Two countries and 12 hours later, I finally made it to Copenhagen! It has only been 4 days since I landed in this beautiful country, but it feels like I’ve been here for months. Right when I stepped into the O’hare airport, I was surrounded by students studying abroad all over Europe. One was heading to Poland and the others were heading to Copenhagen. I was flying with my future classmates and we connected over the excitement of being in another country almost immediately. When we landed, one girl and I headed to a hostel. This was the first time I ever stayed at a one. I’ll be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first because the only time I was exposed to hostels was when I watched horror movies and the main characters ended up getting kidnapped and had to figure their way to escape their kidnappers… Yeah, so my first thought of the idea was not the most encouraging. However, this new experience taught me to keep an open mind and to be willing to try new things. I walked in and it was clean, up-to-date and I ended up making several new friends (Danish and American). The hostel built a community where all travelers could meet one another and exchange tips about where to visit. It was a learning experience in that a lot of growth can happen when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations. Also, barely anything is ever like it is in the movies, so definitely don’t make assumptions just because it showed up on a Hollywood set.
However, I will not lie Nyhavn did look like something that should be in Hollywood. A few of the friends that I made at the hostel and I decided to walk to Nyhavn and we ended up taking a few too many detours. Those detours could have been due to our desire to explore the city or our lack of sleep the last 36 hours. We came across several beautiful buildings on our walk and tried the famous shawarma, which is simply seasoned beef. On our journey back to the right route, we came across trampolines in the ground and spent several minutes enjoying our inner 8-year old selves. Three hours later, we finally found Nyhavn and man, were those three hours worth it. We hit the popular attraction right at sunset and it couldn’t have been a more picture perfect moment. To top it off, we stopped by a famous waffle and ice cream shop. The simplicity, yet beauty of the area was breathtaking. As someone who is always on the go and barely ever has the time to take detours, this was something that brought me so much peace. Some things are worth waiting for, and really, life isn’t and shouldn’t be a constant go-go-go speed. It is important to stop and enjoy the things right in front of you. Moments where you find yourself in front of a beautiful view with friends that have the same passion for traveling as you do is rare, so take advantage of these times.
The first day in Copenhagen was an eye opening experience and I can’t wait to see what else this trip brings! Classes are going well and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the things I am learning about the human body. Tomorrow will be my third day in Sports Medicine and we will be running for 20 minutes and going to a CrossFit gym, so wish me and my shins luck!
