Quick Update!

So now I've officially been in Denmark for 3 weeks, and WOW has the time flew by!
Its been such a great journey already. I've meet amazing people, gotten closer to my host family, and have just about mastered the art of biking. I'm learning how to appreciate the little things in life that I have just otherwised ignored. I'm learning that its not the big things in life that determine our happiness, but its the little things.

Being here in Denmark makes me realize how much I appreciate my life back home as well. And obviously some things I wish I had back home. I miss things being simple back home. I miss not being in the spotlight. Funny, we all want attention right? Thats the thing I've learned, is that there is nothing thats normal. As an exchange student, I dont think anything can be that normal.
The only thing that will stay constant for me this whole year it school. Everything else is a constant change, and readjustment.

And I guess you can say I have had my great culture shock. I had gone to a party with my host sis. to meet some more people from my school, and there was SO MUCH alcohol! I expected there would be a lot, but maybe I just wasn't prepared for it. To me its a shock mainly because in the U.S you don't drink until your 21, and if you do before that its obviously not in the open.
I just realized that its not right, its not wrong, its just different. I'm not in agreement with the things that happen, but I'm not in disagreement with it either.
I just understand now what to expect, and how to respond to it. Luckily, when people are drinking they tend to be a bit more friendly, and they then suddenly want to speak english. So I really have nothing to complain about ;)

But the big picture of everything that went down is this: I'm becoming a stronger person by going through the happy times and dealing with the difficult times. I'm learning what its like to be open minded, and to give everything a chance to prove itself right, wrong, or just simply different.

I love Denmark with my whole being, and I'm so in-love with the danes. I refuse to be like those authors that generalize a whole nation, because as I'm living here I realized that its IMPOSSIBLE to stereotype a whole nation, because if I did, it wouldn't be accurate.

Heres somethings I got from a book awhile back that concerned me about DK
-Danes hate it when people cry, they dont appreciate weakness
-Danes are very competative, and they HATE loosing
-Danes are usually very happy because of the amount of alcohol they consume
ETC

Ummm... I don't know what kind of danes this author met, but I haven't come across any that believe in those such thing.

And it goes both ways. People probably are expecting me to be like 250 lbs, loud mouthed, rude, and arrogant because I'm from the U.S.
So therefore, put down these dumb books that stereotype EVERY COUNTRY, because in all honesty, their not being fair. Let it be up to you how you view the world, and don't let anyones judgment affect your views.

Ok so Im kinda rambling today.... lets keep it going this style =)

Anyways, tommrow morning I leave for the Intro. Camp in Bjerringbro! I'm SUPER excited. I can't wait to meet the other exchange students, to learn more danish, and to visit Århus!
Its going to be an amazing adventure.
Especially when we play soccer, haha, Im not sure I'm capable of doing so... thus making it a GREAT adventure ;))))

Here's my schedule for the week


Sunday
-8:10AM take train from CPH Central Station to Jutland
-Arrive around 1 PM
-1:30 have a welcom speech, tour the school, and settle in
-6:oo dinner
-7:30 Evening assembly

Monday
- Breakfast
-Morning assembly
-Danish lessons
-Lunch
-Danish lessons
-Evening activites (Soccer, Drama, Chior)

Tuesday
-Breakfast
-Morning assembly
-Danish lessons
-Lunch
-Danish Lessons
-"Teenagers in DK"-workshop
-Dinner
-Evening activites (Soccer, Drama, Chior)

Wednesday
-Breakfast
-Morning assembly
-Danish Lessons
-Lunch
-Excursion to Viborg
-Dinner
-Surprise/Entertainment =)

Thursday
-Breakfast
-Morning assembly
-Danish cultural history
-Danish lessons
-Lunch
-Danish lessons
-Dinner
-Danish film

Friday
-Breakfast
-Morning assembly
-Excursion to Århus (Aros)
-SHOPPING!!!
-Dinner
-Evening activities (Soccer, Drama, Chior)

Saturday
-Breakfast
-Morning assmembly
-Danish lessons
-Lunch
-Eval. of course, meet with district counselor
-Banquet/ Party/ Diskotek

Sunday
-Breakfast
-Morning assembly
-Farvel, Goobye =)


So it should be a GREAT week. Im really looking forward to all the great activites planned.
Anyways, I will update you all by next Sunday how things went.
I won't have my comp. with so this is how you will know what I'm up to ;)


Peace & Love,

Megan =)

My bucketlist for this year in Denmark =)

Tourist List

[ ] Visit the Amalienborg Museum
[ ] Take a picture by the Little Mermaid
[ ] See the Hirschsprung Collection
[ ] Vist Bellevue Beach
[X] Go to H.C. Andersen Hus
[ ] Go to Thorvaldesns Museum
[ ] Climb the stairs to the top of the famous church
[ ] See an Opera at the Copenhagen Opera House
[ ] Go to Louisiana
[ ] Go to Tivoli
[X] Visit an open air museum
[ ] Go to the Nationalmuseet
[ ] Go to Frihedsmuseet (Danish resistance museum)
[ ] Go to Skagen
[ ] Go to Arhus
[ ] Go to Bornholm
[ ] Go on the Euro. Trip

Personal List

[ ] Learn how to "jumpstyle"
[ ] Sing both of the birthday songs off of memory
[ ] Develope a more European fashion sense
[ ] Be able to eat atleast ONE of the black, salty licorice coins
[ ] Bike efficiently like a dane =)
[ ] Speak atleast conversational danish
[ ] Find lifelong DANISH friends
[ ] Make lifelong friends with the exchange students
[ ] Learn a lot in school
[ ] Have a very "danish" style birthday
[ ] Other....


Nearly impossible list; but I'm putting it up anyways ;)
[ ] Meet the Queen
[ ] Be completly fluent by July 2010
[ ] Do a bike tour in Skagen
[ ] Have tea with the Royal Family =)))


So thats all for now, I will continue writing as I figure out what else I would like to do!
This list is my hopes/ and dreams for my stay here in Denmark ;)
Enjoy!

I broke one of the 4'ds =(

Its true. I met a gorgeous man, and I couldn't help the attraction.

(Hahaha Megan this is for you as well)

Its getting a bit serious, so Mom and Dad, starting the wedding plans. Sorry I had to tell you all like this ;)

Update on my life here in Denmark 8/11

So like I said, its been about a week and a half since I left for Denmark. So here's whats been going on this week.

Monday I started danish lessons in Copenhagen with all the other Rotary exchange students in district 1470. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Who would've thought that I liked sitting in a class room for about 4.5 hrs with 2 breaks? But I love learning danish. And so far since its the basics, I can understand most everything. I know it will get hard soon though... so I'm anticipating much learning in the next 3 months!

But here's some things I realize that may never change:

-The very second someone hears you speak english, the wont try to speak danish to you

-If you try to say a word in danish (and say it perfectly) everyone will laugh... because you said something in danish

-Danes are very skilled when it comes to riding bike, they can even ride in 5 in. heels!!

-The second people hear you're from the U.S they say... OBAMA!!! WHOOO!!

-Everyone wants to know if all americans are fat

-Sometimes... you will just always be "Megan, the exchange student from the U.S"


So there's been alot of things I've learned here. But most importantly that by being here, I've learned alot about my country in addition to learning about Denmark.
I've learned that I'm capable to doing things on my own. And I've learned that a smile can get you further then you think.

So heres a little min calender of some upcomming events

Wed.-
*Danish lessons from 9am-11,
*Going to Virum Gymnasium for the start of school kick off
*Rotary meeting at 5

Thrs.-
*Danish lessons from 9am-1:30
*SHOPPING!
*Visiting a castle

Fri.-
*Danish lessons from 9am-1:30
*Possibly a N.E.R.D concert at Tivoli?

Sat.-
*Hanging out with my 2nd host sister Christine

Sun.-
*Mass
*Relaxing

Then as follows about the same routine until Aug. 23-30. I will be in Jutland with ALL the exchange students in Denmark for an Intro./Language camp!
It will be exciting. However very very tiring =(

Anyways, not too much is going down right now. Just a regular week.

I will surely update my blog as much as possible, its just that it gets difficult to do so some days!
Ok vi ses allesammen!
Hej Hej


Megan

"There is beauty in the breakdown"...

WARING: If you don't like philosophical thinking... you may want to skip this one =)

On July 31st 2010 I said goodbye to my family, my friends, and my home to come to a foreign country to start a "journey of a thousand miles". It was THEE hardest thing I think I've ever done in my life. I guess you can say I had a break down. I realized that I won't be able to hold my daddy's hand, or cuddle with my mommy, or laugh with my sister about something only we would understand for a WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR! I only focused on that aspect, the negative one.

Today, August 9th 2010, I will tell you that I still do miss my family and my home, but I will tell you that it was 150% worth the "breakdown" to see the "beauty" that I'm seeing here in Denmark. The pain and the things I had to give up is only a small fraction of the whole experience. And the thing that keeps me going is that the beauty I have to see is even greater as the year goes on.

This life we live is incredibly short. Its too short to not take any risks, its too short to say "I wish I could've done this or that, and its TOO SHORT to worry about how we will get through the "breakdown".

If there's one thing I want people to get from this blog, is that I'm not writing to just talk about Denmark. I mean that's 90% of my intention, but the other 10% is to motivate YOU to do what's on your heart... maybe its not the easiest thing, but it has so much beauty to it.

Im so happy I'm here in Denmark. I'm so happy that I have support from everyone back home, and I'm so happy I took this opportunity. Even though I will have many "breakdowns", I know that the beauty will be there... to build me up once again.

So PLEASE please, if you're reading this, know that life has to be so much more then what is priority, or what is easiest. Know that your dreams and your aspirations should be what's guiding your life, not your fear. Never let your fear of the "breakdown" keep you from your happiness. Know that, and I believe that you know the key to life, the key to happiness.


"It's never to late to be who ever you want to be.There is no time limit, start whenever you want.You can change or stay the same there are no rules.To this thing we can make the best or the worst of it.I hope you make the best of it.I hope you see things that stop you.I hope you feel things you never felt before.I hope you meet people with a different point of view.I hope you live a life your proud of and if you find that your not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I just keep on learning!

Here's what I learned here in Denmark after the first week:

-Teens are given A LOT more freedom
-You can be 16 to buy alcohol
-Its fashionable for guys to wear short shorts and to have spiky hair
-There can be a Dj playin in H & M while you shop
-Nothing here is "cheap"
-People in Copenhagen are very friendly/talkative... especially when they hear "tourist"
-Bikes are everywhere you go
-Nudity isn't looked upon as a big deal

*Hyggelit is EVERYWHERE*

Also,

-I saw drugs for the first time in my life: AKA Christiana, the "hippie" community
-Bargining is usless when they find out your a "tourist", as they say
-Grandmas (no matter where in the world) will always, ALWAYS over feed you
-Danish coffee, elderflower drink, and scandanvian cider is AMAZING!
-I want danish birthday cake everyday of my life
-No matter where I go, people assume I'm German even before I speak
-A smile can subside for not speaking the language
-I want to live in a straw roofed danish home
-Always say "yes" (unless its one of the four d's) on your exchange


Its already been one week in Denmark. I'm still in the "confusion stage", but Im learning quickly what life is like here. Soon I will be speaking the language, and going to Virum Gymnasium! I'm excited to make good friends and to learn more as my journey continues on.

Time for bed. I love you all at home, and I appreciate your support.
Hej Hej
Kys,
Meggs =)

Sightseeing in Copenhagen and Odense!

ODENSE (H.C ANDERSEN HUS OG FYNSKE LANDSBY)

^ Catching up with some "old" friends, hahaha I love it!

^ Danish flag in the background!

^ Doing dishes with my friend here ;)

^ Hahahaa I fit in well don't I?

^Den Fynske Landsby, stable

^ My host mom Kirsten and I before an H.C Andersen play!

^Den Fynske Landsby, windmill

^ The Ugly Ducking... how sad! =(

^ The room H.C was born in

^ H.C Andersen

^ Hehehe

^ Anne Cat. and I haha

^ Me in front of H.C Andesen hus

^ H.C Andersen and I chilling

COPENHAGEN (ONLY a Few Pictures... too many too choose from!)

^ The Queen's Castle

^ The (back of) Little Mermaid

^ Newhavn! Its so danish, I love it!

^ Anne Catherine and I (Sorry Haley!) at Round Tower

^ View from the Round Tower

Yep =)

So I've been in Denmark for about 4 days, here's some things I REALLY love, and some things I really miss about the United States:

I love that/in Denmark...
-Has easy ways of getting around (bike, train, bus, walk, and of course car)
-Everyone is so generous when they hear your an exchange student
-You can leave your window open at night, wide open
-The area I'm in is very wooded, so walks are nice
-Shopping malls with everything imaginable is just around the corner
-Their food is really healthy
-Even the guys are fashionable
-People speak multiple languages, most speak about 3
-EVERYONE has an adorable bike, I enjoy using
-Teens have a bit more freedom
-Sweden is a bridge away, and Germany is 3 hrs away
-Everything is so old
-Some houses have straw roofs
-The feeling of "hyggeglit" is abundant no matter where you go =)


I miss that/in the United States:
-Going to Caribou Coffee and ordering a medium caramel highrise
-Everything is less expensive, like gas and clothes
-Not being so busy, and being able to relax
-My family
-My friends
-My grandparents' cabin
-Cuddling with my cat Little =(
-My home
-Whats familiar to me


So basically I love everything about Denmark, its just that I still miss alot of things about the United States, that you would expect, like my family and what is familiar to me.
I think it'll take sometime for me to get used to everything, but I'm surely learning what it means to be away from family. And sometimes its hard and sometimes its not.

As long as I stay off of skype video chat I don't feel the tears coming anymore. Email and instant chat are best for me at what stage I'm at.

The chart that Rotary shows you at the training sessions is EXACTLY where I'm at now. Im like at the top of the chart. Since everything is so new to me and since I'm trying to soak everything in, why wouldn't you expect me to be at that emotional high?

I have hope things will get better, and I know they will, I just need to learn and live the danish lifestyle and I believe soon, I will be a dane. Still an American of course, but with a little less German in me (hahaha I hope) =))

Vi ses mine venner, hej hej =)
Megan

P.S
Hej Hej, IS NOT HI HI! Its like bye bye, haha cute huh?
Ok shalom!

Billider fra Danmark =)

The goodbyes =(

Today was the day

July 31st- Aug. 1st was one of the most difficult and exciting day I've ever endured.
Here's a recap play by play...

At 1:00 Megan, Kaitlin, and Kathleen came over to say "Vi ses", and we planned for it to be a fun party, minus th sad stuff. However, it was devestating to say goodbye to my friends for a year. Especially because they're my main support system, my influential friends.
Being the amazing friends they are, they made the most amazing gifts I could ask for, with the help of everyone involved (THANKS EVERYONE, IT WAS AMAZING!). It truly, TRULY will help me get through the tough stuff here in Denmark.

Nearing about 5:00 I knew it was time to say goodbye to them for good, thus came the tears. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do, but we managed to get it all done withing 15 mins.

Then came the hard part... the airport. Luckily IcelandAir was being ever so gracious on everything ranging from bypassing overweights bags to allowing my whole family to come to my gate, it helped a TON!

After we spent some quality time together, laughing, and doing everthing but facing the reality of me leaving for a year. Until they called my row, then the tears flew out. It was so hard not to just throw down my bags and say "I DON'T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE!!". But I didn't, I sobbed all the way to my seat and even more before the plane took off... until.

#1 Lesson taught in being an exchange student BE FLEXIBLE!

The flight attendent tapped me and said, please can you move so this boy can sleep? Of couse I listened and had no issue with it. However, Icelandic accents are SUPER HEAVY and you cant totally understand their english... so when she was saying 25A it sounded like 28. I was already in tears, I sure thought this would do it! But luckily I found my spot, and I sat next to a teen boy about my age headed to Norway to go see his older brother. After that convo. I put on my iPod so I could clear my mind. And I read the inspirational letters Kathleen, Megan, and Kaitlin came up with, it gave me so much strength, I encourage it for future exchanges.
And from then on I didn't talk or think of anything... but getting off the plane to get to Iceland FINALLY!

As the flight was dissmissing its passengers, the boy's father said to me "I'm also apart of Rotary International! May I ask where your going for a year?". Well thank the Lord he was there, he helped me through security and I got my troll from the gift shop in time to be waiting at my gate.

However, when I got to my gate, it was not open, it was completly closed off! So like usual I freak out wondering if I'm going to miss my flight. So I thought I would ask a lady, I noticed she was speaking danish so I said... "Unskyld mig, do you know if this is the right gate to Copenhagen?" and I show her my ticket. She IMMEDEATLY backs off like I have the plauge or something, grabs her kid, and says I don't understand!!!

After that occurance, I went over to the desk and asked, and low and behold it was right. So I go sit back down and I start talking to an elderly couple, who happen to be from Minnesota and the were headed on the same flight. So we began talking, which greatly calmed my nerves. And then together we borded the plane and I managed to be one of the firsts on board. However rule #1 came up again...ANOTHER kid wanted to sleep in my spot, so I was moved to a middle seat between a man who smelt like vodka/cigarettes and a lady who always had her back turned to me, let alone a woman in front of me who would recline her chair back into my lap! It was a miserable 3 hr. flight.

But it was like heaven when I saw those windmills swaying in the wind upon my landing, I couldn't help but to tear up. I was FINALLY in Denmark, after 9 months of preparing. I was there.

It was all smiles until I got off the plane and had NOOO idea where to go, so I walked around aimlessly until a lady came up to me and said... I WAS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT BACK IN 2000! I live her now with my danish husband, so we exchanged emails and she showed me where to be. And right by the baggage claim waited a rotary member, and I was instantly at ease.

So we got our baggage, and went through a mosh pit of people to fin my counselor and of course my beautiful family! I saw Henrik screaming for me, and I ran to him and gave him a hug... I couldn't have been more happier then to see a familiar face! It was great, and following I say Kirsten, Mads Emil, and Anne Catherine. After lots of hugs and pictures (tak henrik), we made it out to the car, and drove through Copenhagen.

The night followed like this:
-Traditional danish open sandwiches
-?'S on what the expect of me
-A walk with Sophus, the dog,
-A tour of their local church built in 1500's
-Long convos with Anne Catherine
-Unpacking
-Lasagna dinner
-Gift giving
-BEDDD!

Its been a journey so far, I miss home very very very much. I wish I could see Sam, Mom, Dad, and Little in person again, but I know it will only make things worse.

I LOVE Denmark, I love the food, I love the straw roofed houses, and I love my host family.
However, being an exchange student isn't easy by any means, BUT the reward will come in the end. I learned today to focus on the positives, and bypass the negatives.

I'm so tired, I've been up for like a day, so I will finish it later. Haha VI SES, To all at home I love you!