I just got the awaited email from my Study Abroad program about the lucky winner to be the one to host me this semester while I'm in Copenhagen! His name is Jens, a Danish guy who works at the super market, enjoys to explore different things, and lives in a place with a nice balcony. All his words, not mine, hand-picked to what I liked most about him. He does sound like an incredibly nice guy, who I hope soon will become someone cool in my life.
While I am excited to meet him, I am also pretty nervous and taken aback. That typical "what am I doing with my life?", "Is he going to be strict/weird/overbearing?", "Will I like him?" pre-departure existential crisis that is so so relevant at the moment. I think all this uncertain feelings about living with someone while abroad is coming from two main interpersonal places:
1. The term "Host Father" makes me think about this endeavour as if we are going to have a parasitic organism relationship. Will I be just a parasite living at the expense of my host father? There is also this book my sister was reading once called The Host where (and I quote verbatim after asking her to remind me what the book was about) "some little worms take over your body, and they have their own personalities and travel around taking host in bodies from different worlds." Um what.....The term makes me feel alienated, and as if I am inconveniencing Jens. The faced realities are that Jens sounds friendly and welcoming so far, but I can't help but feel uncertain about the interactions we will have once I move-in to Måløv.
Perhaps I need to find a better term to address my host and perhaps the relationship I will have with him will be significantly meaningful. For now, I am fine calling him Jens, or PenPal, until I can finally call him my friend.
2. I have always been a very independent person, opposite to most of the Study Abroad blogs that I have encountered thus far. I can't relate to the general "fear of travelling alone" because I am the type of person that can go on a walk and explore a new city without hesitation. I also can't relate to the "now that I am abroad I need to stay on a budget" sentiment because my life's name is Budget and its last name Goodwill. And, I can't relate to the whole "I will have to live with someone I don't know who is completely different than me" because 12 random room mates later and I am suddenly capable of living with anyone.
Jens mentioned that I am his 26th student. While that reassures me that he is committed and passionate about welcoming immersion to students, it also makes me feel like a cog in an long line of past and future students. I hope that I can show Jens that I am different (and way better than the rest, duh).
Anyways, I guess I am just worrying to much about it. Måløv sounds like a tranquil and charming suburb where I hope I can meet the locals and get to know my host. I'm going to have my own room, and there is even other students living pretty close to Jens' apartment. Jens once sang in a choir and he works at the supermarket so he must know the 101 of what to buy and where. His son Henrik likes to practice his English with Jens students and I am exited for that because I don't have a sexy english accent for nothing.
Keep it locked to read what my impressions are once I get there.
While I am excited to meet him, I am also pretty nervous and taken aback. That typical "what am I doing with my life?", "Is he going to be strict/weird/overbearing?", "Will I like him?" pre-departure existential crisis that is so so relevant at the moment. I think all this uncertain feelings about living with someone while abroad is coming from two main interpersonal places:
1. The term "Host Father" makes me think about this endeavour as if we are going to have a parasitic organism relationship. Will I be just a parasite living at the expense of my host father? There is also this book my sister was reading once called The Host where (and I quote verbatim after asking her to remind me what the book was about) "some little worms take over your body, and they have their own personalities and travel around taking host in bodies from different worlds." Um what.....The term makes me feel alienated, and as if I am inconveniencing Jens. The faced realities are that Jens sounds friendly and welcoming so far, but I can't help but feel uncertain about the interactions we will have once I move-in to Måløv.
Perhaps I need to find a better term to address my host and perhaps the relationship I will have with him will be significantly meaningful. For now, I am fine calling him Jens, or PenPal, until I can finally call him my friend.
2. I have always been a very independent person, opposite to most of the Study Abroad blogs that I have encountered thus far. I can't relate to the general "fear of travelling alone" because I am the type of person that can go on a walk and explore a new city without hesitation. I also can't relate to the "now that I am abroad I need to stay on a budget" sentiment because my life's name is Budget and its last name Goodwill. And, I can't relate to the whole "I will have to live with someone I don't know who is completely different than me" because 12 random room mates later and I am suddenly capable of living with anyone.
Jens mentioned that I am his 26th student. While that reassures me that he is committed and passionate about welcoming immersion to students, it also makes me feel like a cog in an long line of past and future students. I hope that I can show Jens that I am different (and way better than the rest, duh).
Anyways, I guess I am just worrying to much about it. Måløv sounds like a tranquil and charming suburb where I hope I can meet the locals and get to know my host. I'm going to have my own room, and there is even other students living pretty close to Jens' apartment. Jens once sang in a choir and he works at the supermarket so he must know the 101 of what to buy and where. His son Henrik likes to practice his English with Jens students and I am exited for that because I don't have a sexy english accent for nothing.
Keep it locked to read what my impressions are once I get there.