MikaelaThe beautiful life I have been given - 29/11/18
Godaften,
It has been a long time since I have written a post informing you of my latest adventures in the great country of Denmark. As always, there have been too many memories to share, but below are a few of the most notable. Even as I come to the end of my exchange, the busyness and excitement never ends. Depending on how you look at it, my first time in Sweden may have been the most or least traditional way to experience Denmark's neighbour. My host father's father started a fishing club in the south of Sweden many years ago, and since then a group of around 20 keen fisherman meet annually for a weekend away. This year, I was able to join the team and it was an experience I won't forget. We started the weekend with fly fishing, the hardest of type of all. Fly fishing requires the person to swing the fishing rod back and forth over your head until you cast the line into the water. It is a lot more complicated than it sounds, and I can be dangerous. Luckily, the only injury anyone sustained from the day was an unwanted ear piercing with a fishing hook. After a long day of standing, swinging and waiting, I didn't catch anything, but at least I learnt a new skill. Rain began to fall heavily in the late afternoon, therefore it was time to pack up and head back to the cabin. For the second day of fishing, we tried a more traditional approach. Throwing the line into the water and waiting. The weather had not improved since the day before, wind and rain making the hours almost unbearable. Æbleskiver with jam and sugar around the fire kept our spirits alive throughout the miserable weather. Over the two days, many fish were caught and although I was unsuccessful, it was a pleasant weekend out in nature. Tak to Ulrik, Camilla, Christian and the fishing team for a great trip. Halloween is not a holiday that is widely celebrated in Australia, so it has never been something important to me. However, for my host sister, she greatly enjoys the tradition of carving pumpkins as part of the celebration. Despite my dislike of the holiday, pumpkin carving turned out to be good fun and a nice way of spending time with my Camilla. Another part of the holiday I enjoyed was visiting Tivoli with Macy when it was decorated for the occasion. Everywhere you looked, there were pumpkins, cobwebs or witches. A haunted house has been set up in the park, which Macy and I bravely completed. The work that had been put into making the park ready for Halloween was amazing, I can't wait to see Tivoli at Christmas time. Each year, all the exchange students in Denmark have a get-together weekend in Holbæk. The event is lots of fun, with around 180 exchange students together in a school for two days. I hadn't seen Connie or Arki in a long time, so this provided us with the perfect opportunity to catch up and get the group back together again. Staying up very late talking and dancing, it was a wonderful weekend with wonderful people. Matthew loves computer games, and the Couter-Strike gaming scene in Denmark, as well as Scandinavia, is massive. So, my lovely best friend decided we would go together to see the Blast Pro Series event in Copenhagen. Since the beginning of the year, I have slowly grown to like this unusual sport and have even gained some knowledge on the game. The event was held in Royal Arena, with almost 12,000 fans showing their support for the Danish team, Astralis, and five other pro teams from around the world. To my mother's horror, I enjoyed the day, so tusind tak to Matthew for letting me tag along. It is always fun when I am with you, even at a gaming event. Hubertusjagt is the annual fox hunt on horseback that takes place in Dyrehaven, Copenhagen. Today two riders have a fox tail over their shoulder instead of the original version where foxes were chased after. My first host family love the event and always watch the race with the extended family. Macy and I were invited to join them to see the horses race through the forest, a very prestigious event that has been held since 1900. After the race had finished, we all headed to Nyhavn for a lunch of smørrebrød and other traditional Danish meals. Tak to Jan and Lene for a very Danish day out. Unfortunately, my schooling has been very complicated this year. I have changed classes four times, from the tenth class to the first year of gymaniusm, and then three times within the gymnasium. This has made it extremely hard to form strong friendships or connections with others, but thankfully, I am able to spend the remainder of my exchange in a class with good friends. Two of whom, are Lili and Sara. Thanks to them, I have been able to settle into my second and fourth classes, making my time a little easier. Tusind tak to these two gorgeous girls. I said I would mention you somewhere, and you deserve it. :) No one has experienced Christmas until they come to Denmark. The holiday is a big celebration for everyone, and as a lover of the season, I can not wait for what is in store. To start the festivities, my two host siblings and I baked way too many cookies, taking almost 6 hours in total. It was a lot of work but the results are delicious. As a Christmas and parting present from my Rotary club, I received a most unusual advent calendar. A Rotary wheel with 24 spokes and a gift on each is currently standing up in my room, I am very excited to open all the little gifts. It was an incredibly sweet gesture.The lights have begun to be put up and it is time to deck the halls with holly. In front of 350 Rotarians, the 8 winter team students graduated. As part of the big Thanksgiving Rotary event, we received our graduation certificates for completing our year. We were very happy, standing beside friends in our blazers full of memories. Matthew, Issa and Sarah said final speeches about our year in Danish, a task we are all proud of them for. It has been a once in a lifetime experience, and to have had the opportunity to do so with these people has been the uttermost pleasure. Matthew, Macy, Issa, Nathan, Siena, Kacee and Sarah, thank you for everything. I couldn't have done it without you. Isabel, Marcus and David, although you couldn't be with us on that evening, we knew you were there in spirit. You will always be part of our exchange, even if you had to leave us early. As we were sitting around the dinner table, Issa said that she was thankful for the fact we ended up together. This is very true, as we could have easily been sent somewhere else in the world, and yet were given each other. No matter how many days pass after I leave Denmark, I will always remember and be grateful for our winter team. Congratulations everyone, we made it. Time moves forward, as the year comes to an end, we must always appreciate all we have done, and all we have been given. Venlig hilsen, Mikaela |
AboutHello there, my name is Mikaela Love, and I am going on a yearlong Rotary Youth Exchange in 2018. Throughout this blog, you will find the crazy adventures of a socially awkward 15 yr. old living in Denmark; stories and photos from a world far away.
Happy reading! |
Mikaela
Another town, another train - 22/11/2018
Godaften,
As I awoke, not even the sun had started to rise, the wind blowing hard and strong. I didn't know what to think as I rode my bike to the station, it was as if my mind was numb from the cold. Although it was early, I was wide awake, for the people I was about to meet I had not seen since I had left home. It was a strange feeling seeing my family again. As the walked through the gates at the airport I was happy to see them, but at the same time I was nervous. I had changed so much since the last time I was with them; I had grown as a person, experienced more than I ever had at home and started a new life without them. I had grown up. Luckily, they didn't seem to mind. The next three weeks were wonderful, spending time with my family and hearing of stories from home, however I have a newfound appreciation for my independence and self-responsibility here in Denmark.
To start my family's stay in Denmark, I decided to take them around my city, showing them as much as I could of the place I loved. To anyone coming to Copenhagen, a cannal tour is essential. Thankfully for us, the weather was clear and the trip was a relaxing way to see the city. In the afternoon, we visited Kronborg Castle, north of Copenhagen. Standing on the shoreline, the imposing fortress creates a strong medieval atmosphere, it is no wonder that Shakespeare set Hamlet there. These activities had both been on my 'bucket list' since the beginning of the year, therefore it was a great day for everyone. The following day I led my family on a city tour visiting places such as the Round Tower and Rosenborg Castle. It was a pleasure to have dinner with my second and third host families, however it was a little strange. That was where my two worlds met, casually chatting over flæskesteg (Danish roast pork, my personal favourite). On one side of the table sat my past, and on the other side my present. Not every exchange student will experience this, but for those that do, they will understand the feeling of being caught between two versions of yourself; one where you lived in your home country and one where you live abroad. It is wonderfully horrifying, as I know I will have to leave my fantasy behind soon and get back to reality. Tak to the Rasmussen family for being pleasant hosts, as well as the Damvig family for joining us. Finishing their first stay in Denmark, we caught a train to Odense in order to see Hans Christian Anderson's home town, before heading back to Copenhagen for dinner at Halifax, a Danish burger restaurant that was started by two exchange students. After three lovely days in Denmark, it was finally time to start travelling.
With my family, I was fortunate enough to see parts of all the Scandinavian countries as well as St Petersburg, Russia. Although similar, each city had a unique culture and heritage giving us an interesting insight to the lives of Scandinavians and Russians.
Our first stop (outside of Denmark) was Oslo, Norway; a pretty city in the middle of the Norwegian Fjords. As the capital of Norway, there are many important buildings and places throughout the city, and by taking a bike tour we were able to see these in the most Scandinavian way possible. With a few more hills than in Denmark, the ride was a little tiring but worth the effort. Two notable places we visited in Oslo were the Nobel Peace Centre and the Open Air Museum. The Nobel Peace Centre celebrates the great work of its inductees, who are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the city each year, unlike the other Noble prizes which are awarded in Stockholm. It was different to any museum I had seen before. In the late 19th century, the king of Norway decided he should preserve the many historical buildings scattered around the country in one park for future generations to admire and learn from. Thanks to this man's brilliant idea, the first open air museum was opened in Oslo, showcasing culturally significant buildings from as early as the 13th century. We greatly enjoyed this museum and the history it held within.
Whilst in Norway, we spend two days in Bergen and the fjords. In the middle of Norway, there is a route know as the Flåm Railway, notorious for its spectacular view of the surrounding cliffs. In the afternoon, we sailed through the fjords on a ferry, admiring the fjords; massive structures of nature's power and beauty. They were a breathtaking sight, with a calm chill in the air as we took in the large cliffs and smooth rivers.
Our next stop was Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm was a lovely but massive city. Starting our time here, we explored the old town on a tour with a local guide. Through this tour, we learnt about Sweden's history, which was largely tied with Denmark.Our guide told us the story of the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520, showing us there is always two sides to history; to the Danes it was seen as victory, to the Swedes it was a great tragedy. Stockholm is filled with museums, my two personal favourites were the ABBA and Vasa museums. The ABBA museum was an exciting place celebrating the extensive work of the Swedish pop group from the 1970's until today. Although the band is yet to reunite, they are still one of the most well known bands in the world today. My family loves ABBA and Mamma Mia, so to see this museum was a memorable experience. The Vasa museum is like a scene from a pirate film. The Vasa is a large war ship the sunk only 20 minutes into its maiden voyage in 1628. The 17th century ship was preserved in mud in Stockholm Harbour until it was uncovered almost 300 years later. Thankfully the mud has left the ship almost fully intact, and it was restored to its former glory in the museum, a spectacle for anyone who sees it. My mother was especially happy because we were able to see reindeer in an outdoor park, an animal unheard of in Australia apart from in Christmas stories.
Helsinki was a cold place with good sushi, but otherwise not all that much to do. Despite this, we were able to visit an old island war fortress on an known as Suomenlinna. The blistering winds and heavy fog set the mood for the isolated array of stone walls, battered buildings and heavy artillery. The most interesting part of this fortress was that it is still inhabited today by a few Finns. There is even a preschool for the local children.
Before returning to Denmark, we made our way to St Petersburg, Russia. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time here and am very grateful I now understand more about Russia after my visit. Our time in Russia was very busy and filled with fun, spending the first day on a guided tour of the Hermitage before going to a ballet in the evening. The Hermitage is a serious of buildings centred around the Winter Palace. The beautiful blue facade is only the beginning, with each of the rooms filled with artefacts from around the world. Paintings, christian relics and even a dog with Putin's face on it. There are over 6 million objects in the museums collection. Along with seeing the main points inside the palace we visited the section of the museum which holds many famous impressionist paintings. I enjoyed both the art and the architecture of this wing greatly. Russia is known for it's ballet, so my little sister, mother and I spent the evening watching Sleeping Beauty, wonderfully performed in a quaint, pretty theatre in the art square of the city. The next day we took a walking tour around the city, our guide leading us through the large city showing us the main, almost monstrous buildings throughout the city. The weather was nice and luckily it was not too cold. In the evening, we went to a hockey game between St Petersburg and Moscow. Russia has a strong national hockey team and half of the players were in the game we saw! It was lots of fun and something that is uncommon in Australia.
Finally it was time to return home from our travels, for me at least. Back in Denmark, we travelled to Legoland, Billund. Matthew was able to join us and we were both overjoyed to be visiting the famed Danish theme park. Yet another Danish bucket list item checked off. We all feel asleep on the way home, exhausted from our big day out. Another day pasted which my family spent at Tivoli, then it was time to say goodbye. After a few tears and hugs, I waved goodbye to my family once more however this time it was not so hard. I will see my family again soon, and I don't have to leave Denmark just yet.
Another town, another train. It seems as though the adventures never end.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
As I awoke, not even the sun had started to rise, the wind blowing hard and strong. I didn't know what to think as I rode my bike to the station, it was as if my mind was numb from the cold. Although it was early, I was wide awake, for the people I was about to meet I had not seen since I had left home. It was a strange feeling seeing my family again. As the walked through the gates at the airport I was happy to see them, but at the same time I was nervous. I had changed so much since the last time I was with them; I had grown as a person, experienced more than I ever had at home and started a new life without them. I had grown up. Luckily, they didn't seem to mind. The next three weeks were wonderful, spending time with my family and hearing of stories from home, however I have a newfound appreciation for my independence and self-responsibility here in Denmark.
To start my family's stay in Denmark, I decided to take them around my city, showing them as much as I could of the place I loved. To anyone coming to Copenhagen, a cannal tour is essential. Thankfully for us, the weather was clear and the trip was a relaxing way to see the city. In the afternoon, we visited Kronborg Castle, north of Copenhagen. Standing on the shoreline, the imposing fortress creates a strong medieval atmosphere, it is no wonder that Shakespeare set Hamlet there. These activities had both been on my 'bucket list' since the beginning of the year, therefore it was a great day for everyone. The following day I led my family on a city tour visiting places such as the Round Tower and Rosenborg Castle. It was a pleasure to have dinner with my second and third host families, however it was a little strange. That was where my two worlds met, casually chatting over flæskesteg (Danish roast pork, my personal favourite). On one side of the table sat my past, and on the other side my present. Not every exchange student will experience this, but for those that do, they will understand the feeling of being caught between two versions of yourself; one where you lived in your home country and one where you live abroad. It is wonderfully horrifying, as I know I will have to leave my fantasy behind soon and get back to reality. Tak to the Rasmussen family for being pleasant hosts, as well as the Damvig family for joining us. Finishing their first stay in Denmark, we caught a train to Odense in order to see Hans Christian Anderson's home town, before heading back to Copenhagen for dinner at Halifax, a Danish burger restaurant that was started by two exchange students. After three lovely days in Denmark, it was finally time to start travelling.
With my family, I was fortunate enough to see parts of all the Scandinavian countries as well as St Petersburg, Russia. Although similar, each city had a unique culture and heritage giving us an interesting insight to the lives of Scandinavians and Russians.
Our first stop (outside of Denmark) was Oslo, Norway; a pretty city in the middle of the Norwegian Fjords. As the capital of Norway, there are many important buildings and places throughout the city, and by taking a bike tour we were able to see these in the most Scandinavian way possible. With a few more hills than in Denmark, the ride was a little tiring but worth the effort. Two notable places we visited in Oslo were the Nobel Peace Centre and the Open Air Museum. The Nobel Peace Centre celebrates the great work of its inductees, who are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the city each year, unlike the other Noble prizes which are awarded in Stockholm. It was different to any museum I had seen before. In the late 19th century, the king of Norway decided he should preserve the many historical buildings scattered around the country in one park for future generations to admire and learn from. Thanks to this man's brilliant idea, the first open air museum was opened in Oslo, showcasing culturally significant buildings from as early as the 13th century. We greatly enjoyed this museum and the history it held within.
Whilst in Norway, we spend two days in Bergen and the fjords. In the middle of Norway, there is a route know as the Flåm Railway, notorious for its spectacular view of the surrounding cliffs. In the afternoon, we sailed through the fjords on a ferry, admiring the fjords; massive structures of nature's power and beauty. They were a breathtaking sight, with a calm chill in the air as we took in the large cliffs and smooth rivers.
Our next stop was Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm was a lovely but massive city. Starting our time here, we explored the old town on a tour with a local guide. Through this tour, we learnt about Sweden's history, which was largely tied with Denmark.Our guide told us the story of the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520, showing us there is always two sides to history; to the Danes it was seen as victory, to the Swedes it was a great tragedy. Stockholm is filled with museums, my two personal favourites were the ABBA and Vasa museums. The ABBA museum was an exciting place celebrating the extensive work of the Swedish pop group from the 1970's until today. Although the band is yet to reunite, they are still one of the most well known bands in the world today. My family loves ABBA and Mamma Mia, so to see this museum was a memorable experience. The Vasa museum is like a scene from a pirate film. The Vasa is a large war ship the sunk only 20 minutes into its maiden voyage in 1628. The 17th century ship was preserved in mud in Stockholm Harbour until it was uncovered almost 300 years later. Thankfully the mud has left the ship almost fully intact, and it was restored to its former glory in the museum, a spectacle for anyone who sees it. My mother was especially happy because we were able to see reindeer in an outdoor park, an animal unheard of in Australia apart from in Christmas stories.
Helsinki was a cold place with good sushi, but otherwise not all that much to do. Despite this, we were able to visit an old island war fortress on an known as Suomenlinna. The blistering winds and heavy fog set the mood for the isolated array of stone walls, battered buildings and heavy artillery. The most interesting part of this fortress was that it is still inhabited today by a few Finns. There is even a preschool for the local children.
Before returning to Denmark, we made our way to St Petersburg, Russia. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time here and am very grateful I now understand more about Russia after my visit. Our time in Russia was very busy and filled with fun, spending the first day on a guided tour of the Hermitage before going to a ballet in the evening. The Hermitage is a serious of buildings centred around the Winter Palace. The beautiful blue facade is only the beginning, with each of the rooms filled with artefacts from around the world. Paintings, christian relics and even a dog with Putin's face on it. There are over 6 million objects in the museums collection. Along with seeing the main points inside the palace we visited the section of the museum which holds many famous impressionist paintings. I enjoyed both the art and the architecture of this wing greatly. Russia is known for it's ballet, so my little sister, mother and I spent the evening watching Sleeping Beauty, wonderfully performed in a quaint, pretty theatre in the art square of the city. The next day we took a walking tour around the city, our guide leading us through the large city showing us the main, almost monstrous buildings throughout the city. The weather was nice and luckily it was not too cold. In the evening, we went to a hockey game between St Petersburg and Moscow. Russia has a strong national hockey team and half of the players were in the game we saw! It was lots of fun and something that is uncommon in Australia.
Finally it was time to return home from our travels, for me at least. Back in Denmark, we travelled to Legoland, Billund. Matthew was able to join us and we were both overjoyed to be visiting the famed Danish theme park. Yet another Danish bucket list item checked off. We all feel asleep on the way home, exhausted from our big day out. Another day pasted which my family spent at Tivoli, then it was time to say goodbye. After a few tears and hugs, I waved goodbye to my family once more however this time it was not so hard. I will see my family again soon, and I don't have to leave Denmark just yet.
Another town, another train. It seems as though the adventures never end.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
Mikaela
The third chapter; once upon a wishing bracelet - 18/9/2018
Godaften,
It has been 9 months since I boarded the fateful flight which would bring me to a strange place called Denmark far, far away from my comfortable yet rather boring life in Sydney. As I settle in with my third host family, now more than ever I can begin to realise the changes within myself that have taken place, as well as how lucky I am to be able to live overseas, experiencing everything that I have at a my age. I often forget I am only 16, for it feels like a lifetime has passed since I left home, and in that time I have matured, in some ways, beyond my years. I spent my childhood in Australia, but I grew up in Denmark.
When my host sister came home from her exchange in Argentina, she brought with her a few gifts for her friends and family. Among these, were little strips of coloured fabric from her trip to Brazil. These 'bracelets' come from a wishing well in Brazil, and you tie the fabric around your wrist in three knots. The idea behind the bracelet is that each time a knot is tied, a wish is made, and when the knot comes undone, that signifies that a wish has come true. I have worn mine now for a couple of months, the fabric tatty and almost falling apart. Two of the wished I made, both being quite cliched, were to have good luck and for me along with everyone around me to be happy, and although the knots have not untied, I believe both of these wishes have come true. My time in Denmark has been full of nothing but good luck and happiness, the beautiful memories of this place fill my mind each day. Maybe it was the wishing bracelet, maybe it wasn't, but no matter what, I have been blessed with a wonderful year so far.
On exchange you meet many different people, all with a story to tell. At a station on my way home, a man asked me to help him buy a ticket for the train. After helping him do so, we began talking and he told me how his family was in Iran but he was at university in Germany studying English. He was in Denmark visiting a childhood friend who had moved here. It may not have been intended as such, but he left me with some very good life advice to share with you. I can not remember his exact words however it went along the lines of 'This life we are given is complicated. Sometimes we have to do things for ourself.' He used these words in relation to having to leave his family to pursue his dream, and I believe this idea is very relevant to exchange. On exchange you leave behind one life in the hope of starting another overseas. In order to move forward, sometimes you must do what is best for yourself, such as looking for new experiences away from your family.
Unfortunately, amongst the happy, high points of exchange, there is the sad and low. My winter team is very close, and as we are a very small group, once one person goes home, it leaves large gap. In the last few weeks, both Isabel and Marcus have returned home. It is hard to say goodbye to a friend you do not know when you will see again, but this ending, whilst sad, is bittersweet; you may be far apart but the connection still remains. Good luck to each of you, may life bring you every happiness, and thank you for the wonderful memories.
For the second and final time, I have moved host families, and it was no easier this time than the last. The Rasmussen house easily became my home, a family I would never want to leave. The welcoming, calm and accepting environment within this family is overwhelming, and a place which I fitted into perfectly. I can not express my gratitude enough towards this beautiful family, and I will greatly miss living with them. I keep thinking about going home, however I don't mean going home to Australia anymore, it seems like I think back to my time with this family. Tusind, tusind, tusind tak to Annette, Gorm, Amanda, Annika and Max (as well as Anastasia) for everything, I could not have asked for a better host family to spend my summer with.
But now my next chapter starts with the Damvig family, and I look forward to spending my last few months with this lovely family.
This bracelet on my wrist may not be magic, but perhaps Denmark is.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
It has been 9 months since I boarded the fateful flight which would bring me to a strange place called Denmark far, far away from my comfortable yet rather boring life in Sydney. As I settle in with my third host family, now more than ever I can begin to realise the changes within myself that have taken place, as well as how lucky I am to be able to live overseas, experiencing everything that I have at a my age. I often forget I am only 16, for it feels like a lifetime has passed since I left home, and in that time I have matured, in some ways, beyond my years. I spent my childhood in Australia, but I grew up in Denmark.
When my host sister came home from her exchange in Argentina, she brought with her a few gifts for her friends and family. Among these, were little strips of coloured fabric from her trip to Brazil. These 'bracelets' come from a wishing well in Brazil, and you tie the fabric around your wrist in three knots. The idea behind the bracelet is that each time a knot is tied, a wish is made, and when the knot comes undone, that signifies that a wish has come true. I have worn mine now for a couple of months, the fabric tatty and almost falling apart. Two of the wished I made, both being quite cliched, were to have good luck and for me along with everyone around me to be happy, and although the knots have not untied, I believe both of these wishes have come true. My time in Denmark has been full of nothing but good luck and happiness, the beautiful memories of this place fill my mind each day. Maybe it was the wishing bracelet, maybe it wasn't, but no matter what, I have been blessed with a wonderful year so far.
On exchange you meet many different people, all with a story to tell. At a station on my way home, a man asked me to help him buy a ticket for the train. After helping him do so, we began talking and he told me how his family was in Iran but he was at university in Germany studying English. He was in Denmark visiting a childhood friend who had moved here. It may not have been intended as such, but he left me with some very good life advice to share with you. I can not remember his exact words however it went along the lines of 'This life we are given is complicated. Sometimes we have to do things for ourself.' He used these words in relation to having to leave his family to pursue his dream, and I believe this idea is very relevant to exchange. On exchange you leave behind one life in the hope of starting another overseas. In order to move forward, sometimes you must do what is best for yourself, such as looking for new experiences away from your family.
Unfortunately, amongst the happy, high points of exchange, there is the sad and low. My winter team is very close, and as we are a very small group, once one person goes home, it leaves large gap. In the last few weeks, both Isabel and Marcus have returned home. It is hard to say goodbye to a friend you do not know when you will see again, but this ending, whilst sad, is bittersweet; you may be far apart but the connection still remains. Good luck to each of you, may life bring you every happiness, and thank you for the wonderful memories.
For the second and final time, I have moved host families, and it was no easier this time than the last. The Rasmussen house easily became my home, a family I would never want to leave. The welcoming, calm and accepting environment within this family is overwhelming, and a place which I fitted into perfectly. I can not express my gratitude enough towards this beautiful family, and I will greatly miss living with them. I keep thinking about going home, however I don't mean going home to Australia anymore, it seems like I think back to my time with this family. Tusind, tusind, tusind tak to Annette, Gorm, Amanda, Annika and Max (as well as Anastasia) for everything, I could not have asked for a better host family to spend my summer with.
But now my next chapter starts with the Damvig family, and I look forward to spending my last few months with this lovely family.
This bracelet on my wrist may not be magic, but perhaps Denmark is.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
Mikaela
The winds of change are upon us 22/8/2018
Godaften,
As I write today, I face a startling reality; my time in Denmark is nearing its end. I have been pushing this thought from my mind for as long as I can, ignoring the plane ticket that will take me back to a place I once called home. However, it has reached the point where I must consider the large shift which will take place in January. I can not imagine the person who will step into my old life, but I know it is not the girl who left seven months ago.
Exchange students know this feeling of disbelief all too well, how could it all be ending? When you go on exchange, you start another life, building relationships with people and places far from your home, only to realise you have another. I have built myself a home in Denmark, and I don't want to leave.
A short time ago, I wrote about how life was like the falling snow. Now I can once again relate my emotions to the weather as a way for me to make sense of all that is happening in my life. Over the summer holidays, Denmark was uncharacteristically warm and sunny, the weather was beautiful as I travelled around Europe, as well as Copenhagen. But all good things must come to an end, and so the Danish summer has made way for autumn with its bitter winds. I wish the summer weather would have stayed a little longer, the sun smiling down upon my face, however I must accept that the nights are getting longer and clouds fill the sky. The weather, just as my state of being, may not have changed for the better but no matter what each day brings, I must appreciate it, rain, hail or shine.
Alas, this is not a time for sorrow and dread, much rather a time to fill with joyful memories of Denmark, family and friends, ensuring I make the most of these last months.
A lot of time has passed since I last wrote about my time here, and as usual, a whirlwind of events have taken place, including travelling to Zagreb, Croatia and Ljubljana, Slovenia with my host family, as well as Dresden, Germany for a Rotary summer camp. I visited Tivoli for the first time, dancing to Danish music at one of their Friday night concerts. Despite my slight nerves, I have successfully started high school, gaining new friendships and experiences. Alongside friends, I walked through Copenhagen in the Pride Parade, surrounded by a strong and empowered community coming together to celebrate.
I adore travelling, the feeling of being lost in another place and discovering new worlds unlike your own, therefore I could not have been happier when I was presented with the opportunity to do so over my holiday. Joining my host mother and sisters, I was fortunate enough to visit two wonderful cities I had never believed I would see. The capitals of Croatia and Slovenia were similar yet completely unique, each with its own style and way of life. The most memorable parts of my trip were being in the main square in Zagreb watching the World Cup final as Croatia beat England, visiting the Museum of Broken Relationships and watching an outdoor movie in Ljubljana Castle. If you ever have the chance to visit Zagreb, I urge you to go to the Museum of Broken Relationships. The museum holds a collection of objects people have donated as a way to release trapped emotions and share their story about a relationship which has ended. My favourite object was a small postcard which told the sad story of forbidden love between a boy and the girl next door. The following is the story which was submitted with the postcard; 'I am a 70-year-old woman from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. I visited Zagreb back in 1967 and the city is very close to my heart. When I found out from a local newspaper that there exists the Museum of Broken Relationships, I was sad and happy at the same time. This is a postcard that was inserted through the slit of my door a long time ago by our neighbours’ son. He had been in love with me for three years. Following the old Armenian tradition, his parents came to our home to ask for my hand. My parents refused saying that their son did not deserve me. They left angry and very disappointed. The same evening their son drove his car off a cliff...' Like many other objects in the museum it is bittersweet and full of emotion, a truly moving experience. Tusind tak to Annette, Anastasia, Amanda and Annika for a great trip.
Through Rotary, I was able to participate in a summer camp held in Dresden, Germany. Meeting people from around the world, swimming in a lake everyday and doing fun outdoor activities, making two weeks fly by. We became very close over the short time we spent together, the inside jokes and constant music made it even better. I have met countless people on exchange, however talking to such a diverse group of people was fascinating, especially because they were not exchange students but simply kids looking for a new experience. My stupendous luck with trains lead me on a 16 hour journey home, but it is in moments (or hours) like these I can reflect and appreciate the good times that took place in the weeks before. Tak to the Rotary Club of Freital and our camp leaders, as well the the 26 gorgeous people who made this camp amazing.
No matter where in the world I may be, Denmark will always be my second home. I will be counting up the days I have been in this wonderful country, not down.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
As I write today, I face a startling reality; my time in Denmark is nearing its end. I have been pushing this thought from my mind for as long as I can, ignoring the plane ticket that will take me back to a place I once called home. However, it has reached the point where I must consider the large shift which will take place in January. I can not imagine the person who will step into my old life, but I know it is not the girl who left seven months ago.
Exchange students know this feeling of disbelief all too well, how could it all be ending? When you go on exchange, you start another life, building relationships with people and places far from your home, only to realise you have another. I have built myself a home in Denmark, and I don't want to leave.
A short time ago, I wrote about how life was like the falling snow. Now I can once again relate my emotions to the weather as a way for me to make sense of all that is happening in my life. Over the summer holidays, Denmark was uncharacteristically warm and sunny, the weather was beautiful as I travelled around Europe, as well as Copenhagen. But all good things must come to an end, and so the Danish summer has made way for autumn with its bitter winds. I wish the summer weather would have stayed a little longer, the sun smiling down upon my face, however I must accept that the nights are getting longer and clouds fill the sky. The weather, just as my state of being, may not have changed for the better but no matter what each day brings, I must appreciate it, rain, hail or shine.
Alas, this is not a time for sorrow and dread, much rather a time to fill with joyful memories of Denmark, family and friends, ensuring I make the most of these last months.
A lot of time has passed since I last wrote about my time here, and as usual, a whirlwind of events have taken place, including travelling to Zagreb, Croatia and Ljubljana, Slovenia with my host family, as well as Dresden, Germany for a Rotary summer camp. I visited Tivoli for the first time, dancing to Danish music at one of their Friday night concerts. Despite my slight nerves, I have successfully started high school, gaining new friendships and experiences. Alongside friends, I walked through Copenhagen in the Pride Parade, surrounded by a strong and empowered community coming together to celebrate.
I adore travelling, the feeling of being lost in another place and discovering new worlds unlike your own, therefore I could not have been happier when I was presented with the opportunity to do so over my holiday. Joining my host mother and sisters, I was fortunate enough to visit two wonderful cities I had never believed I would see. The capitals of Croatia and Slovenia were similar yet completely unique, each with its own style and way of life. The most memorable parts of my trip were being in the main square in Zagreb watching the World Cup final as Croatia beat England, visiting the Museum of Broken Relationships and watching an outdoor movie in Ljubljana Castle. If you ever have the chance to visit Zagreb, I urge you to go to the Museum of Broken Relationships. The museum holds a collection of objects people have donated as a way to release trapped emotions and share their story about a relationship which has ended. My favourite object was a small postcard which told the sad story of forbidden love between a boy and the girl next door. The following is the story which was submitted with the postcard; 'I am a 70-year-old woman from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. I visited Zagreb back in 1967 and the city is very close to my heart. When I found out from a local newspaper that there exists the Museum of Broken Relationships, I was sad and happy at the same time. This is a postcard that was inserted through the slit of my door a long time ago by our neighbours’ son. He had been in love with me for three years. Following the old Armenian tradition, his parents came to our home to ask for my hand. My parents refused saying that their son did not deserve me. They left angry and very disappointed. The same evening their son drove his car off a cliff...' Like many other objects in the museum it is bittersweet and full of emotion, a truly moving experience. Tusind tak to Annette, Anastasia, Amanda and Annika for a great trip.
Through Rotary, I was able to participate in a summer camp held in Dresden, Germany. Meeting people from around the world, swimming in a lake everyday and doing fun outdoor activities, making two weeks fly by. We became very close over the short time we spent together, the inside jokes and constant music made it even better. I have met countless people on exchange, however talking to such a diverse group of people was fascinating, especially because they were not exchange students but simply kids looking for a new experience. My stupendous luck with trains lead me on a 16 hour journey home, but it is in moments (or hours) like these I can reflect and appreciate the good times that took place in the weeks before. Tak to the Rotary Club of Freital and our camp leaders, as well the the 26 gorgeous people who made this camp amazing.
No matter where in the world I may be, Denmark will always be my second home. I will be counting up the days I have been in this wonderful country, not down.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
Mikaela
Godaften,
Eurotour was the best three weeks of my exchange so far, for sure. Obviously, I have enjoyed my time in Denmark so much, and there are memories I have made and shared here I will never forget, however, Eurotour was a once in a life time experience that I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in. I met some amazing people and saw places I had only dreamed of, each with its own culture and history.
Berlin, Germany
Hopes were high as we begun our journey, Latin music playing through the bus and an excited buzz of chatter. Taking the ferry across to Germany, I was very happy to begin my trip around Europe. I had been awaiting this day for months, and it was finally here, surrounded by friends from around the world. A few hours later we arrived at the Olympic stadium in Berlin from 1936, took a group photo then headed straight to our hostel in central Berlin. During our time in Berlin, we took a tour of the city, visiting the remains of the Berlin Wall including the East Side Gallery, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Brandenburg Gate. We learnt to use our free time wisely because this was a chance we may not get again.
On our way to Prague, we had our lunch break in the city of Dresden which I will be returning to shortly for my Rotary summer camp. The city was extremely charming with a traditional German touch, and good ice-cream.
After Dresden, we stopped at the most confronting place on our tour. If you know the story of World War II, you would know of the thousands of lives who perished under the Nazi regime, and the terrible concentration camps which were set up as part of Hitler's reign. Our visit to Theresienstadt concentration camp put a solemn halt on our cheerful mood as we remembered that not all parts of history are good and the effect of the war is still prevent today.
Eurotour was the best three weeks of my exchange so far, for sure. Obviously, I have enjoyed my time in Denmark so much, and there are memories I have made and shared here I will never forget, however, Eurotour was a once in a life time experience that I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in. I met some amazing people and saw places I had only dreamed of, each with its own culture and history.
Berlin, Germany
Hopes were high as we begun our journey, Latin music playing through the bus and an excited buzz of chatter. Taking the ferry across to Germany, I was very happy to begin my trip around Europe. I had been awaiting this day for months, and it was finally here, surrounded by friends from around the world. A few hours later we arrived at the Olympic stadium in Berlin from 1936, took a group photo then headed straight to our hostel in central Berlin. During our time in Berlin, we took a tour of the city, visiting the remains of the Berlin Wall including the East Side Gallery, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Brandenburg Gate. We learnt to use our free time wisely because this was a chance we may not get again.
On our way to Prague, we had our lunch break in the city of Dresden which I will be returning to shortly for my Rotary summer camp. The city was extremely charming with a traditional German touch, and good ice-cream.
After Dresden, we stopped at the most confronting place on our tour. If you know the story of World War II, you would know of the thousands of lives who perished under the Nazi regime, and the terrible concentration camps which were set up as part of Hitler's reign. Our visit to Theresienstadt concentration camp put a solemn halt on our cheerful mood as we remembered that not all parts of history are good and the effect of the war is still prevent today.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague was weird. I think that is the best way to describe the eccentric city with its pretty buildings and massive castle, bottles of absinth and men with pythons. We spent half a day in Prague Castle, the biggest castle in Europe, and it was absolutely amazing. I adore castles, so this quickly became one of my favourite places on Eurotour. Together, we walked to the Charles Bridge and enjoyed the view with the city infront of us and the castle behind. Continuing our little tour, we walked to the Astronomical Clock in the city centre. Free time lead to a much needed cool drink in Starbucks and more ice-cream as we explored the city centre.
Prague was weird. I think that is the best way to describe the eccentric city with its pretty buildings and massive castle, bottles of absinth and men with pythons. We spent half a day in Prague Castle, the biggest castle in Europe, and it was absolutely amazing. I adore castles, so this quickly became one of my favourite places on Eurotour. Together, we walked to the Charles Bridge and enjoyed the view with the city infront of us and the castle behind. Continuing our little tour, we walked to the Astronomical Clock in the city centre. Free time lead to a much needed cool drink in Starbucks and more ice-cream as we explored the city centre.
Vienna, Austria
I don't know what it is, but no matter where you go in Vienna, it is grand. Starting our time in the lovely city, we visited the Schönbrunn Palace, the old summer residence of the Austrian Royal family and Austrian Versailles. It sits outside the city and after a long walk up a big hill through the gardens, you are able to see all of Vienna laid out before you. That evening, we watched a classical concert, listening to the works of Mozart and Strauss. It was most enjoyable. The next day we walked around the city to see some of the more well know buildings of Vienna, including St Stephen's Church. The heat was getting the better of us, so Matthew, Issa, Nathan and I decided the Natural History Museum was our next stop. Greeted by rooms full of crystals and precious stones, along with fossils and taxidermy, the cool break was much needed and appreciated. I would love to go back to Vienna and explore the many other museums and sites.
A quick trip to Lush (which had been greatly missed by Issa and I in Denmark) and we were set for Italy!
I don't know what it is, but no matter where you go in Vienna, it is grand. Starting our time in the lovely city, we visited the Schönbrunn Palace, the old summer residence of the Austrian Royal family and Austrian Versailles. It sits outside the city and after a long walk up a big hill through the gardens, you are able to see all of Vienna laid out before you. That evening, we watched a classical concert, listening to the works of Mozart and Strauss. It was most enjoyable. The next day we walked around the city to see some of the more well know buildings of Vienna, including St Stephen's Church. The heat was getting the better of us, so Matthew, Issa, Nathan and I decided the Natural History Museum was our next stop. Greeted by rooms full of crystals and precious stones, along with fossils and taxidermy, the cool break was much needed and appreciated. I would love to go back to Vienna and explore the many other museums and sites.
A quick trip to Lush (which had been greatly missed by Issa and I in Denmark) and we were set for Italy!
Lido di Jesolo, Italy
Almost everyone will agree that Lido di Jesolo and Venice were some of, if not the best places we visited. Lido di Jesolo is a small beach holiday town outside of Venice, a relaxed stop in our busy schedule. Our day trip to Venice left us amazed, the beautiful modern Atlantis. The gondola ride set a peaceful mood; no matter how touristy this tradition may be, it was well worth it. Whether its the high class shops or waterside cafes, Venice has something for everyone to enjoy. Venice was a dream come true.
After a busy trip and a lot of walking the day before, we finally had some time to relax on the beach. With sunburnt skin, we played all day in the fabulous weather, the sun high above us. The water was cool, the sand was hot, and the smiles were wide. By this point on our tour, everyone had grown closer together so spending a whole day among friends was perfect.
The following day we drove through Verona, a small town famous for its Shakespearean ties. In a small courtyard, Juliet's balcony sits and despite the crowds there is an eerie sense of a fairytale from long ago. With another stop at Lush, a taste test of hot chip pizza and more gelato, we were on our way once more.
Almost everyone will agree that Lido di Jesolo and Venice were some of, if not the best places we visited. Lido di Jesolo is a small beach holiday town outside of Venice, a relaxed stop in our busy schedule. Our day trip to Venice left us amazed, the beautiful modern Atlantis. The gondola ride set a peaceful mood; no matter how touristy this tradition may be, it was well worth it. Whether its the high class shops or waterside cafes, Venice has something for everyone to enjoy. Venice was a dream come true.
After a busy trip and a lot of walking the day before, we finally had some time to relax on the beach. With sunburnt skin, we played all day in the fabulous weather, the sun high above us. The water was cool, the sand was hot, and the smiles were wide. By this point on our tour, everyone had grown closer together so spending a whole day among friends was perfect.
The following day we drove through Verona, a small town famous for its Shakespearean ties. In a small courtyard, Juliet's balcony sits and despite the crowds there is an eerie sense of a fairytale from long ago. With another stop at Lush, a taste test of hot chip pizza and more gelato, we were on our way once more.
Middle of Nowhere, Italy
Due to the long driving distance, we spent one night at a hotel in the middle of the country side, then drove through Nice to get to Avignon. Nice was another relaxed stop with salty sea air settling over the city. Gabe and I soaked up some more sun at the beach, some kids were brave enough to get into the cold water. I collected some sea glass for my blazer, a pretty reminder of a pretty town. A quick Maccas run (for those non-australian's, McDonald's) for some lunch before heading straight on to Avignon.
Due to the long driving distance, we spent one night at a hotel in the middle of the country side, then drove through Nice to get to Avignon. Nice was another relaxed stop with salty sea air settling over the city. Gabe and I soaked up some more sun at the beach, some kids were brave enough to get into the cold water. I collected some sea glass for my blazer, a pretty reminder of a pretty town. A quick Maccas run (for those non-australian's, McDonald's) for some lunch before heading straight on to Avignon.
Avignon, France
Eating in a 50's themed American dinner, playing pool and bowling, along with visiting the small, yet historic town of Avignon was our first real experience of France on the tour. Although not French, the food at Tommy's Dinner was pretty good and presented us with a homey atmosphere after a long day of driving. The next day we visited the city centre, with its massive fortress which once housed the Pope and quaint streets. Gabe, Melina, Sarah and I decided to sit in a small park for lunch, and although nothing much happened I will remember that moment for years to come. I was in the south of France, with new friends, enjoying cold drinks and taking polaroid pictures.
Eating in a 50's themed American dinner, playing pool and bowling, along with visiting the small, yet historic town of Avignon was our first real experience of France on the tour. Although not French, the food at Tommy's Dinner was pretty good and presented us with a homey atmosphere after a long day of driving. The next day we visited the city centre, with its massive fortress which once housed the Pope and quaint streets. Gabe, Melina, Sarah and I decided to sit in a small park for lunch, and although nothing much happened I will remember that moment for years to come. I was in the south of France, with new friends, enjoying cold drinks and taking polaroid pictures.
Paris, France
Despite the rain, Paris was magical. The city of light and love, full of some of the most famous sites in the world. There is a reason almost everyone dreams of visiting Paris. On our first evening, we took a boat along the Seine River, experiencing Paris from the calm atmosphere of the canals, then climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, overlooking a glistening city that went on for what seemed like forever.
The next day was full of exploring the streets of Paris. Starting our day at the Arch de Triumph then strolling down the Champs Elysees, before walking to the Louvre and along the Seine River. David, Nathan and I enjoyed crepes in a small local cafe, topped with chocolate and cream. To finish our day, our group met at the Notre Dame Cathedral, its imposing figure standing upon one of the islands in Paris. The day ended with a sprint to a camera store, a game of ping pong and a nice meal. Now we were ready for another day of adventures.
Our final day in Paris allowed us to see both the Louvre and Paris Disneyland. I though the task could not be done, but the day was a huge success and everyone had a wonderful, if not magical time. Lining up to enter the Louvre in light rain was not the best start, but one inside the enormous building it didn't matter. Heading straight to the Mona Lisa, we saw art like never before. Her lack of size was interesting but it was more about the experience than the artwork itself. My personal favourite painting is the The Coronation of Napoleon and my favourite sculpture is Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. After looking at marble sculptures, ancient Egyptian relics and grand paintings, it was time for Disneyland. A quick note for anyone visiting the Louvre; there is a great exhibit about the Louvre itself and the story behind the building, so I highly recommend looking at this if you have time.
Donning Mickey Mouse ear the sun had begun to shine once again and it was a mad rush of trying to get on as many rides as possible. For many of our group it was there first time in Disneyland, so it was very cute to see them so excited. It was a great way to end our time in Paris.
Before arriving in The Netherlands, we briefly stopped in Brussels, Belgium. I would have liked to stay a little bit longer here, with the quirky, unique boutiques striking a lot of interest for Issa and I. Our councillors we very nice and gave us all proper Belgian waffles before we got back on the bus bound for Doorwerth, in the east of Holland.
Despite the rain, Paris was magical. The city of light and love, full of some of the most famous sites in the world. There is a reason almost everyone dreams of visiting Paris. On our first evening, we took a boat along the Seine River, experiencing Paris from the calm atmosphere of the canals, then climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, overlooking a glistening city that went on for what seemed like forever.
The next day was full of exploring the streets of Paris. Starting our day at the Arch de Triumph then strolling down the Champs Elysees, before walking to the Louvre and along the Seine River. David, Nathan and I enjoyed crepes in a small local cafe, topped with chocolate and cream. To finish our day, our group met at the Notre Dame Cathedral, its imposing figure standing upon one of the islands in Paris. The day ended with a sprint to a camera store, a game of ping pong and a nice meal. Now we were ready for another day of adventures.
Our final day in Paris allowed us to see both the Louvre and Paris Disneyland. I though the task could not be done, but the day was a huge success and everyone had a wonderful, if not magical time. Lining up to enter the Louvre in light rain was not the best start, but one inside the enormous building it didn't matter. Heading straight to the Mona Lisa, we saw art like never before. Her lack of size was interesting but it was more about the experience than the artwork itself. My personal favourite painting is the The Coronation of Napoleon and my favourite sculpture is Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. After looking at marble sculptures, ancient Egyptian relics and grand paintings, it was time for Disneyland. A quick note for anyone visiting the Louvre; there is a great exhibit about the Louvre itself and the story behind the building, so I highly recommend looking at this if you have time.
Donning Mickey Mouse ear the sun had begun to shine once again and it was a mad rush of trying to get on as many rides as possible. For many of our group it was there first time in Disneyland, so it was very cute to see them so excited. It was a great way to end our time in Paris.
Before arriving in The Netherlands, we briefly stopped in Brussels, Belgium. I would have liked to stay a little bit longer here, with the quirky, unique boutiques striking a lot of interest for Issa and I. Our councillors we very nice and gave us all proper Belgian waffles before we got back on the bus bound for Doorwerth, in the east of Holland.
Doorwerth, Amsterdam
The Netherlands held an eerie resemblance to our home in Denmark. We stayed on the east side of the country and travelled into Amsterdam for a day. Beginning with a canal tour we spent the day strolling through narrow streets and avoiding some of the more scandalous parts of the red light district.
Unfortunately it was time to end our trip, and so with a quiz from Glen, a small dance party and roasting marshmallows over a fire together it was time to pack our bags one last time.
The next day we drove home and although it had been so good, saying goodbye to so many friends was hard. Many of these people we will never see again, but at least we had shared countless good times together over the tour.
The Netherlands held an eerie resemblance to our home in Denmark. We stayed on the east side of the country and travelled into Amsterdam for a day. Beginning with a canal tour we spent the day strolling through narrow streets and avoiding some of the more scandalous parts of the red light district.
Unfortunately it was time to end our trip, and so with a quiz from Glen, a small dance party and roasting marshmallows over a fire together it was time to pack our bags one last time.
The next day we drove home and although it had been so good, saying goodbye to so many friends was hard. Many of these people we will never see again, but at least we had shared countless good times together over the tour.
This is only a brief overview of the time we had on Eurotour, it is simply not possible to recount all the stories and adventures from those spectacular 18 days. Tusind tak to our bus driver Carsten, our gorgeous counsellors Juila and Anne-Sophie, and our tour leader Glen, as well as everyone in Rotary who organised this tour. I cannot thank them enough for the effort they put in to make it as good as it was, I am forever grateful.
I will not forget this adventure, but now it is time for another one to begin.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
I will not forget this adventure, but now it is time for another one to begin.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
Mikaela
The second chapter; of beginnings and ends 22/5/2018
Godaften,
Exchange is a very strange emotional experience. Even though I may not be an emotional person, I have still felt the ever-changing way my mind processes events and the emotional toll it holds over me.
I came to this realisation about two weeks ago, when the daunting reality that I would have to change host families set in. Over four months I had become a part of the Stevnsborg family, and having to leave it all behind was not easy. When I left home, I knew I would be going back soon, there was no need to be unhappy. However, leaving a host family on exchange means you will not be going back, and this is a tough mental challenge that all students will face at least once on exchange. Even though I will visit the Stevnsborg's again, it will not be the same, and it is an unfortunate reality. I can not thank them enough for their generosity, kindness and acceptance of me into their home. Tusind tak Lene, Jen, Louise and Daniel for everything.
As the first chapter of my exchange draws to a close, I begin a new one with the Rasmussen family. I can already see the difference in lifestyle between my two families and it is very interesting to have the opportunity to experience this. Life with the Rasmussen's will be casual busyness, I can't wait.
As the weather in Denmark has improved immensely, the Danes have come out of hibernation and into the lovely Spring time sun. This has provided me with a lot of chances to go out and enjoy Copenhagen. It would be impossible for me to mention everything I have done over the past weeks but I will highlight some of the most exciting activities below.
On the 14th of April, we celebrated Gorm's 50th birthday (tillykke med fødselsdag!) by having a hygge dinner with the whole family. It was great being able to spend the day with my extended host family. I also had dinner with my third host family, the Damvig family.
Jan and Lene took me to possibly the most bogan place in all of Denmark, a tractor pulling event in the countryside of Zealand. The premise of the event was tractors pulling a weight over a certain distance. With tractor smoke, Danish pølser and a lot of beer, it was one place I will not forget.
As reward for my påske gækkebrev, Ninette and Stig took me to see Avengers Infinity War. As a dedicated Marvel fan, it was a fantastic movie and getting to see it on the release day was extra special.
Around Copenhagen in the spring the cherry blossom trees bloom, and a sakura festival is held in a park where 200 cherry blossom trees stand. Macy and I went to visit the festival, eating sushi and taking plenty of pictures with the pretty scenery.
My 16th birthday was on the 3rd of May, so I was able to celebrate by having dinner with my three host families and Ninette and Stig. We had dinner together and I was able to experience the Danish birthday song once more. I find this song very amusing as you select three instruments and pretend to play them at different times in the song. The day after, Matthew and my exchange friends had set up a small picnic in Botanisk Have before we went on a Rotary sailing trip with my district. It was a lovely way to spend the morning, and sailing was most enjoyable. The water was calm and although my steering is yet to be perfected, my team with the help of our skipper Laurits had a lovely time.
Macy and I were very excited when we found Copenhagen held an annual Comic-Con, and we had a great time experiencing the nerdier and geekier side of Denmark. We heard from Pilou Asbæk, a well-known Danish actor who most recently plays a character in Game of Thrones. He had a typical Danish sense of humour, therefore was very entertaining.
As a last family activity before I moved, the Stevnsborg's and I visited Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the world. Taking a horse and carriage ride to the park, Louise and I went on the rides and played games with Daniel, enjoying the afternoon. Tak for en hyggelig dag Lousie, Daniel, Lene and Jan.
The first day with the Rasmussen's, we travelled with their family friends to Møns Klimt, a famous beach in Denmark. Similar to Stevns Klimt which I visited at the beginning of the year, the beach has large, white chalk cliffs which make it a pretty sight. The staircase was tiring but it was worth it to see the gorgeous sight.
I am glad to announce I have had a personal victory; my braces were removed last Thursday! I am now happily braces free, enjoying the ease and comfort of life without them.
Tomorrow I leave for Eurotour, an exciting experience that has been long awaited among all exchange students in Denmark. 18 days of non-stop discovery, cultural immersion and fun, it will be some of the best weeks of my exchange for sure.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
Exchange is a very strange emotional experience. Even though I may not be an emotional person, I have still felt the ever-changing way my mind processes events and the emotional toll it holds over me.
I came to this realisation about two weeks ago, when the daunting reality that I would have to change host families set in. Over four months I had become a part of the Stevnsborg family, and having to leave it all behind was not easy. When I left home, I knew I would be going back soon, there was no need to be unhappy. However, leaving a host family on exchange means you will not be going back, and this is a tough mental challenge that all students will face at least once on exchange. Even though I will visit the Stevnsborg's again, it will not be the same, and it is an unfortunate reality. I can not thank them enough for their generosity, kindness and acceptance of me into their home. Tusind tak Lene, Jen, Louise and Daniel for everything.
As the first chapter of my exchange draws to a close, I begin a new one with the Rasmussen family. I can already see the difference in lifestyle between my two families and it is very interesting to have the opportunity to experience this. Life with the Rasmussen's will be casual busyness, I can't wait.
As the weather in Denmark has improved immensely, the Danes have come out of hibernation and into the lovely Spring time sun. This has provided me with a lot of chances to go out and enjoy Copenhagen. It would be impossible for me to mention everything I have done over the past weeks but I will highlight some of the most exciting activities below.
On the 14th of April, we celebrated Gorm's 50th birthday (tillykke med fødselsdag!) by having a hygge dinner with the whole family. It was great being able to spend the day with my extended host family. I also had dinner with my third host family, the Damvig family.
Jan and Lene took me to possibly the most bogan place in all of Denmark, a tractor pulling event in the countryside of Zealand. The premise of the event was tractors pulling a weight over a certain distance. With tractor smoke, Danish pølser and a lot of beer, it was one place I will not forget.
As reward for my påske gækkebrev, Ninette and Stig took me to see Avengers Infinity War. As a dedicated Marvel fan, it was a fantastic movie and getting to see it on the release day was extra special.
Around Copenhagen in the spring the cherry blossom trees bloom, and a sakura festival is held in a park where 200 cherry blossom trees stand. Macy and I went to visit the festival, eating sushi and taking plenty of pictures with the pretty scenery.
My 16th birthday was on the 3rd of May, so I was able to celebrate by having dinner with my three host families and Ninette and Stig. We had dinner together and I was able to experience the Danish birthday song once more. I find this song very amusing as you select three instruments and pretend to play them at different times in the song. The day after, Matthew and my exchange friends had set up a small picnic in Botanisk Have before we went on a Rotary sailing trip with my district. It was a lovely way to spend the morning, and sailing was most enjoyable. The water was calm and although my steering is yet to be perfected, my team with the help of our skipper Laurits had a lovely time.
Macy and I were very excited when we found Copenhagen held an annual Comic-Con, and we had a great time experiencing the nerdier and geekier side of Denmark. We heard from Pilou Asbæk, a well-known Danish actor who most recently plays a character in Game of Thrones. He had a typical Danish sense of humour, therefore was very entertaining.
As a last family activity before I moved, the Stevnsborg's and I visited Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the world. Taking a horse and carriage ride to the park, Louise and I went on the rides and played games with Daniel, enjoying the afternoon. Tak for en hyggelig dag Lousie, Daniel, Lene and Jan.
The first day with the Rasmussen's, we travelled with their family friends to Møns Klimt, a famous beach in Denmark. Similar to Stevns Klimt which I visited at the beginning of the year, the beach has large, white chalk cliffs which make it a pretty sight. The staircase was tiring but it was worth it to see the gorgeous sight.
I am glad to announce I have had a personal victory; my braces were removed last Thursday! I am now happily braces free, enjoying the ease and comfort of life without them.
Tomorrow I leave for Eurotour, an exciting experience that has been long awaited among all exchange students in Denmark. 18 days of non-stop discovery, cultural immersion and fun, it will be some of the best weeks of my exchange for sure.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
A smile across sunburnt cheeks 13/4/18
Godaften,
Spring has arrived at last, with the sun shining over Copenhagen in all its glory. The warm weather is a welcome change, however it is strange to think 13 degrees is warm, especially since I grew up in Australia.
Spring could not have come at a better time.
Påske (Easter) in Denmark is full of small traditions, with day long lunches and gækkebrev. I started my Easter weekended by having brunch and going bowling with Lousie and Daniel. My skills were a little rusty however Daniel did amazingly well and floored Lousie and I (I don't remember how many strikes he managed!). I then stayed the with Annette, Gorm and Annika for the weekend, enjoying many walks with Max, sightseeing and baking endeavours. Saturday morning everyone got up early ready to take the train from Taastrup to Odense than Esbjerg. Our first stop, Odense, was the town where Hans Christian Andersen grew up. Around the city are different places significant to H.C. Andersen such as the house he was born, where he lived for a large part of his childhood and a school he attended, as well as the museum dedicated to him. The quaint, colourful houses along the old streets would have provided much inspiration for a child who would later go on to write some of the most well-known fairytales in history. In Esbjerg (a town on the west coast of Denmark) are four large, concrete statues of seated men looking out over the sea. Personally, I found the statues really creepy, all identical with large blank expressions, however it was definitely somewhere that I had to see whilst in Denmark. We finished off the evening with asian food and massive soft drinks before taking the train back home. It took us just over 3 hours to get from one side of Denmark to the other, which is hard to believe seen as in Australia you wouldn't be across NSW in that time, that is more like the time it takes to get around Sydney in traffic. Sunday was full of making cheesecake and small chocolate biscuit treats ready for påskefrokost that evening, before Annette took me to visit the KØS museum in Køge. The museum holds the designs for tapestries that were made for the queen for her 50th birthday outlining the history of Denmark. They are incredibly detailed, and Annette and I enjoyed reading about each painting. I was able to meet Gorm's side of the family at the easter dinner, as well as my older host sister, enjoying the atmosphere of a Danish påskefrokost. Påskefrokost (although at dinner time) is more of a concept rather than an event; certain dishes are eaten and it is always held with family. It is a very hygge time of year. One last tradition I should mention is gækkebrev. Once the snowbells being to bloom, a it is a Danish tradition to cut a piece of paper into a pretty shape, then write a small poem on the paper. The gækkebrev is sent to someone with a snowbell, and the receiver must guess who has sent it before Easter, otherwise they must give the sender a påskeæg. The only way to know who sent it is by leaving the correct amount of dots for your name. I sent one to Stig (with Lene's help) and although it is fun to get chocolate (tak Stig!) the tradition itself is very cute.
Op-shopping is very popular amoung young people in Copenhagen, and I now understand why. Copenhagen has a lot of very good second-hand stores across the city. Macy and I were both interested in going to one, so on Tuesday afternoon we hopped on over to Episode near Vesterpørt station. I highly recommend doing this, especially for exchange students. Not only is it a lot of fun, I was able to find a pair of Levi's which I saved a lot of money on. I know I will be going back very soon. On Sunday, Macy and I also visited the Zoologisk Have or Copenhagen Zoo. The sun was shining as we walked around the zoo, looking at the different animals, such as the flamingos, polar bears and otters. It was a lovely day, the weather could not have been more perfect and we even had ice-cream.
My Rotary Club held a hyttetur on Friday night, which is almost a school camp for adults. We stayed in a lodge in the countryside, cooking, eating, drinking and talking for most of the night. Danes have mastered the art of hygge, making a fancy table setting and lighting many candles, setting the mood for the evening. The place was very pretty, and I am glad I was able to spend time with my club. Tak for everything Høje Taastrup Rotary.
Nearly three months have passed, and I do not regret going on exchange at all. Denmark fits me perfectly, and with friends by my side, summer should be amazing, especially as Eurotour is just around the corner!
Venlig hilson,
Mikaela
Spring has arrived at last, with the sun shining over Copenhagen in all its glory. The warm weather is a welcome change, however it is strange to think 13 degrees is warm, especially since I grew up in Australia.
Spring could not have come at a better time.
Påske (Easter) in Denmark is full of small traditions, with day long lunches and gækkebrev. I started my Easter weekended by having brunch and going bowling with Lousie and Daniel. My skills were a little rusty however Daniel did amazingly well and floored Lousie and I (I don't remember how many strikes he managed!). I then stayed the with Annette, Gorm and Annika for the weekend, enjoying many walks with Max, sightseeing and baking endeavours. Saturday morning everyone got up early ready to take the train from Taastrup to Odense than Esbjerg. Our first stop, Odense, was the town where Hans Christian Andersen grew up. Around the city are different places significant to H.C. Andersen such as the house he was born, where he lived for a large part of his childhood and a school he attended, as well as the museum dedicated to him. The quaint, colourful houses along the old streets would have provided much inspiration for a child who would later go on to write some of the most well-known fairytales in history. In Esbjerg (a town on the west coast of Denmark) are four large, concrete statues of seated men looking out over the sea. Personally, I found the statues really creepy, all identical with large blank expressions, however it was definitely somewhere that I had to see whilst in Denmark. We finished off the evening with asian food and massive soft drinks before taking the train back home. It took us just over 3 hours to get from one side of Denmark to the other, which is hard to believe seen as in Australia you wouldn't be across NSW in that time, that is more like the time it takes to get around Sydney in traffic. Sunday was full of making cheesecake and small chocolate biscuit treats ready for påskefrokost that evening, before Annette took me to visit the KØS museum in Køge. The museum holds the designs for tapestries that were made for the queen for her 50th birthday outlining the history of Denmark. They are incredibly detailed, and Annette and I enjoyed reading about each painting. I was able to meet Gorm's side of the family at the easter dinner, as well as my older host sister, enjoying the atmosphere of a Danish påskefrokost. Påskefrokost (although at dinner time) is more of a concept rather than an event; certain dishes are eaten and it is always held with family. It is a very hygge time of year. One last tradition I should mention is gækkebrev. Once the snowbells being to bloom, a it is a Danish tradition to cut a piece of paper into a pretty shape, then write a small poem on the paper. The gækkebrev is sent to someone with a snowbell, and the receiver must guess who has sent it before Easter, otherwise they must give the sender a påskeæg. The only way to know who sent it is by leaving the correct amount of dots for your name. I sent one to Stig (with Lene's help) and although it is fun to get chocolate (tak Stig!) the tradition itself is very cute.
Op-shopping is very popular amoung young people in Copenhagen, and I now understand why. Copenhagen has a lot of very good second-hand stores across the city. Macy and I were both interested in going to one, so on Tuesday afternoon we hopped on over to Episode near Vesterpørt station. I highly recommend doing this, especially for exchange students. Not only is it a lot of fun, I was able to find a pair of Levi's which I saved a lot of money on. I know I will be going back very soon. On Sunday, Macy and I also visited the Zoologisk Have or Copenhagen Zoo. The sun was shining as we walked around the zoo, looking at the different animals, such as the flamingos, polar bears and otters. It was a lovely day, the weather could not have been more perfect and we even had ice-cream.
My Rotary Club held a hyttetur on Friday night, which is almost a school camp for adults. We stayed in a lodge in the countryside, cooking, eating, drinking and talking for most of the night. Danes have mastered the art of hygge, making a fancy table setting and lighting many candles, setting the mood for the evening. The place was very pretty, and I am glad I was able to spend time with my club. Tak for everything Høje Taastrup Rotary.
Nearly three months have passed, and I do not regret going on exchange at all. Denmark fits me perfectly, and with friends by my side, summer should be amazing, especially as Eurotour is just around the corner!
Venlig hilson,
Mikaela
A few small videos;
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Daniel showing off his skills
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The tapestry room in KØS museum
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Safari feeding time
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The little otters
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The sea lions
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The baby goats
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Life like the falling snow 21/3/18
Godaften,
As it would seem, yesterday marked two months after my arrival in Denmark. Time is no longer a concept here, whilst a day may be long, these past two months have gone by so fast, and yet I feel as though I have been living in Denmark a lifetime. It is spring time now, and although the warmer weather is yet to arrive, the sun shines high in the sky all day long. I can look forward to the many 'warm' months ahead.
Before I talk about the various adventures and activities which have taken place over the last weeks, I should explain the title of this post and what meaning it has to me. Throughout February, snow fell quite frequently which I enjoyed greatly. After some thinking, I came to the conclusion that snow was the perfect analogy for my experiences on exchange so far. The snow fell on roughly a three day cycle; day one was when it fell, day two was when it began to melt, day three was when it turned to ice, then the cycle repeated. I often experience a similar cycle of emotions between days. On the first day, I am very happy and calm, I can enjoy and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to come to a wonderful country like Denmark. This is like the beautiful snow falling over the town. On the second day, I am still quite happy although may be a little tired and by the evening simply would like to rest (exchange is very tiring sometimes). This is like the melting snow, still pretty but fading into dirty ice around the edges of the footpath. On the third day, I am okay, but need to work hard to get motivated and often face the lower points of my emotional state on this day. This is like the snow that has now turned into ice; it has become hard to walk on and it is easy to fall down. Then the snow falls once more, and the cycle repeats. Everyone will experience different emotional changes on their exchange, but I hope this offers some insight for future or current exchange students.
Now, onto the fun stuff.
As I have learned the Danes love their taxidermy, a lot. So, one afternoon Lousie and I visited the Zoologisk Museum where many stuffed animals are displayed along with fossils and bones. It is an interesting place; I never thought I would see a preserved whale heart or touch a taxidermy isbjørn (polar bear). Although nothing will compare to Mogens' deer which hangs proudly over the living room in Matthew's host family's house.
As Jan and Lene went away briefly to France, I was able to spend the weekend (March 8 - 11) with my second host family. It was a delightfully busy weekend, starting by visiting the Botanisk Have, or the Copenhagen Botanic Garden with Annika on Friday afternoon and going on a long hunt to find earrings, exploring many different shops in Copenhagen. The greenhouse is truly astonishing and very pretty, I know I will be visiting it again. On Saturday, Annette, Annika and I did a yoga class together which was plenty of fun despite my terrible balance and coordination. Annette's sister and niece celebrated their birthdays that evening, and it was lovely to meet my extended host family. Little Danish flags hung around the dining room, a tradition that I find both very Danish and sweet. On Sunday, Annette's sister and daughters joined us once again to go iceskating. I can't wait to live with them. Tak to Annette, Gorm, Annika and Max for a lovely weekend.
My class was able to visit the Staten's Museum for Kunst as part of a school project, looking at the Danish art featured in the gallery. I do not know much about Danish art, so this was a wonderful cultural experience for me. After visiting the gallery, I went to the Tøjhusmuseet, or the Royal Danish Arsenal Museum with the Rotary kids in my language school. The museum is in a massive old building in the centre of Copenhagen, and the exhibit we visited was about Danish troops in Afghanistan. The work that had gone into the exhibit was exceptional, even the dirt had been flown in from Afghanistan to make it as realistic as possible.
Macy and I visited Den Blå Planet, Copenhagen's aquarium, together and we both agreed it was a good decision. The building itself was wonderfully designed, almost representing the silver scales of a fish. Inside, we were able to see the typical aquarium fish, as well as a tank full of piranhas, sea otters and a dedicated tribute to 'Finding Nemo'. We both found the crocodile in the aquarium quite hilarious, as it was very small (no bigger than 40 cm long) compared to the saltwater crocs we are used to seeing in zoos and aquariums at home. Later in the week, Macy, Lene and I visited Kroppedal Museum, the national astronomical museum which is located only a short drive away from Taastrup. We went for a 'Star Night' but unfortunately it was too cloudy to use the telescope. However it was still a nice evening with Macy and Lene.
My lovely counsellor and her husband, Ninette and Stig, let me stay with them over the weekend and although it was pretty busy, I am glad I was able to spend time with them. On Friday night it was Simon's 16th birthday, so we all went to celebrate with Lian's delightful cooking. We enjoyed a Mexican dinner which was very delicious, but her asian cooking is unmatched. On Saturday, Stig and I went to brunch for his nephew's birthday. We played a little game of soccer and I managed to fall down in the mud, temporarily ruining my jeans, but it was very hygge and reminded me of many soccer and cricket games I have played with my own cousins and siblings. In the afternoon, we went to a musical put on by a youth theatre group at Taastrup Theatre. The story line was unusual, but the singing was very good and it was a pleasant afternoon. The evening consisted of eating sushi and watching movies in Stig's home cinema room. On Sunday, Stig, Matthew and I went to Roskilde. Roskilde a big town west of Copenhagen, and home to the Roskilde Domkirke, a large church where important Danish figures are buried. The church was very pretty and not at all modest. We also visited the Viking Ship museum, where the remains of five viking ships from around 1000 C.E. are held. The museum also builds ships in the tradition way a viking would have, going without modern machinery and using similar techniques and designs. Tak to Stig for being a wonderful guide.
Only 10 months to go and I already want to stay longer, but skol to the fun times ahead. I can't wait.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
As it would seem, yesterday marked two months after my arrival in Denmark. Time is no longer a concept here, whilst a day may be long, these past two months have gone by so fast, and yet I feel as though I have been living in Denmark a lifetime. It is spring time now, and although the warmer weather is yet to arrive, the sun shines high in the sky all day long. I can look forward to the many 'warm' months ahead.
Before I talk about the various adventures and activities which have taken place over the last weeks, I should explain the title of this post and what meaning it has to me. Throughout February, snow fell quite frequently which I enjoyed greatly. After some thinking, I came to the conclusion that snow was the perfect analogy for my experiences on exchange so far. The snow fell on roughly a three day cycle; day one was when it fell, day two was when it began to melt, day three was when it turned to ice, then the cycle repeated. I often experience a similar cycle of emotions between days. On the first day, I am very happy and calm, I can enjoy and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to come to a wonderful country like Denmark. This is like the beautiful snow falling over the town. On the second day, I am still quite happy although may be a little tired and by the evening simply would like to rest (exchange is very tiring sometimes). This is like the melting snow, still pretty but fading into dirty ice around the edges of the footpath. On the third day, I am okay, but need to work hard to get motivated and often face the lower points of my emotional state on this day. This is like the snow that has now turned into ice; it has become hard to walk on and it is easy to fall down. Then the snow falls once more, and the cycle repeats. Everyone will experience different emotional changes on their exchange, but I hope this offers some insight for future or current exchange students.
Now, onto the fun stuff.
As I have learned the Danes love their taxidermy, a lot. So, one afternoon Lousie and I visited the Zoologisk Museum where many stuffed animals are displayed along with fossils and bones. It is an interesting place; I never thought I would see a preserved whale heart or touch a taxidermy isbjørn (polar bear). Although nothing will compare to Mogens' deer which hangs proudly over the living room in Matthew's host family's house.
As Jan and Lene went away briefly to France, I was able to spend the weekend (March 8 - 11) with my second host family. It was a delightfully busy weekend, starting by visiting the Botanisk Have, or the Copenhagen Botanic Garden with Annika on Friday afternoon and going on a long hunt to find earrings, exploring many different shops in Copenhagen. The greenhouse is truly astonishing and very pretty, I know I will be visiting it again. On Saturday, Annette, Annika and I did a yoga class together which was plenty of fun despite my terrible balance and coordination. Annette's sister and niece celebrated their birthdays that evening, and it was lovely to meet my extended host family. Little Danish flags hung around the dining room, a tradition that I find both very Danish and sweet. On Sunday, Annette's sister and daughters joined us once again to go iceskating. I can't wait to live with them. Tak to Annette, Gorm, Annika and Max for a lovely weekend.
My class was able to visit the Staten's Museum for Kunst as part of a school project, looking at the Danish art featured in the gallery. I do not know much about Danish art, so this was a wonderful cultural experience for me. After visiting the gallery, I went to the Tøjhusmuseet, or the Royal Danish Arsenal Museum with the Rotary kids in my language school. The museum is in a massive old building in the centre of Copenhagen, and the exhibit we visited was about Danish troops in Afghanistan. The work that had gone into the exhibit was exceptional, even the dirt had been flown in from Afghanistan to make it as realistic as possible.
Macy and I visited Den Blå Planet, Copenhagen's aquarium, together and we both agreed it was a good decision. The building itself was wonderfully designed, almost representing the silver scales of a fish. Inside, we were able to see the typical aquarium fish, as well as a tank full of piranhas, sea otters and a dedicated tribute to 'Finding Nemo'. We both found the crocodile in the aquarium quite hilarious, as it was very small (no bigger than 40 cm long) compared to the saltwater crocs we are used to seeing in zoos and aquariums at home. Later in the week, Macy, Lene and I visited Kroppedal Museum, the national astronomical museum which is located only a short drive away from Taastrup. We went for a 'Star Night' but unfortunately it was too cloudy to use the telescope. However it was still a nice evening with Macy and Lene.
My lovely counsellor and her husband, Ninette and Stig, let me stay with them over the weekend and although it was pretty busy, I am glad I was able to spend time with them. On Friday night it was Simon's 16th birthday, so we all went to celebrate with Lian's delightful cooking. We enjoyed a Mexican dinner which was very delicious, but her asian cooking is unmatched. On Saturday, Stig and I went to brunch for his nephew's birthday. We played a little game of soccer and I managed to fall down in the mud, temporarily ruining my jeans, but it was very hygge and reminded me of many soccer and cricket games I have played with my own cousins and siblings. In the afternoon, we went to a musical put on by a youth theatre group at Taastrup Theatre. The story line was unusual, but the singing was very good and it was a pleasant afternoon. The evening consisted of eating sushi and watching movies in Stig's home cinema room. On Sunday, Stig, Matthew and I went to Roskilde. Roskilde a big town west of Copenhagen, and home to the Roskilde Domkirke, a large church where important Danish figures are buried. The church was very pretty and not at all modest. We also visited the Viking Ship museum, where the remains of five viking ships from around 1000 C.E. are held. The museum also builds ships in the tradition way a viking would have, going without modern machinery and using similar techniques and designs. Tak to Stig for being a wonderful guide.
Only 10 months to go and I already want to stay longer, but skol to the fun times ahead. I can't wait.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
A few small videos from over the month;
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Isbjørn
Matthew being a child
Falling snow
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Danish sushi train
The main tank at Den Blå Plane
Another tank, more big fish
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The normalities of life on exchange 18/2/18
Godaften,
In a couple of days time, on the 20th of February at 6:00 am, I will have been living in Denmark for exactly one month, and what a month it has been. The adrenaline has stopped kicking in every time I get on a train (or more so run to the station) and the routines have been set for the year ahead. Life in Denmark is normal, but normal here is very different to home, if it can even be called that.
After camp, language classes started properly on Monday afternoon. We learnt the basics of Danish, and everyone is doing well, building strong foundations with the help of Estelle, our teacher, from which I believe each of us will be speaking Danish by the end of the year. After our class, I was asked to present myself to Høje-Taastrup Rotary club at the weekly meeting. Thankfully, I made a good impression the club and apparently spoke rather well. All three of my host families came to the evening, giving a supportive smile and joining in the photos after the meeting. Tak to my host families for coming, it was lovely to see you all.
During the week, my class had a project to complete revolving around the career they want to do after school. As I was going to be starting the task late, and I could not understand the extensive outline written in Danish, I completed a different task throughout the week. This allowed me to go into Copenhagen and take photographs on Thursday. By the time I got into the city, I half-heartedly took some pictures, discovering the very photogenic city is impossible to capture in a simply photograph. This experience taught me a few lessons which I think I can use for the rest of my exchange; wearing heels to walk for extended periods of time on cobblestone pathways is a bad idea, having a friend around to take silly pictures of is often more enjoyable than being alone, do not step onto the pathway at Amalienborg Palace as the guard with the funny hat will yell at you, and finally, you're attitude towards an adventure changes everything. I had woken up not really wanting to go, already ruining my chances of having a good day by being lazy with the wrong attitude. This is something I hope to do less often whilst on exchange, but it will take some effort. Although it was not the best day, Copenhagen is still a wonderful place to visit.
On the 2nd of February, both Lene and Louise celebrated their birthdays, however we decided to hold a party on the 10th of February. (This was also Mum's birthday, so happy birthday to her too xx) The preparations took most of the morning, with plenty of cooking and cleaning to be done. The Danish flag is used as a way to mark special occasions such as birthdays, so Lousie and I placed flags in the hedge out the front of our house, similar to how balloons might be placed on a letterbox. A small flag was also placed on the table, along with candles and flowers. Jan made two lagekage, which is a type of Danish layered cake, made with three thin chocolate cake layers filled with Nutella, banana, citrus marmalade, whipped cream and chocolate milk or Bailey's. This is a family specialty that is used for birthdays in the Stevnsborg house, and tastes delicious. It was nice to meet some of my host family's family and friends, and the celebrations didn't finish until 1 am.
I am not one for Valentine's Day, however, Jan bought tulips for Lene and I, saying no girl should be without flowers on Valentine's Day. Mange tak Jan, you made my day.
Thursday afternoon was my first Danish tennis lesson at the local club in Taastrup. I have missed playing tennis after only a month, so being able to play once more was amazing. As the weather in Denmark is not very desirable nor suitable to play tennis, for most of the year I will be playing on an indoor court. This is a very new concept for me, and learning to play on a different court surface will be challenging but fun. 960 kroner later, I have proper shoes and am ready for a great year of tennis ahead.
On Friday, Lian, Ninette's sister-in-law, hosted a dinner in celebration of Chinese New Year. This was not something I had expected to do in Denmark, but was a great experience and way to meet Ninette's family. With a homemade, traditional Chinese meal and some extensive nerdy discussions, the evening was most enjoyable, even if I did slip down the stairs. Despite the freezing weather, Stig and Simon made sure we went to the shops to buy ice-cream to have with our brownies, completing the already wonderful night.
Another interesting cultural experience I have had was on Saturday evening with Matthew's host family. His host grandparents were spending dinner with them, so as a special meal, we had deer that Mogens had hunted. I had not tried deer before, therefore I was glad I got to do so and it tasted really good. Tak to Matthew's host family for having me.
On the 13th of February, Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe and consort of Denmark, passed away. This was a big event in Denmark and many Danes have payed their respects by laying flowers outside Amalienborg palace. Today my host parents and I visited the palace, seeing the many flowers dedicated to the late prince. Safe travels to heaven Prince Henrik. Whilst in Copenhagen, we also visited Fredrick's Church and the Danish Museum of Art & Design. Possibly my new favourite place in Copenhagen, the museum was filled with everything to do with design in Denmark, from the 1700s to the present. I love Scandinavian design, and to see some of its most iconic pieces was inspirational and astonishing. The museum also has two exhibits currently on display; 'I Am Black Velvet' about Erik Mortensen's Haute Couture and 'Learning from Japan' about the Japanese influences on Danish design. These were both very interesting and I hope to use these to inspire my own work. I can't wait to visit the museum again.
No matter how much I have done, there is always more to do. So, in a way, chaos is my new normal.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
In a couple of days time, on the 20th of February at 6:00 am, I will have been living in Denmark for exactly one month, and what a month it has been. The adrenaline has stopped kicking in every time I get on a train (or more so run to the station) and the routines have been set for the year ahead. Life in Denmark is normal, but normal here is very different to home, if it can even be called that.
After camp, language classes started properly on Monday afternoon. We learnt the basics of Danish, and everyone is doing well, building strong foundations with the help of Estelle, our teacher, from which I believe each of us will be speaking Danish by the end of the year. After our class, I was asked to present myself to Høje-Taastrup Rotary club at the weekly meeting. Thankfully, I made a good impression the club and apparently spoke rather well. All three of my host families came to the evening, giving a supportive smile and joining in the photos after the meeting. Tak to my host families for coming, it was lovely to see you all.
During the week, my class had a project to complete revolving around the career they want to do after school. As I was going to be starting the task late, and I could not understand the extensive outline written in Danish, I completed a different task throughout the week. This allowed me to go into Copenhagen and take photographs on Thursday. By the time I got into the city, I half-heartedly took some pictures, discovering the very photogenic city is impossible to capture in a simply photograph. This experience taught me a few lessons which I think I can use for the rest of my exchange; wearing heels to walk for extended periods of time on cobblestone pathways is a bad idea, having a friend around to take silly pictures of is often more enjoyable than being alone, do not step onto the pathway at Amalienborg Palace as the guard with the funny hat will yell at you, and finally, you're attitude towards an adventure changes everything. I had woken up not really wanting to go, already ruining my chances of having a good day by being lazy with the wrong attitude. This is something I hope to do less often whilst on exchange, but it will take some effort. Although it was not the best day, Copenhagen is still a wonderful place to visit.
On the 2nd of February, both Lene and Louise celebrated their birthdays, however we decided to hold a party on the 10th of February. (This was also Mum's birthday, so happy birthday to her too xx) The preparations took most of the morning, with plenty of cooking and cleaning to be done. The Danish flag is used as a way to mark special occasions such as birthdays, so Lousie and I placed flags in the hedge out the front of our house, similar to how balloons might be placed on a letterbox. A small flag was also placed on the table, along with candles and flowers. Jan made two lagekage, which is a type of Danish layered cake, made with three thin chocolate cake layers filled with Nutella, banana, citrus marmalade, whipped cream and chocolate milk or Bailey's. This is a family specialty that is used for birthdays in the Stevnsborg house, and tastes delicious. It was nice to meet some of my host family's family and friends, and the celebrations didn't finish until 1 am.
I am not one for Valentine's Day, however, Jan bought tulips for Lene and I, saying no girl should be without flowers on Valentine's Day. Mange tak Jan, you made my day.
Thursday afternoon was my first Danish tennis lesson at the local club in Taastrup. I have missed playing tennis after only a month, so being able to play once more was amazing. As the weather in Denmark is not very desirable nor suitable to play tennis, for most of the year I will be playing on an indoor court. This is a very new concept for me, and learning to play on a different court surface will be challenging but fun. 960 kroner later, I have proper shoes and am ready for a great year of tennis ahead.
On Friday, Lian, Ninette's sister-in-law, hosted a dinner in celebration of Chinese New Year. This was not something I had expected to do in Denmark, but was a great experience and way to meet Ninette's family. With a homemade, traditional Chinese meal and some extensive nerdy discussions, the evening was most enjoyable, even if I did slip down the stairs. Despite the freezing weather, Stig and Simon made sure we went to the shops to buy ice-cream to have with our brownies, completing the already wonderful night.
Another interesting cultural experience I have had was on Saturday evening with Matthew's host family. His host grandparents were spending dinner with them, so as a special meal, we had deer that Mogens had hunted. I had not tried deer before, therefore I was glad I got to do so and it tasted really good. Tak to Matthew's host family for having me.
On the 13th of February, Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe and consort of Denmark, passed away. This was a big event in Denmark and many Danes have payed their respects by laying flowers outside Amalienborg palace. Today my host parents and I visited the palace, seeing the many flowers dedicated to the late prince. Safe travels to heaven Prince Henrik. Whilst in Copenhagen, we also visited Fredrick's Church and the Danish Museum of Art & Design. Possibly my new favourite place in Copenhagen, the museum was filled with everything to do with design in Denmark, from the 1700s to the present. I love Scandinavian design, and to see some of its most iconic pieces was inspirational and astonishing. The museum also has two exhibits currently on display; 'I Am Black Velvet' about Erik Mortensen's Haute Couture and 'Learning from Japan' about the Japanese influences on Danish design. These were both very interesting and I hope to use these to inspire my own work. I can't wait to visit the museum again.
No matter how much I have done, there is always more to do. So, in a way, chaos is my new normal.
Venlig hilsen,
Mikaela
Triumphs and challenges; the opening chapter 3/2/18
Godaften,
Not every teenager can say they have left home to live on the other side of the world for a year, however I, among the 31 other 'winter team' exchange students in Denmark, can. I knew it would not be easy, there would be many challenges to face, but it has not been as hard as I was to believe. Day 15 into my year and it feels as though I have been here a lifetime (in a good way of course). From visiting Copenhagen at night to language camp and outdoor iceskating, nothing has been less than an adventure.
My first week started with my weekly language class and Rotary meeting. Although not much Danish was spoken, the language class provided an opportunity to meet the 'oldies' in our district. Seeing how happy and confident they all were greatly helped to silence the quiet pleas of my conscious to return to the familiar, instead showing how exchange changes a person for the better. That evening, I attended my first Rotary meeting with my sponsor club, Taastrup Rotary. Unfortunately, I could not understand any of the talks, but I was able to meet the members before my formal introduction (which is on the 5th of February). They were all accepting of me, understanding how it was a new experience for me and even congratulating me on staying awake for the entire meeting as I had only recently arrived. Mange tak to Taastrup Rotary for their generosity and warm welcome to the club.
After a few days of adjusting, walking down the street to H&M for clothes and sorting out practical things, on Thursday night my friend Matthew and I decided to go to Nyhavn in Copenhagen together. We got lost several times (ending up on the palace 'driveway' at one point), but it was a lovely way to explore our city. We eventually made it to Nyhavn, and sat on a bridge admiring the city, both agreeing we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Friday marked the beginning of my schooling at Taastrup Realskole. My class has only 14 people because Year 10 is an optional grade for all students in Denmark. My class are all very cool, and speak amazing English, although they often doubt their skills. It surprised me that in my first English class they analysed a poem, as this is a complex task, especially when not in your first language. School has a lot more relaxed atmosphere than at home, and for lunch we walked to the local kebab takeaway shop. I am very pleased I am going to this school and tak to Ninette and Kenneth for arranging my placement there.
Saturday was the annual birthday party for my Rotary club. This is a big event in the club, so to mark the special occasion, we all travelled down to Stevns Klint, a famous beach with chalk cliffs in the south of Zealand. We had a small tour of the area and the beach, it was too cold to stay outside for long, and then headed to the party. The food, music and fancy venue created the perfect atmosphere for a party, and congratulations to Ninette for receiving a Paul Harris fellow on the night. Happy birthday Taastrup Rotary Club!
Getting home at 12 the night before, it was non-stop action to get to Nørgaards Højskole for language/intro camp in the morning. The train ride did not go as planned, with an accident on the tracks causing us to catch a bus for the remainder of the train ride to Aarhus, but we eventually made it to Bjerringbro where the folk high school is located. The camp was a lot of fun, no matter how tired we all were by the end. We spent the day time in Danish classes and the evenings doing activities such as listening to a concert from a local band, melting plastic beads into art and singing Michael Jackson songs with one of the school's music teachers. Tak to Anne our language teacher on her great work and patience when teaching Danish. As a special treat, on Thursday we visited Aarhus and the ARoS museum. Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and a cultural capital of Europe, home to the famous rainbow panorama onto of ARoS. The beautifully constructed museum represents the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and as a design student and fan of Dan Brown, this piece of architecture was phenomenal! My gang and I ate 33 kroner massive pizza slices and did outdoor ice-skating after visiting the museum, taking a walk through the centre of town. It is a lovely city. With a party to end the week, I know I was able to become close with the other exchange students in my winter team, and have found some great people to be with and support each other. I won't forget room 6 or dancing in the choir hall with my friends scattered around the room.
The train on the way home presented the first large problem on the trip. We had missed our train from Aarhus to Copenhagen, and were unable to use our ticket to get onto the next available train. However, after some stressful quick thinking we worked out a way to get home we got new tickets and made our way back. Matthew, mate, you did well and without you we wouldn't have made it home. More snow greeted us in Copenhagen, pretty and peaceful, descending onto the city.
A full-on start to a full-on year, what better way to begin?
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
Not every teenager can say they have left home to live on the other side of the world for a year, however I, among the 31 other 'winter team' exchange students in Denmark, can. I knew it would not be easy, there would be many challenges to face, but it has not been as hard as I was to believe. Day 15 into my year and it feels as though I have been here a lifetime (in a good way of course). From visiting Copenhagen at night to language camp and outdoor iceskating, nothing has been less than an adventure.
My first week started with my weekly language class and Rotary meeting. Although not much Danish was spoken, the language class provided an opportunity to meet the 'oldies' in our district. Seeing how happy and confident they all were greatly helped to silence the quiet pleas of my conscious to return to the familiar, instead showing how exchange changes a person for the better. That evening, I attended my first Rotary meeting with my sponsor club, Taastrup Rotary. Unfortunately, I could not understand any of the talks, but I was able to meet the members before my formal introduction (which is on the 5th of February). They were all accepting of me, understanding how it was a new experience for me and even congratulating me on staying awake for the entire meeting as I had only recently arrived. Mange tak to Taastrup Rotary for their generosity and warm welcome to the club.
After a few days of adjusting, walking down the street to H&M for clothes and sorting out practical things, on Thursday night my friend Matthew and I decided to go to Nyhavn in Copenhagen together. We got lost several times (ending up on the palace 'driveway' at one point), but it was a lovely way to explore our city. We eventually made it to Nyhavn, and sat on a bridge admiring the city, both agreeing we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Friday marked the beginning of my schooling at Taastrup Realskole. My class has only 14 people because Year 10 is an optional grade for all students in Denmark. My class are all very cool, and speak amazing English, although they often doubt their skills. It surprised me that in my first English class they analysed a poem, as this is a complex task, especially when not in your first language. School has a lot more relaxed atmosphere than at home, and for lunch we walked to the local kebab takeaway shop. I am very pleased I am going to this school and tak to Ninette and Kenneth for arranging my placement there.
Saturday was the annual birthday party for my Rotary club. This is a big event in the club, so to mark the special occasion, we all travelled down to Stevns Klint, a famous beach with chalk cliffs in the south of Zealand. We had a small tour of the area and the beach, it was too cold to stay outside for long, and then headed to the party. The food, music and fancy venue created the perfect atmosphere for a party, and congratulations to Ninette for receiving a Paul Harris fellow on the night. Happy birthday Taastrup Rotary Club!
Getting home at 12 the night before, it was non-stop action to get to Nørgaards Højskole for language/intro camp in the morning. The train ride did not go as planned, with an accident on the tracks causing us to catch a bus for the remainder of the train ride to Aarhus, but we eventually made it to Bjerringbro where the folk high school is located. The camp was a lot of fun, no matter how tired we all were by the end. We spent the day time in Danish classes and the evenings doing activities such as listening to a concert from a local band, melting plastic beads into art and singing Michael Jackson songs with one of the school's music teachers. Tak to Anne our language teacher on her great work and patience when teaching Danish. As a special treat, on Thursday we visited Aarhus and the ARoS museum. Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and a cultural capital of Europe, home to the famous rainbow panorama onto of ARoS. The beautifully constructed museum represents the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and as a design student and fan of Dan Brown, this piece of architecture was phenomenal! My gang and I ate 33 kroner massive pizza slices and did outdoor ice-skating after visiting the museum, taking a walk through the centre of town. It is a lovely city. With a party to end the week, I know I was able to become close with the other exchange students in my winter team, and have found some great people to be with and support each other. I won't forget room 6 or dancing in the choir hall with my friends scattered around the room.
The train on the way home presented the first large problem on the trip. We had missed our train from Aarhus to Copenhagen, and were unable to use our ticket to get onto the next available train. However, after some stressful quick thinking we worked out a way to get home we got new tickets and made our way back. Matthew, mate, you did well and without you we wouldn't have made it home. More snow greeted us in Copenhagen, pretty and peaceful, descending onto the city.
A full-on start to a full-on year, what better way to begin?
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
A new beginning 21/1/18
Godaften,
It is only my second day in Denmark and I have already learnt so much, my head is spinning from the new sounds and sights. I have met many people, all of which have welcomed me to Denmark with open arms. Luckily, I have been told by my host parents I look like a Dane, so along with their kindness I have begun to fit in nicely in my new home.
Of course, tak to my lovely host family, they have been a wonderful start to my exchange.
The language has become surprisingly normal, especially around the house. It is not as unusual as I thought it would be. Although I am unfamiliar with all but a few words, I am told by my host sister Lousie and host boyfriend Daniel I am learning fast, I just have to pronounce the words correctly. We have placed post-it notes around the kitchen in the hope of picking up simple words, although pronunciation is still a slightly difficult task.
Today the winter team visited Christiania, the free village in the centre of Copenhagen. It was unlike any place I have ever visited, but it was very interesting. Our guide for the tour explained the complicated history of 'the village' before we walked around with numb feet in the freezing cold (although apparently not very cold for winter according to the Danes) exploring different aspects of Christiania. The smell of marijuana was almost inescapable, but there was a certain peace that enveloped the village and people within.
I miss the Australian sun a lot, it is almost never shining here, and if it does, it is not for long. I am finding it hard to keep track of time, it always seems like dusk. However, I was expecting worse weather, so I cannot complain. My coat is possibly the best thing I have bought with me! Especially when it is only 1 or 2 degrees outside.
I have heard the word 'hygge' used many times, and it is possibly my favourite Danish word. The feeling of comfort that is only described as hygge is wonderful, and the Danes have mastered it. I know I can look forward to much more hygge over this coming year.
It will not be long before I can call Denmark home.
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
It is only my second day in Denmark and I have already learnt so much, my head is spinning from the new sounds and sights. I have met many people, all of which have welcomed me to Denmark with open arms. Luckily, I have been told by my host parents I look like a Dane, so along with their kindness I have begun to fit in nicely in my new home.
Of course, tak to my lovely host family, they have been a wonderful start to my exchange.
The language has become surprisingly normal, especially around the house. It is not as unusual as I thought it would be. Although I am unfamiliar with all but a few words, I am told by my host sister Lousie and host boyfriend Daniel I am learning fast, I just have to pronounce the words correctly. We have placed post-it notes around the kitchen in the hope of picking up simple words, although pronunciation is still a slightly difficult task.
Today the winter team visited Christiania, the free village in the centre of Copenhagen. It was unlike any place I have ever visited, but it was very interesting. Our guide for the tour explained the complicated history of 'the village' before we walked around with numb feet in the freezing cold (although apparently not very cold for winter according to the Danes) exploring different aspects of Christiania. The smell of marijuana was almost inescapable, but there was a certain peace that enveloped the village and people within.
I miss the Australian sun a lot, it is almost never shining here, and if it does, it is not for long. I am finding it hard to keep track of time, it always seems like dusk. However, I was expecting worse weather, so I cannot complain. My coat is possibly the best thing I have bought with me! Especially when it is only 1 or 2 degrees outside.
I have heard the word 'hygge' used many times, and it is possibly my favourite Danish word. The feeling of comfort that is only described as hygge is wonderful, and the Danes have mastered it. I know I can look forward to much more hygge over this coming year.
It will not be long before I can call Denmark home.
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
So close, yet so far 16/1/18
Godaften,
In 2 days time I am leaving for Denmark, and goodness me I can not wait! The adrenaline is high and nerves have not yet kicked in, which provides for the perfect excitement leading up to my exchange.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I can be unorganised. The most recent question I have been asked is, have you packed yet? No I have not and I understand I have only a short time until I leave. I have one suitcase and I know it will not be packed until the day before. At least it shouldn't be over the weight limit!
This last week before I leave has been very busy with last minute preparations. Monday afternoon was full of cooking and baking, with Josh (who is going to Finland) and I practicing Australian recipes to cook on exchange. With the help of Josh's lovely mother Jen, who had been a previous exchange student in Denmark, we made 5 Australian dishes; chicken parmigiana, Ned Kelly pie, meat pie, lamingtons and damper. Thank you to Jen for helping us on along the way, we won't have been able to make the delicious meal without her.
I have also Skyped my first host family in order for us to recognise each other at the airport and to 'meet' each other before I arrive. My host father Jan, host mother Lene, host sister Louise and host boyfriend Daniel are very welcoming towards me and I look forward to living with them while I learn about Denmark and get through my first 4 months of exchange. They have organised for me to meet with the other two host families I will be staying with and my counsellor on the afternoon of the day I arrive, and I am very grateful for this.
My room is messy, my Danish is forfærdelig and my luggage pile is growing, but none that matters because I am ready for the life that is to come (or at least I think I am).
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
In 2 days time I am leaving for Denmark, and goodness me I can not wait! The adrenaline is high and nerves have not yet kicked in, which provides for the perfect excitement leading up to my exchange.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I can be unorganised. The most recent question I have been asked is, have you packed yet? No I have not and I understand I have only a short time until I leave. I have one suitcase and I know it will not be packed until the day before. At least it shouldn't be over the weight limit!
This last week before I leave has been very busy with last minute preparations. Monday afternoon was full of cooking and baking, with Josh (who is going to Finland) and I practicing Australian recipes to cook on exchange. With the help of Josh's lovely mother Jen, who had been a previous exchange student in Denmark, we made 5 Australian dishes; chicken parmigiana, Ned Kelly pie, meat pie, lamingtons and damper. Thank you to Jen for helping us on along the way, we won't have been able to make the delicious meal without her.
I have also Skyped my first host family in order for us to recognise each other at the airport and to 'meet' each other before I arrive. My host father Jan, host mother Lene, host sister Louise and host boyfriend Daniel are very welcoming towards me and I look forward to living with them while I learn about Denmark and get through my first 4 months of exchange. They have organised for me to meet with the other two host families I will be staying with and my counsellor on the afternoon of the day I arrive, and I am very grateful for this.
My room is messy, my Danish is forfærdelig and my luggage pile is growing, but none that matters because I am ready for the life that is to come (or at least I think I am).
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
14 days and counting 10/1/18
Godaften,
As this is my first post, I should introduce myself. My name is Mikaela Love, and I am a socially awkward 15 year old from Australia . For the next 12 months I will be living in Denmark, a country I have never been too although have heard only great things about. I have a mother, father, younger brother, younger sister, a dog (whom I love) and a bird (whom I am still learning to like), and we live together in the suburbs of Sydney. I go to an all girls Catholic school, and thoroughly enjoy my time there. After my last day at school, I have been back at least 5 times, hence I am often called a nerd. I don’t mind this nickname, it only receives negative connotations from American teen movies. I spend the majority of my spare time reading, watching Netflix or playing tennis. One would say I am not the most outgoing or social type, but maybe exchange will change this.
I want to become an Archaeologist when I leave school, I have since I was little. I love history and often wish I was living in another time. I wouldn’t call Indiana Jones my role model, although I do believe he has the perfect life, however unrealistic it may be.
I would like to express my gratitude towards the Rotary Club of West Pennant Hills/Cherrybrook and District 9685, as they have sponsored me for this adventure. As well as District 1470 in Denmark who are allowing me to become part of their community for a year.
As you would have read above, I am Australian and have become accustomed to warm weather. In 20°C weather, I am cold. Today it is 38°C and it is expected to be 42°C tomorrow. Denmark is currently around 0 degrees, so as part of my preparations I have tried to mentally prepare for this large shift in climate, although it still amazes me.
In 14 days, I will begin a new life. I do not know if I am ready, but I know it will be phenomenal.
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
As this is my first post, I should introduce myself. My name is Mikaela Love, and I am a socially awkward 15 year old from Australia . For the next 12 months I will be living in Denmark, a country I have never been too although have heard only great things about. I have a mother, father, younger brother, younger sister, a dog (whom I love) and a bird (whom I am still learning to like), and we live together in the suburbs of Sydney. I go to an all girls Catholic school, and thoroughly enjoy my time there. After my last day at school, I have been back at least 5 times, hence I am often called a nerd. I don’t mind this nickname, it only receives negative connotations from American teen movies. I spend the majority of my spare time reading, watching Netflix or playing tennis. One would say I am not the most outgoing or social type, but maybe exchange will change this.
I want to become an Archaeologist when I leave school, I have since I was little. I love history and often wish I was living in another time. I wouldn’t call Indiana Jones my role model, although I do believe he has the perfect life, however unrealistic it may be.
I would like to express my gratitude towards the Rotary Club of West Pennant Hills/Cherrybrook and District 9685, as they have sponsored me for this adventure. As well as District 1470 in Denmark who are allowing me to become part of their community for a year.
As you would have read above, I am Australian and have become accustomed to warm weather. In 20°C weather, I am cold. Today it is 38°C and it is expected to be 42°C tomorrow. Denmark is currently around 0 degrees, so as part of my preparations I have tried to mentally prepare for this large shift in climate, although it still amazes me.
In 14 days, I will begin a new life. I do not know if I am ready, but I know it will be phenomenal.
Venlig helson,
Mikaela
