Spring towards the semester’s finish line

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Ashley Messier

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Ashley Messier

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej! Hallo! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> University of Massachusetts, Amherst <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2024 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Copenhagen, Denmark <i>Program provider:</i> DIS <i>Major/minor:</i> German & Scandinavian Studies / Anthropology <i>Demographics:</i> First-Generation College Student, Transfer Student, LGBTQ+ <i>Future career aspirations:</i> I'm working towards a career in museum/artifact curating focusing on European history. After my undergraduate, I'm hoping to continue my studies further and apply for graduate school abroad. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> My top three goals include furthering my language skills in Danish, visiting as many museums as possible, and gathering up the courage bicycle through Copenhagen.

I can not express how in love I am with springtime in Denmark. The weather has finally become warm enough to wear a light jacket (with a little layering) and still be comfortable outside. Saying goodbye to my winter coat felt incredible! What is even more incredible are the variety of flowers you can see here. Over the past week I was lucky enough to see the cherry trees in bloom in multiple locations here in Copenhagen. I had always wanted to do this, but could never find a group of trees nearby my home in Massachusetts. One item now has been checked off my lifetime bucket list. There are now daffodils and tulips opening up and I can’t help but take pictures whenever I see extra gorgeous ones.

Besides flower viewing, I was able to go to Tivoli for the first time in a quick while. Tivoli Gardens is Denmark’s popular and well known amusement park in the center of the city. This amusement park is also one of the oldest one’s in the world. Besides the amusement rides and games, Tivoli has really extensive gardens that are worth checking out if you are around Denmark in the spring and summertime. My field study with my Hans Christian Andersen class was at Tivoli gardens and my teacher gave us a walking tour around the park. We learned about Hans Christian Andersen’s opinions on the park’s flower gardens and how he was inspired to write “The Nightingale”. Of course during his time the park was more garden and hardly any amusements had been around at the park’s opening in August 15,1843. The idea that such a park was around in the 19th century really was cool to think about. Denmark is full of old history that is even older than that of the United States and that alone really fascinates me. Europe is absolutely my favorite.

With the excitement surrounding the nice weather and more activities and amusements opening up for the season, it is starting to become a little more challenging to focus on the school work left in the semester. Especially now that everyone is hustling to see and experience everything left on their Denmark bucket lists. I too feel the sense of urgency now that we are in mere weeks left until the close of the semester. It has become bittersweet for me, and I admit I have cried a few times on occasion knowing that I will have to leave my beloved Denmark with no knowledge of the next time I will return. With that bittersweet feeling as motivation, I have made sure to do as much as I can in between the schoolwork that must be completed. Through the upcoming weeks I plan to spend more time outside, whether it is for a small lunch or just a walk in the park. Once more I am looking forward to what the next few weeks will bring and I will surely be taking in the most of it.