I'm Home...

... and couldn't be happier.

“If we fancy (think of) some strong emotion and then try to abstract from our consciousness of it all the feelings of its bodily symptoms, we find we have nothing left behind- no “mind-stuff” out of which the emotion can be constituted, and that a cold and neutral state of intellectual perception is all that remains…..” - William James

Close to my Heart

My Host Mom & Me at Julefrokost 2006

It is hard to believe that 7 days from now… well… I’ll be back in Columbus. The process of re-entry will be a culture shock in its own right. The American lifestyle has become foreign to me.

I’m going to miss my host family. They have accepted me into their home, fed me, listened to my many stories, shared, taught, laughed and learned. My host mom is an incredible woman. I’ve learned a lot from her—from how to properly put on a duvet cover to being the best parent. I will miss her dearly. But as she said over dinner the other night, I will always have Denmark in my memories.

I’m going to miss the friends I’ve made here and all of the little things we’ve discovered about Copenhagen, about Denmark, and about ourselves.

I going to miss Denmark. I’m going to miss the hygge, the blonde hair & blue eyes, the bikes, buses, and trains, the rugbrød, Molly (the guinea pig), coffee breaks, rainy weather, the Danish language, and people who understand when I say, tak.

I’m going to miss the 9 hour dinner parties, wienerbrød, cute Danish children in snow suits, heart decorations at Christmas time, and Strøget.

Denmark will always be a special place. My second home. I’ve lived here. I’ve had my great days, my good days, and some not so good days—and that is life. I’ve immersed myself in another culture and adapted. To use the buzz word, I’ve had a true cross-cultural experience. I will forever be more aware of my own culture, and the culture of others.

But Denmark will always be with me… close to my heart…

And years from now, I can say…

I remember one time, in Copenhagen…

Until then...I’ll be home for Christmas…

Anna

Malmö!

Yes, that is right my friends! I went to Malmö! And for those of you who are wondering where Malmö is, let me help. Malmö is a cute little city in Sweden which is a 35 minute train ride from Copenhagen. This town was full of wonderful charms around each corner. Only about 20 minutes of being in the city, I found the highlight... the Apoteket Lejonet. Built in the 1890s, this is one of Sweden's oldest pharmacies. The entire inside of this modern pharmacy is preserved in turn of the 20th century style. Simply fabulous....









And be sure to check out more pictures of Malmö here!

Enjoy...

Anna