Lots of Lasts: My Final Days at DIS

Wow, this is really going to be the end of things.

In so many ways, this semester has been the most transformative of my life. From newfound friends to travel tales, academic challenges to family visits, life in Copenhagen in both the winter and the spring, balancing my time here in Denmark has constant and consistent thing - somewhere in middle between stress, joy, and struggle.

For example, at some times throughout the semester I've felt as though I'm completely caught up with my classes, I haven't gone over my budget for the week, and I'm taking really good care of my health, but then I realize that my social battery is basically non-existent. Or on the other hand, I'm still getting good grades, I'm trying all kinds of new food, and I'm enjoying great moments in Copenhagen with my friends, but then I realize that I haven't been sleeping well for a full week. I think what I'm trying to get at is that my idea or common conception of "balance" has really been thrown out the window since coming here.

But that's not to say that a lack of balance is an overall bad thing. When I decided to study with DIS more than a full year ago, I knew that I was going to be challenged by living in a completely different environment, with new classes, food options, living spaces, and people. And now that the semester is finally coming to a close, I just wanted to sit back and reflect a little bit on my time here. I think that this last week has been a really wonderful time for me to look back and comment on all that I got out of the abroad experience and what I'm going to take away from it. As a result, here a couple highlights from my past week in Copenhagen and what I got out of it:

Brunch at Mad og Kaffe - We are starting this off STRONG with a final Sunday brunch at the one and only Mad & Kaffe! This place is famous for having a menu where you select 3, 5, or 7 items of a select list and then they give it to you all at once for a one-of-a-kind breakfast spread. It was one of my favorite dining experiences I'v had so far in Copenhagen, everything was just so good! From this and all the other amazing experiences I've had while dining in Denmark, I'm defintely going to miss being in one of the culinary capitals of the world.

Seeing 'Green George' in Christiania - After having a wonderful final send-off lunch with my Core Course at Reffen, me and couple other guys went into the the Freetown of Christiania to check out a troll. Yes, you heard me right, a troll! There are tons of these giant wooden sculptures of trolls found all around Denmark and even the world, made by just one primary artist. This was my first time seeing one in person, as well as exploring the Freetown of Christiania - an absolute must-visit if you ever find yourself in Copenhagen!

One last look at the Activity Board - on the main floor of the Student Hub in DIS, there are a series of bulletin boards detailing various events, activities, and happenings going on in Copenhagen and beyond for any and all interested students. They also provide pertinent information related to academic requirements, info on Danish culture, and mental health resources. A weekly ritual of mine was always going down to the main floor of the Student Hub to check and see what kind of cool things I could see myself getting up to on a lighter day of classes or over the weekend!

A visit to the Glyptoteket - Speaking of activities, what's a better way to spend an afternoon than in a musuem! Just yesterday I visited the Glyptoteket musuem with another friend from my Core Course, and we spent some time marveling at all kinds of Danish and French artwork, Greek and Roman sculptures, and historical Mesopotamian art dating back more than 6,000 years! I even braved my childhood fear of mummies while looking at an exhibit on ancient Egypt, witnessing actual sarcophagi and canoptic jars from dynasties that were dozens of generations old. I highly recommend stopping by this one if you haven't already!

BANANA BREAD - Although I haven't been able to do as much cooking on my own as I had originally planned, I definitely have had the time to get some baking practice in! Banana Bread is one of my favorite things to make as it is fairly easy to make and so so yummy(and of course I get to share it with my friends too!) It has been especially great over this past week as now my suitemates from my apartment are more than willing to pitch in some spare ingredients since we'll all be leaving soon. I'm also beyond excited that the Culinary LLC will be cooking more food for the DIS Festival, so you better believe that after my final class finishes on Monday I'll be heading to our coordinator's kitchen in Vesterbro to cook up a storm!

A perfect weekend in nature - this past weekend has been phenomenal weather-wise for Copenhagen, which means that I and everyone else in the city was spending every possible moment that we could outside. From biking around Amager, to taking a ton of walks around some local trails, to a semi-impromptu cold plunge in the beach nearest to my apartment, it was a fantastic send-off to all the great aspects of nature that Copenhagen has to offer. If I had to offer one piece of advice for my fellow students, it would be to get the absolute most that you can out of a sunny day in Denmark. You can never really know just how many you'll get during your time here!

Crazily enough, I think that just about covers it. From amazing artworks to incredible eats and fun times with friends, I am so beyond grateful for these past few days. My classes have been light, the weather has been nice, and my appreciation for my entire time abroad has been at its maximum. I really don't know what I'm going to do when I leave this place, as right now it kinda feels like paradise. It's been a long journey for me and my fellow classmates this semester, and even though I may not have established a perfect balance of things at any time, I really wouldn't have it any other way. I've been challenged in more ways than I can count during my time here, but those challenges have led to experiences and those experiences have led to memories that I will spend the rest of my lifetime cherishing. So, if you don't mind me, I'm going to finish up this blog post, grab a slice of banana bread, and head outside to soak up just a little bit more of my time here before I head home.

Until then!

{also please please PLEASE feel free to reach out to me anytime! I have loved this journey so unfathomably much, if there's any part of it you want to learn more just ask! you know where to find me :)}

As I'm writing this, I only have four more full days in Copenhagen with DIS, but I'll be traveling for a week after I leave as aI'm been keeping in contact with new friends,