“I know you’ve all been eagerly waiting by your computer screens for the latest installment of my adventures in Copenhagen, so I’ll try my best to do the last week and a half justice.”
I left you all last time with the riveting tale of my trip to the Copenhagen Zoo and overcoming the struggle of biking into the city. That Friday, I met up with my “buddy network”, a group of international students and Danish students that meets up every once in a while to hang out and explore various cultural aspects of Denmark. We hung out at Studenterhuset for drinks and dinner then headed out later for a night on the town.
I headed home a bit early, because I had to wake up early the next day for a spontaneous road trip to Åarhus in eastern Denmark, the country’s second largest city. This will go down as one of the longest and most infamous days of my life, highlights being a ferry ride, beautiful beaches, driving way too fast (my anxiety levels rose to unprecedented levels), all-you-can-eat conveyor belt sushi, and ridiculous car conversation (mainly due to sleep deprivation).
I recovered the next day by staying in and enjoying my hyggelig (Danish for ‘cozy’) living room and fire. I didn’t have it in me to stay up until 4 in the morning to watch the entire Super Bowl. My classes have started to actually have work and assignments as well, the most interesting being a self-guided architecture tour. We were required to visit 15 historical buildings and locations in Copenhagen, comparing their medieval layout to what exists there today. I also visited this amazing bakery on Wednesday called Saint Peter’s Bakery; on Wednesdays they have a special for giant cinnamon buns (only 12 kroner/$2!!!).
On Wednesday night, I visited a modern art museum with my Danish friend Abdel, who lives in a Kollegium in Ishøj (kind of like a dorm for international students). We explored all of the cool exhibits and even enjoyed the restaurant upstairs for some wine afterward. An elderly Danish woman even offered to steal wine for us, but we ended up paying (it’s the thought that counts, right?). Overall, it was really cool to be shown a gem of a museum in the Copenhagen suburbs by a Dane.
I finished out the school week strong, with some fantastic memories. I checked out the Copenhagen Squash Club last night (because I need to play MORE racquet sports) and really enjoyed the experience. It’s harder than I thought, but I met people from all over Europe, including Italy, France, and Ireland. I hurried home from there to shower and head over to a friend’s house for a party. My favorite part was how much ice cream and beer they had stocked in the house, a surprisingly satisfying combination.
We headed out from there to Jolene’s bar in the meatpacking district of the city, which played some great 70s-esque music and set the tone for a great night. Around 1 a.m., I met up again with Abdel and some of his friends from the Kollegium. We visited 3 or 4 more bars/clubs after that point and I didn’t end up getting home to Hvidovre until 8:30 a.m., in true Danish fashion. It’s not uncommon to see lots of people on the morning trains heading home after a night out.
All in all, I am so happy with how my adventure in Europe is progressing. I have met people from all walks of life and no matter where we come from or where we’re going in life we can connect and enjoy living in the moment together. I can’t wait to have more amazing experiences and stories to tell as I continue on.
Until next time,
Nathan
