WINDING DOWN!!

By:

Remi Amokomowo

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Remi Amokomowo

<i>Pronouns:</i> She/her <i>Home Institution:</i> Smith College <i>Expected Graduation:</i> 2024 <i>Major / Minor:</i> Psychology / Chemistry <i>Study Abroad Location:</i> Copenhagen, Denmark <i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej <i>Program Provider:</i> DIS <i>Identity:</i> African American/Black, First-Generation College Student <i>Future Career Goals:</i> My future career goals are to work in the finance sector, particularly in the compliance departments! <i>Top 3 Goals for your time abroad:</i> Establish meaningful relationships with my host family, to learn how to speak beginner Danish, To travel to at least one neighboring country!

Hello everyone!! I cannot believe that it is officially December 1st and that my study abroad adventure is literally coming to a close. I have exactly 14 days until I depart back home to my home in Newark, New Jersey. I feel like so many things have happened through the past three weeks and I don’t even know where to begin.

First, I will start this blog off by saying that I have been spending so much time with my host family. It was my host father ‘s and my host sister’s birthday this past month and I had the chance to celebrate with them! These celebrations were truly a blast! We went out to dinner for my host dad’s birthday and bowling for my host sister’s birthday. My host dad’s side of the family also has this big annual Christmas lunch, every year in Jutland, Denmark! It is approximately 3 hours long from Copenhagen and we had to take a ferry ⛴️. That was my first time taking a ferry in Denmark and we had lunch, the views were lovely! My host’s dad’s family only spoke Danish, so I had people speaking Danish around me for 6 straight hours and that was truly a time.

Thanksgiving also happened! I am going to be honest, it was challenging spending it without my family and friends. Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Europe, so that was a bummer. But, my host family tried their absolute best to make me feel at home during Thanksgiving, my host dad even ordered a turkey! It was truly memorable and I am so appreciative of my host family. But, I do miss my friends and family a lot, especially since the holidays have begun and I am so excited to see them again. I want to tell you guys, it is okay to have new experiences and have fun completing them and miss your home as well. Don’t feel bad about needing to cry it out, or wanting some time alone to process your feelings. I have done it a lot during my time abroad.

I have also been reflecting on the relationships that I have made with people while I have been here. 4 months flies by really quickly, so I feel like I have met so many different people; but I haven’t had the time to get really close to them, because I live in a homestay and others live in a kollegium (community housing) with other fellow DIS students. I loved the people that I have met and have been able to spend some time with in Copenhagen or other places that I have time during my time abroad in Europe. I don’t think I have made any life long friends, considering we all live in different places in the United States.

The semester has been picking really quickly and I have so MANY assignments due before December 14th and I have no idea how I am going to complete them. But, with being a senior in college, I have faced and survived the worst end of semester finals. I will survive the end of the semester, I am speaking it into existence! Sorry, if the blog post was all over the place, it’s probably just an accurate expression of how I am feeling right now at this moment in the semester. PLEASE WISH ME THE BEST OF LUCK AS I TACKLE THESE FINALS!