So...How Was Denmark?

Sunday, May 20th, my flight left Copenhagen at 3:45 pm. It was a sad day, yet exciting because I was going home. After hours upon hours of traveling, waiting, layovers, delays, flights, I made it into Tacoma. So many tears. I did not realize just how much I loved Copenhagen till I had to leave it.

Then came the deluge of questions, hugs, words, words, words. Two days flew by, then the excitement wore off. I got tired of the impossible question: "How was Denmark?" What do I say, "great?" One word, one sentence, not even one real conversation can really define my trip abroad. Not that I don't want to talk about it, I do. I just don't know to what extent, and every moment is different. I will surely be processing this trip for a long time, and every conversation I have is just another step along the way of understanding just how much I have learned and grown over these past four months. 

My dear friends here at PLU have been very gracious. Holding my hand as I ride this roller coaster of  emotions. But I'm tired. I want to be back in Spokane, somehow I imagine that it will be easier to adjust when I am there, but I know it will be hard there as well. I guess reverse culture shock is more real than I was imagining it to be. I'm sure jet lag doesn't help that either. 

On the more positive side though, it has been such a blessing spending this week with dear friends whom I haven't seen in four months, or even longer. Its amazing that no matter how much time goes by, you know who your real friends are because you can still talk about anything and everything like no time has gone by at all. I am truly blessed to have such friendships. 

This week has been full of reflection and thinking. I have realized that I am much more confident in myself now, and more independent. I am more patient with changes of plans, or lack of plans for that matter. I have gotten very used to be by myself a lot, so it has been a challenge being with people again all the time. With that, I have truly learned to appreciate how to be alone, and what to do with that emotion. 

Americans are as loud and obnoxious as Europeans let on. Its been both wonderful and frustrating. Hearing every conversation walking down the street. People trying to act concerned when they really aren't. Workers in grocery stores making an effort to make your life easier. Waitresses checking on you and being accommodating. Making small talk, unnecessarily to avoid silence. Fickle gossip. At the same time though, I've truly missed having intense conversations. Real, honest, truly getting at the heart. Somehow I did not have many of those conversations in Denmark. 

Denmark...what a beautiful country. It has been fun sharing the little bit of culture that I learned and experienced there with my friends here. This post is just a glimpse at what my heart has been going through since coming back. I am so grateful for everything about these past four months. The ups the downs, and God's faithfulness throughout, bringing me home safe on the other side, excited for the next time I travel, but looking forward to the little things that come my way in between. 

Danmark, jeg elsker dig. Tak for den tid. 

Struggles

Sitting in my room, not wanting to pack, waiting for my host family to be ready to go on our last adventure together.

I finished my last final yesterday. I guess that makes me a senior. It doesn't feel like it though. This semester went by far too quickly. Here I am, my last day in Copenhagen, still in denial. Ancy. Excited to go home, but not excited to leave. My heart is flipping in circles.

Its funny how as soon as I feel comfortable in a place, I have to leave.

I know that I will be processing this trip for awhile, but I have learned so many things along the way.

Have to run! Off to the Open Air Museum, then I actually need to pack, then ending the day going to the ballet! The perfect way to end this wonderful semester.

Ramblings from Wonderful Insomnia

I can't sleep and I need to be writing an actual paper due at midnight...perfect time to blog I think!

Memories. Laughter. Goodbyes. Tears. Joy. Reflection. Food. Words. Silence. Color. Music. Cupcakes. Sun. Rain. Running. Walking. Bibles. Water. Papers. Avoidance. Denial.

Words, words, words. Language is a fabulous thing. Its going to be sad returning to such a mono-linguistic country. In my last Danish class on Friday I was thinking about it, and I've actually picked up a lot of Danish while here, in class, practicum, my host family, watching tv, and eaves dropping on the bus, amongst other things. Of all languages to know...Danish. Only tiny Denmark uses it, and that you actually are using the right dialect at the right time with the right people is even more rare. I would not have it any other way though. To spend four months in a country and not at least trying to learn their language would be such a waste. It is such a part of the culture. What is immersion if you just hang out with Americans speaking English all the time. Even if you happen to be in a different country. Doesn't count I say! At least for me anyway...because I know I'm describing some of my dear DIS friends, and I know they still had a wonderful study abroad experience.

That is the amazing thing about DIS I think. You can really pick the kind of experience you want, and we all have such different experiences. I chose to live with a Danish family, take Danish, hang out in a Danish daycare...but other than that my classes were in English, I went to an English speaking church, English Bible study...most of my friends here speak English. So here I am patting myself on the back saying I did a good job immersing. I guess what really matters is if I learned something while here. For while I did make an effort to immerse myself, if I didn't learn anything about myself or the world, then I would have been sad. But no worries I've learned a lot! Maybe not very much in the classroom setting...but in other aspects I've done a whole lot of learning!

My brain feels like a puddle of mush right now. Friday night I finally went clubbing, and didn't spend a single kroner, so proud of myself. A group of us from Bible study got all fancy and wandered to the meat-packing district where a lot of the clubs have free entry. We danced, we laughed, we wandered, we took pictures. We ended up a fabulous little cafe with live music...then to central...then we ended the evening/morning watching Gilmore Girls til the sun rose at bright and early 5 am. Then Saturday I slept half the day away, and attempted to write my paper, majorly failing of course. Then yesterday...my last full Sunday in Copenhagen.

FIBC. Such a blessing this semester. It is truly a community brimming with God's love and joy. From the first time I went when we were approached by three or four people asking us to join different things, to yesterday when at the end of the service the pastor wished us farewell, so many joys and tears. But what really made it the best was our dear life group. Connect, every Sunday the second coffee after the service, every Wednesday gathering for dinner then discussion and prayer and love, the retreat, then last night our last final game night of our time here. It just amazes me how open this community is, even though they see people come and go every year. It would have been so easy for them to just blow us off knowing that we were only going to be in Copenhagen for four months, but they invested in us so much! Truly, that is what God's church should look like. Paul said that they would know we are Christians by our love, and this church did not lack God's love at all!

I am not looking forward to all the goodbyes I still must make this week...but I am so looking forward to the memories we will make. For truly, that is what makes this experience so wonderful. What you invest is what you get out of it. I have made such wonderful friendships this semester that will be so hard to let go, but I rest assured that the memories were worth the hard goodbyes, and its really only a goodbye for now, even if it may seem like forever.

The Beauty of Spring

Spring in Copenhagen, so beautiful. Here is just a taste of the beauty that I am experiencing. 

Out by my host family's summer house.

Patches of bright yellow tulips by the Rosenborg Slot.

Down by "the lakes" in the middle of Copenhagen.  

Celebration the night before the Big Prayer Day. Sunshine, grass, barefoot.

Sunset at the end of a wonderful day. 

Getting to the Last of Things

I have been trying to write this blog for the past two weeks now, or so. Such a struggle, and I'm not sure why. It is quite reflective of the whirlwind of emotions I have been experiencing though. So, I suppose the fact that I cannot write this truly shows my mood. Every day is so different. One day I am giddy and light as a kite soaring through the beautiful blue sky. The next I am sorrowful and lost, trying to understand the ache within my heart. I'm starting to understand the concept that God is faithful, regardless of what I'm feeling.

I am getting to the last of things. My last practicum visit, last official Connect lifegroup meeting...its starting and I don't know what to do with it. Saying goodbye to the dear children and pedagogues at my practicum was the hardest thing for me. Somehow I maintained my composure, but I know that I will never see these dear people again, and it is heartbreaking. Something about the fact that I spent a whole semester with these little Danish children, ten visits, once a week, and never was able to share Jesus' love with them makes me so sad. It was never my place, as a volunteer...I couldn't really speak their language...whatever. One day I was so upset by it and was telling one little girl in Danish that Jesus loved her, but I don't think she really understood what I was saying. My method probably wasn't the most effective though. This practicum truly made my experience here in Denmark so unique and special, and it was very difficult to say goodbye.

Connect, the young adults life group that I attend through FIBC, had a retreat this last weekend, it was wonderful. So, I'm not technically done with that, but last Wednesday was the last actually life group meeting I was able to attend, it was a sad realization, but at least I still know that I can say goodbye to that dear group of friends next Sunday...just a week from today. The retreat was on making decisions, which is definitely a very applicable topic. A lot of what came up in the messages was similar to Just Do Something, by Kevin DeYoung, which I actually read right before coming to Copenhagen. So, I'm pretty sure that God wanted to reiterate that truth in my mind. Along with the truth that no matter what decisions we make we can't mess up God's plan, and as long as we can bring God glory through our decision it will all end up okay. Basically, we need to just do something, and stop being passive. I tended to agree with everything the pastor was saying though, so I think it would be very interesting to see what some other Christian friends might think. Especially in regards to God speaking through signs and miracles...or more accurately God not speaking through signs and miracles. Ah, the fun topic of God's revelation! Because I definitely know I have friends who would not agree with some things said this weekend...I would love to discuss it though, its so very interesting and helpful to discuss these things with people who disagree, because that is how we learn!

Some other things that have been going on...I visited my host family's summer house, which was a wonderful weekend away from the city. The queen had a birthday, and I got to wave to her. Denmark had a couple of fun holidays, Labor Day and Big Prayer Day. Spring is officially here, and the flowers and colors that are emerging make my heart so glad. My Bible study had the most wonderful potluck which turned into a dance party. Really, food, dancing, and good fellowship, what can be better? I have started frantically taking pictures of everything, because I'm terrified I will miss something. I can finally go outside with out a heavy coat, most days anyway. I've done a couple of presentations, one on bicycles, one on a sensory-based learning preschool. I went to a soccer game, Kobenhavn won, 3-0, it was excellent. I visited a Danish speaking church that reminded me of Ignite. I've watched a lot of movies, and have been trying not to eat a lot of sugar. I've gone on lots of walks. And of course, as I only have two weeks left, I've been making a list of things I need to do before I leave.

Somehow in these next two weeks I will finish all the homework I need to do. Debate on Tuesday, final for  Developmental Disorders on Friday, study abroad, scrapbook like, book for Danish on Friday, 5-10 page paper for CDD on the following Monday, then my final exam for human trafficking on the last Friday. But really, that is all the least of my worries!

I will miss this city and the people I've met and gotten close to, but I know that what I've learned here will carry me forward. I do not need to worry about leaving. I would rather look at each of these days as an opportunity to grow a little more, and know that if I meet these people again, I will, and if I don't, then that is okay as well. Coming and going is unfortunately a part of our life. I know that it will all be okay, and God has a plan for it all. I just need to buckle up, quit worrying, and move forward looking fondly at these beautiful days I've been blessed with.