Almost Gone

I leave for Denmark this Friday!

Mary Elise (a girl from SSU who is in the same program as me) and I are meeting up in SF and flying together. Its going to be so nice to have someone there to keep me company. And she has been to Europe so she can help me navigate around. We are flying from SF to Chicago, then straight to Copenhagen. Its a fourteen hour flight right through the night and we get into Copenhagen on the 23rd. We are arriving a day before our program starts so it should be nice to have a day to adjust, sleep, relax, explore, etc.

Once I meet up with the program people (DIS=Danish Institute for Study Abroad) its four days of intensive orientation workshops which will include language lessons: Danish for Ducklings (thank baby jesus), learning the public transportation system and way around the city, meeting my host family, and prepping for school to start on the 28th (yes, I will actually be studying over there. I kind of forgot about the academics, but I already have my first assignment!)

I just found out I have a host family the other day and they sound so delightful. I also will be living with another American...a girl from San Francisco to be exact. It will be fantastic having the best of both worlds in the house with me and hopefully I won't be awkward and we can be BFFLs, hehe.

Friday is going to be an emotional day for my family. My sister is going to live with my father in Los Angeles area, so my mother will be saying goodbye to both of us. Its going to be hard for her because my sister and I are basically her life. Maybe she will finally start to live for herself once she gets over the shock of an empty house...
And I will certainly be emotional as well. Saying goodbye to all three of my parents, Dani, and Kyle is going to be incredibly hard. I know I am going on an adventure of a life time, but I am going to miss SSU so much. Just thinking of recruitment for sorority and picturing everyone moving into their new little houses. Damn, I am sure going to miss riding my bike at 6am to work, late night runs to In-n-Out, Andrea running into my room always ready to talk about anything and everything, being able to call Joshey at any hour of the day just for the hell of it (and he almost always answers, haha), and all of the other little things that have become a part of my life over the last two years.

I am at my Granny's in wholesome Folsom right now, and we are going to spend the night in San Francisco tomorrow and I do believe I will get to see Greta and Kyle if all goes according to plan! The wifey and the boyfriend all in one day. It really may be too good to be true!

Coolness

It isn't a huge secret that Denmark isn't the most common or exotic study abroad destination. You hear a lot about Spain, Italy, Australia, Germany, England, and maybe a few other countries, but not often Denmark. People ask me all the time where Denmark is located! (FYI: its below Sweden and above Germany). Truth be told, I had my eye on Italy or Australia initially as well. So why Denmark at all? It has a really amazing education program for my major and the study abroad institution that I will be studying through is highly renowned and all that jazz, thats why!
Now that I have been studying the country from afar, preparing for my nine month stay, I have realized a lot of amazing things. I am so excited to observe their social welfare programs and conquer the public transportation system, among much more :-)

Cool Denmark Facts:

-About 5.4 million people live in Denmark, while Copenhagen has a population of about 1.7 million.

-Copenhagen, or København in Danish, literally means 'Merchants Harbor.'

-Wind energy provides over 20% of Denmark's electricity, more than any other country in the world.

-Actress Scarlett Johansson holds dual citizenship, both Danish and American.

-The drummer from Metallica, Lars Ulrich, is from Denmark.

-Ever heard of Hans Christian Anderson? He was Danish! He wrote tons of fairy tales including The Little Mermaid, The Emperors New Clothes, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling, and many more!

-Danish Government: Constitutional Monarchy, meaning there is a Queen and a Prime Minister.

-Remember Hamlet? He was the Prince of Denmark!

-No place in Denmark is more than 52 kilometers (30ish miles) from the sea!