My High School Experience in Denmark- Study Abroad

Going far away from home can sometimes be sad, or even a little scary. But going so far away from home can a little more so. At first, everything is new and exciting and before you leave you're counting down the days, hours and minutes until your plane takes off, and when you look in the mirror you practice saying "Yeah, I lived in Denmark for a semester". But of course you know there will be things you will miss. Parents, siblings, pets, friends, your sports team, your familiar school, and having the feeling that everything makes sense... Me holding my first place with my horse, Felix and my mom standing with us Me on my horse at a tristate competition Missing those things is OK! There is no avoiding it! For me, I take it as a bittersweet thing. Of course you will feel like you miss those moments, but you have to keep a positive attitude. Sometimes if it's just really cold outside in Denmark I'll imagine the thick and lushious blades of grass with the

Me on my owned horse from back at home- Felix! So for all of you who don't know, I ride horses. I've been riding horses for a long time now, and naturally, I wanted to include it in my life while in Denmark. My host sister rides horses as well at a stable not too far away from where we live, so, after settling a bit and getting more into the swing of things here in Denmark, I thought it would be a great idea to start taking riding lessons! Coming to the stable for the first time, I was boiling over with a cocktail of anticipation and excitement to discover how the horse stables are run in Denmark. The first time I came was only to watch my host sister ride... Right away I noticed differences. The types of saddles and other horse tack (gear) that was used, the way the lessons were taught (other than the fact they were instructed in Danish), the exercises people did with their horses, the safety equipment that was used... etc. Seeing all of the different ways of how p

Danish food is TOTALLY underrated! Some of the meals and treats here I have tried have changed my outlook on everything edible. It makes me wonder why we barely (if we even do) have any Danish cuisine in the states. I thought I would try to change that, and give you all a list of some Danish foods that I will definitely be talking about when I return to America! 1) Risengrød This is quite a plain tasting dish on its own, so it's usually sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and butter. (When I heard that for the first time- I decided I loved it already...) Its a porridge rice boiled with sweet milk. So simple, yet so yummy. It is kind of like a dessert food, but my host family has taught me well that you can eat risengrød any time of day! (In this picture, this was breakfast) Though be careful when you have it because it's the kind of food that sits in your stomach and makes you feel like bursting after eating only half of your portion... If you've ever tried Danish risengr

Denmark is a wonderful country full of lovely people. Though some things Danes do can seem a little strange to a foreigner at first... Here is a list of things I have noticed that Danes do, that most Americans don't. - Eat licorice. Oh, do the Danes love their licorice... most people I have asked about it describe it as their little guilty pleasure. They will pop little licorice candies in their mouths with a smile. In Denmark, licorice comes in sweet, salty, animal shaped, twisted, you name it. When my host mom gave me some licorice to try as she was eating it out of a bag in her car, I took a small bite of the bear-shaped candy and the whole taste invaded my mouth. Danish licorice is definitely something. Something you should try, but I can't promise you'll like it... unless you're Danish of course. - Bike everywhere. If you've ever been to Copenhagen, you know how crazy those cyclists are. I guess you can compare them to taxies in New York City... they WI

The most difficult thing about my exchange so far, has been learning Danish... Before I came, the advice I got from my Norwegian friends was... "Its just like speaking Norwegian, just put a potato in your mouth." The pronunciation of Danish is definitely quite... interesting. Not quite like a potato though, maybe more like a grape. (I'm sorry Danes, just jokes, I love you guys) Putting a small grape down in your throat and trying to push it up again is what it feels like to attempt to make the "R" sound in Danish... I was being taught by a friend of mine to say the color "red" in Danish, "rød". I would try, and she would tell me if I was totally off, close, or correct. Most of the times I would get it, it was purely by accident. She would get so excited, when she said that it was correct, and I laughed and said "yes!" but in my mind I was thinking "How was that any different from before?". After a few times of pra

In Denmark, the school system is very different from the US. The first thing I would like to talk about is morning routines in both countries. In the US, most students in my school, including me, wake up at around 5:30am. Personally, I have around 45 minutes to eat, get ready, and be on the school bus by 6:15 to arrive at around 7:20 to start classes right away. In Denmark, I can wake up at 6:30, bike to the train station, take a short train ride to Tølløse and a few minute walk to my school to arrive at 7:50. Here, I can get a whole hour more of sleep, and on Wednesdays, we start an hour even later! We start classes at around 8:15 in Denmark, so I get about 25 minutes to chat with my friends and get ready for the day to start. It seems much more relaxed, and is way easier to work through than the American morning! Once I finally get to school in the US, I have 4 sections of 90-minute classes and a lunch which is around 25 minutes and is a part of your third-period class. We al