Monday-Wednesday. I didnโ€™t have many sessions, so I walked around Copenhagen even more in my free time. I wasnโ€™t interested in architecture until I came here. The designs of the buildings, houses, and churches were phenomenal. I also love that there is a historic feel and look to the city. There is a story behind most of the buildings and designs in Copenhagen, but you can just look at them and know that there is some kind of history to it.

I already found my favorite go-to spot in Copenhagen which is the harbour next to the Black Diamond, which is the national library of Denmark. The view of the water is immaculate and I could sit there all day (until the cold winter comes). Iโ€™ve visited that area almost every day, and I plan to continue going there in the future (especially since itโ€™s only a 20-minute walk from classes)!

I finally had my first day of classes on Thursday. Although I only had ๏ฟฝ

๏ฟฝ classes that day, I was already tired by the end of the day. I recommend making friends with people who live on/near campus especially if youโ€™re like me who lives in a homestay that’s a 30-minute train ride away from campus. Fortunately, my friends let me stay in their room, so I was able to relax until my next class.

On Friday, I didnโ€™t have any classes (the beauty of picking your own classes and schedule), but I was still very productive. I did some of my homework (yes, I am the type to do homework early), walked the familyโ€™s dog, did laundry, and watched an episode of a kdrama.

Overall, itโ€™s been a great start to the semester, and I canโ€™t wait to have more adventures in Copenhagen. Next week, Iโ€™ll share more about how I made friends while studying abroad :)