A lot of leagues of over the sea voyage later and I finally made it to Copenhagen, Denmark. The fact that I was leaving the U.S kicked in rather quickly when I was boarding a plane with an aggregate 1% of non-blonde passengers (me). I was so nervous and anxious that in the 8 hr plane ride hoping over the Atlantic I slept for maybe 15 minutes and looked out the window for the rest of the ride. I was sitting next to a family; a mom and her son. They were ever so quiet, minding their own business and playing games on their iPad. I started to get a feeling that they didn't want to socialize with a weird kid wearing plaid and corduroys (I know, I'm sorry. It was cold). But, when the son started to watch the movie Rio on the over-the-seat screen I knew that it was a door opening up for me. I grasped to anything familiar and a movie set in Brazil about colorful birds with accents was close enough. I stroke conversation with them and was greeted with such warm smiles and conversation. I was satisfied. I am looking to embrace these moments: feeling out of my element, fitting in, and standing out. In that order. For this study abroad experience I want to think about everything that is familiar to me and challenge it, or a least advance it. That case on the plane was a little taste of that goal and it tasted so so good.
The point is that I made it, I am now in Copenhagen, in my room, looking out the window and getting settled in my room.
On my way over my new house I took the metro and the train with my Host Dad. I kept looking out the window for any glances I could take of the city. It was dark and only buildings popped out here and there as the train made its way away from the city and the light intersected them. I liked what I saw but I can't wait to see it all at full glory without the jetlag and without the darkness. Me and my host dad kept talking to each other and discovering just why we had gotten paired up. |
I can't wait to make a sense of it all soon, once I explore the city, make new friends and make it all work.