This other time, in Denmark...

How is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person? ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

I feel like yesterday’s post was too sad, and I really didn’t mean to make anyone feel bad. I guess it was just the first time it really hit me that I’m almost going home, and I was feeling really really sad. But I got a good night sleep and am feeling a lot better, so I’ve decided to write a fun post today.

A few months back I did a post called, This one time in Denmark, about all the quirky little things that make Denmark, Denmark. Well, since then I have expanded my list, so this post will part two of that post.

Money: When I first got here Danish money confused me so much! They have 50 øre coins, which are worth 9 Canadian cents, are pretty much useless. A 1 kroner coin is 18 cents, and can buy you…uh, nothing! A 2 kr coin is 37 cents, and that plus a 1kr coin can you a small pack of Moam candy. 5kr coins are worth 94 cents and can again, buy you nothing. 10kr is $1.87, and with that you can buy a cinnamon bun in my schools canteen. Or you can buy a hamburger off the 10kr menu at McDonalds. 20kr coins are worth $3.75, and you can buy a small bag of candy. And when I say small, I mean, SMALL. Now we move into bills. 50kr bills are worth $9.37, and this is roughly what I would hand over for a coffee and a muffin. Or in many cases, just the coffee. 100kr bills are worth $18.74. Sometimes if I’m lucky I can buy two shirts at H&M with this. Although more times than not it only buys me one. There are also 200 and 500 bills. And maybe 1000, but I don’t know. Let’s be honest, I never have more than 100kr cash on me. In fact, at the moment, I have an amazing 2 and half kroner in my wallet. Having coins be worth “so much” confused me at first. One of my first days I bought ice cream for me and Simone, and I payed with a 100kr bill. The guy gave me back a handful of coins, and I was so sure he ripped me off, and I went and made Simone count it for me. Now though, Danish money is so normal. I can recognize the difference between a 1, 2 and 5kr coin right away.

Bikes: For many people, bikes are a primary means of transportation here. Especially for kids under 18. At my school in Canada, the parking lot was full of cars and the bike racks maybe had one or two bikes. Here though, the parking lot has a handful of cars, but the bike racks are ALWAYS full

(My school's bike racks)

(Even in the middle of winter they still all ride their bikes!)

Slut: Is the Danish for ‘end.’ So sometimes when a sale is ending at a store, there will be a sign in the window saying SLUT or SLUTTER. Or at the end of movies or presentations, it will say Slut. I don’t know why I felt the need to include this, but I guess it’s because it makes me giggle. Still. Eleven months later.

Co-ed Bathrooms: In a lot of places, including my school, bathrooms are open to both genders. So sometimes it can be kind of weird to walk into the bathroom and then see a guy walk out of the stall. It used to scare me at first that I went into the wrong bathroom.

Little kids on busses alone: Denmark doesn’t have school busses, so if a kid lives too far from their school to bike, or if the weather is bad, they will take the bus. Alone. And I’m talking kids under the age of ten. They look so mature, standing at the bus stop with their Spiderman or Barbie backpack, getting on the bus and buying a ticket, then sitting down. And even more than their maturity, they aren’t scared. It’s not like at home where putting your seven year old alone on a city bus is just ASKING for them to be kidnapped. It’s just a normal thing, like young kids walking or riding their bikes alone. People feel safe here, and I think that’s one of the things that make them happy.

Having elbows on the table: Is not considered rude here. The first time I saw it I was waiting for someone to say something, but slowly I began to notice that it’s okay. So if when I get home and I’m slouching all over the table, please give me a break. I’ve picked up some bad habits. Although, a funny thing is that Danes are SO polite when it comes to using forks and knives and all of that, so I think it’s so funny that they are so relaxed about leaning on the table.

I used to rave about how amazing the Danish transportation system was: But I’ve come to realize it has its issues. While the trains and busses make it so easy to get anywhere, they often seem to be running late…Lateness aside, I am still in love with the train systems. Whether I'm going two hours to Jutland, or 20 minutes to school, I always love being on the trains.

Sundays: I think it’s funny how for not being a religious country, everything shuts down on Sundays. Pretty much nothing at all is open. And even Monday-Saturday, everything is closed by 6, and even grocery stores aren’t open past 7 or 8. Definitely looking forward to 24 hour Wal Mart!

(The grocery store near my house. Monday-Friday it's open until 8, Saturdays until 7, and oh, what's that, no Sundays?)

So I think those are all for now. I hope this helped to lighten the mood after my last post.

Also sometime over the next few weeks before I leave I really want to sit down and write a reflection on Denmark being the happiest country in the world. That was a major reason why I wanted Denmark in the first place, so I feel like it only makes sense that now that I have been here for a year, to talk about, from an outsider’s perspective, the Danes and happiness.

Kærlig fra Danmark,

Andrea

Nearing the End

Since coming back from Eurotour my life has been go go go. I know it’s a good thing though, because I don’t want to spend my last three and a half weeks after eurotour at home, bored.

The week after Eurotour I met up with two friends from Canada and Australia who was in Copenhagen for the day on their Eurotour. I only had a few hours with them, but it was really nice to catch up.

I also went to Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the world. For real, you can google it! I went with Emily, Claude, Janhavi and the Danish girl who just returned from her year in India. It was really interested to talk to a rebound, and to hear what the first few days home are like. I hadn’t been to Bakken yet this year, so it was really cool to finally get to go.

Last Friday my newbie Bec and I went out during the day to this foot spa where fish eat at your dead skin. The idea is gross, but it felt really cool. I got really close to Bec on Eurotour, so it was really nice to spend the day with her. And then we went and got hot dogs and chocolate milk and just sat at Nyhavn and talked.

In the evening Nova met up with us, and the three of us had a hygge night at my house. We just chilled and talked and it was a really cozy night. With so little time left, I love spending time with my friends.

Saturday morning was Janhavi’s going away brunch. All of her families and friends were there, and I think it was a really nice way to say goodbye.

Sunday evening Nova and I decided to meet up at a café and work on our Rotary speeches, but we ended up running into some other exchange students, so needless to say no work got done.

On Monday, Emily, Maria (the girl who was in India), Janhavi and I met up at a park near Nørreport and we smoked water pipe and lay out in the sun and of course did some more talking. It was so interesting to hear what India was like. It sounds so amazing. Monday was also the last time I would get to see Janhavi. She left back to India today, which is so sad. So far I’ve had 5 friends go home, and every few days that number goes up.

Yesterday I sat myself down and wrote out my farewell speech for Rotary. I never imagined it would be so hard to write. Not because it’s in Danish, although that did add to it, but simply because it involved looking back over my whole year, and at everything I have done and seen and all of the amazing people I have met. Thinking about my first few days in Denmark, and how excited by every little thing I was, and then thinking that now I’m sitting here, 11 months later, on the other end of all the newness and excitement, is…weird

Last night I went over to my first family’s house and spent the night with Simone and Therese. Simone went over my speech and made all of the necessary corrections. I know I’ve said it a hundred times over, but I love being at their house so much. It just feels so normal.

Today Simone and I spent the day together in Copenhagen. It was so nice to have a day just the two of us and she was nice enough to let me ramble on about the silly thoughts running through my head. She is also nearing her departure date for her exchange, so we have so much to talk about. I think today was the last one on one time I’ll really get to spend with her, and it was so perfect. We shopped and got cupcakes and it was just a really cozy day.

And then tonight was the dreaded speech. My third host mom and host sister were there, as well as my current host mom, and Chelsea. My first host parents are in Berlin, and Candice was sick, so I was sad that they couldn’t be there.

I think it went really well. I was nervous speaking Danish, but once I got going I feel like I did pretty well. At least well enough that they understood what I was saying, which if you’ve ever tried speaking Danish you’ll know is an accomplishment. I’m not going to post my whole speech, since it was in Danish, but I did do the end part, the thank you’s in English, just because to me it felt more honest. I felt like if I did it in Danish it wouldn’t have as much emotion. So here is the ending of the speech:

Throughout my year I have kept a blog for my family and friends back home, and while preparing this presentation I looked back over some of my earliest posts, and on the night before I left to Denmark I wrote an entry about all the emotions that came with leaving Canada, and one of the sentences I wrote just reminded me how far I’ve come this year.

“At this moment, it’s impossible for me to know what my life will be like 48 hours from now. I don’t really know my host family besides a few emails; I don’t know who my friends will be. In this moment, the next year is a big question mark; a bunch of unknowns.”

And now here I stand, at the other end of all of the unknowns. That host family I didn’t know, it now breaks my heart to have to leave them. Those friends that weren’t in my life yet, are now like a big family to me.

There are no more question marks. Everything has come together, and having made it through all of the ups and the downs and the tears and the laughter, now it’s time to say goodbye.

I can’t even express how grateful I am to everyone who made my year so amazing. To all of my host families, for opening their homes and hearts to me, to Candice for being an amazing support and a really great friend to me, to Susanne for everything she has done. I could not have asked for a more amazing counsellor, and I am so grateful to her for taking such good care of me, and always just, being there. And of course, to all of you. I feel so lucky to have been placed in such a great Rotary club. You have treated me so amazing, and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. Thank you so much for everything, This has truly been the best year of my life.

I did pretty well on the crying front. I made it up until, ‘There are no more questions,’ which was when my voice got shaky. I didn’t start crying until after, when Susanne hugged me and I sat down at my table and realized that I just made my farewell speech. Maybe I still have two weeks, but I just made the speech about my year, which means that if I summed up my whole year, it must be over. At least all of the big things. I still have two more weeks, but all of the big things that made up this year, host families, school, friends, trips; those are over. All that remains are last times and sad goodbyes.

It’s really hard to put into words how I’m feeling right now. I feel like I’m caught in a heavy current and I can’t get my footing.

I’m so scared I’ve disappointed people, especially Susanne. I think she thought I was going to be really good at Danish, and I’m scared that she’s disappointed that I’m not better than I am. Or all the problems that I’ve had with school this year. Sometimes it’s easy to forget all of the stuff I’ve accomplished this year when thinking about what I haven’t, but I just don’t want to let anyone down.

There’s so much hard stuff that comes with accepting that the year is over. I feel like I don’t have a lot of people to talk to at the moment who totally get it. Even my parents, who throughout the year I’ve talked on a weekly basis, I don't want to call them. I’ve exchanged a few notes with my mom on facebook, but to be honest I have no intention of calling them again before I go home. They don’t understand, and I don’t want to listen to them pretend to understand or to try to be sympathetic. They don’t know what to say at the moment. (I really hope you guys don't take this the wrong way mom and dad, I still love you and can't wait to see you!)

I have two weeks left in Denmark. I have lots of amazing plans between now and then, and I know I will spend a lot of the next two weeks being happy, but mixed in with all of the fun, are some hard goodbyes. I’m saying goodbye to Candice on Monday, to my third family Tuesday, to my class on Wednesday, and then the week after I say goodbye to Nova and Chelsea, to my second family, and then my last night I have to say goodbye to my first family.

So thrown into all the happiness is some major sadness. And I’m so scared. I’m scared to say goodbye and I’m scared to go home. I don’t know how Denmark is going to fit into my life once I’m back.

So there’s just so much going on right now. I’m so glad I have the other exchange students who totally understand and who know that nothing can be said to make it okay. Because it’s not okay. I’m not okay. I know that one day I will be, but at the moment I’m not. It’s not fair, it took me seven months to find my place here and be truly happy, and now it’s being ripped away from me. How can it possibly be okay when in just over two weeks, this life will be gone?

Tomorrow I will start going through my stuff to see what needs to be given away, and what I will keep. I know once I start packing then it really truly is the end, so I refuse to pull out my suitcases. I will stick to sorting for as long as humanly possible.

I promise I will make some happier posts between now and then. But please bare with me, this emotional rambling is more for my sake than anyone else’s.

I’m all out of words and energy, so here is where I leave you.

Andrea.

Eurotour!

I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself. - James Baldwin

Sorry this is coming a week late, but finally I am sitting down to write all about EUROTOUR!! It truly was the most amazing trip I have ever been on! I wasn’t super excited going into it, simply because I didn’t want to face that the end of my year is almost here, but oh my gosh it ended up just being the best time ever.

I don’t want to bore you with an entire novel, so I will do a quick summery of each country we stopped in.

We left Denmark bright and early on the 20^th and headed to Berlin via an awesome ferry with cheap candy. We stopped for a picnic lunch and the atmosphere was just crazy with excitement. We finally made it to our hostel where we got our rooms and then had dinner as a whole group. The plan was to go on an evening tour as a whole group, but it started raining so our guide told us we could go on our own. A large group of us tried to find our way into downtown, but we only ended up making it two stations before we gave up and just wandered around. We bought some snacks and walked around and it was a lot of fun and a really great start to our trip.

The next day we saw Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin wall, and then we had a picnic lunch (…again) and then after a short bus tour, we were free. There was a tourist shop at the Berlin wall where you could get awesome passport stamps, but Nova, Jenny and I didn’t have our passports, so we decided to go back to the hostel and then find our way back to the wall. I’m not going to write out the entire events of the day, but basically: enter 3 different trains, 2 hours of walking, and roughly 5 general hours of being lost. We did make it in the end, but boy was it a production. The three of us went for dinner and got bubble tea, and then after walking around a bit more we made our way back to the hostel.

Despite the frustration of being lost and walking way too far, it was an amazing first day of Eurotour and made me so excited for what was to come.

The next day we left bright and early on our way to Prague. We stopped at the concentration camp, Terezin, which was something I will never forget. I have learnt about the holocaust my whole life, but to actually be where it happened, and to see up close where they were forced to stay, was something I can’t even put into words.

Our first night in Prague I went with Hillary and Laura into town and we just walked around and explored the area. One of the cool things about this trip was that it gave us all a chance to meet and hang out with people outside of our regular group.

The next day we did some sightseeing as a group, and then in afternoon Nova and I split off and went for lunch and then the two of us went and found a hair salon and we got our hair cut!! Getting a haircut in Denmark is ridiculously expensive, so I haven’t gotten one all year, so to finally get my hair done was soo fantastic! The lady spoke not a single word of English, so it didn’t exactly turn out how I had wanted, but I’m still happy!

(Awkward haircut...)

After Prague came Vienna, which was gorgeous. The first night we went to this garden where we walked around for a bit, and then headed to the hotel. The hotel was really far out, so once we were there we had to stay in for the night. We all hung around outside, and I spent a good chunk of the night with a group of Canadian girls. Again, it was great to get to know a new group of people.

Day two in Vienna followed the same pattern of sightseeing in the morning, although we didn’t see much except the Spanish riding school. And then in the afternoon we were free. I really wanted to see the Sigmund Froid museum, but we weren’t able to find it. We did get to do some shopping though, and then in the evening Nova, Brittany and I went to the huge ferris wheel and got to see the sun set on the whole city. I was doubly excited because one of the amazing race challenges took place on that ferris wheel!!

(Me, Nova and Brittany on the ferris wheel!)

Italy came next; We started with Lido de Jesolo where we had a day to lie on the beautiful beach, and then Venice where we got to do a gondola tour (among other things of course) which was really exciting, and then a stop in Verona where we saw Juliette’s balcony, and the fourth night was in San Remo. We didn’t do much there besides sleep, but it was a really gorgeous area.

(Venice)

Next along the way was France. Nice was absolutely GORGEOUS and I got to experience a very…typical European beach. We spent two nights in Avignon where we got to see proper castles like you see in fairy tales. Everything was so fast paced, but there was a moment in Avignon where I stood and looked out at one of the castles in the distance and thought about how insanely cool it is that I am here, in Europe, looking at castles that have been there for, in comparison to my life, ever.

(Swimming in Nice)

Our third last city was the city of cities, the city I have been excited to see since…ever. Paris!! And let me say it did not disappoint! I got to walk the Champs Elysees, climb up the Arc de Triomphe, see Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame, walk around the Louvre and of course, I got to climb the Eiffel tower! (Twice!) I could go on for hours and hours about Paris, but let me just summarize by saying that it was, hands down, my favourite city, and I would go back in a heartbeat.

(At the very top of the Eiffel tower!)

Brussels was next, and while we didn’t see anything besides the Grand Place and Manneken Pis , it was a really special city for me because I got to meet up with my friend Ammie, who is an exchange student from Calgary in Belgium. It was so good to catch up with her and she took me for Belgian fries and waffles, and introduced me to amazing Belgian beer (or if you are a Rotarian, some amazing Belgian soda) and it was just really really nice to spend time with her.

(Me, Ammie and my amazing Belgian waffle!)

Somehow, like everything else in life, we found ourselves at the end. Amsterdam was our last stop, and wow was it different! We walked through the red light district, which was an…experience. I couldn’t help but look at those women, some who only looked a year or two older than me, and wonder what is running through their head. Maybe it’s my tendency to over think everything, but I found the whole thing really interestingly weird.

Our last day was a 12 hour drive back to Denmark, the last two hours of which were spent sobbing. After we got off the bus, we wouldn’t see a lot of these people again, and it was an unwelcome wakeup call that no matter how much we deny it, this is it, this whole crazy rollercoaster is coming to an end. I really hope this doesn’t sound bad, but I didn’t really cry nearly as hard for my family and friends in Canada as I did for the people on that bus. Because I knew I was coming back. But hugging these people, some of whom I’ve only been close with for a few weeks, and knowing that there’s a chance I’ll never see them again, is something so heartbreaking that I don’t think you can understand unless you’ve been there. The number of ‘I’ll see you again! I promise!’’s and ‘Don’t worry, I’ll see you before we go home!’’s made my heart hurt, because even as the words came out of my mouth, I knew they weren’t true.

There’s a lot of people I will see again in my life, but there’s also the ones who although I love them, I know it’s just not realistic. And I hate that.

And in the back of my mind as I sat there crying with 75 of the most amazing people, I couldn’t help but wonder, if it’s like this now, how horrible will it be when it’s Emma or Simone that I’m hugging? If I’m this sad over people I’ve known for three weeks, then what will it be like with my first host family? With my host mom now? With Susanne? With all of the other people who have played a huge part in my year.

So that was it, Eurotour. One of the best 18 days of my exchange, if not of my life. I did and saw so much and I know that I didn’t even begin to cover it in this post.

I have been looking forward to Eurotour since before I even came to Denmark, and it did not by any means disappoint me. Every day was something new and I am so grateful that I was able to go on the trip and it is something that I will never forget. So to my parents, thank you so much! I don’t think you guys understand how much this whole experience, not just Eurotour, but everything, has meant to me, and I am eternally grateful to you guys for giving me and supporting me throughout this whole experience.

Here are the links to see all of my pictures from the trip!

Part 1: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1954163246103.109736.1003336365&l=d86f912e49

Part 2: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1954294769391.109746.1003336365&l=428c55c46a

Part 3: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1954460693539.109751.1003336365&l=836ea7006b

The week since I’ve been back has been crazy, and next week looks like it will be the same, so hopefully I can update about all of my recent happenings soon!

Lots of Love!

Andrea

Goodbye School...HELLO SUMMER!

“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” – Orson Welles

Hi again!

I don’t know where the week and a half have gone since the last time I wrote, but here I find myself at the end of one of my less favourite parts of my year...school.

I remember sitting in my classroom back in September and looking at my day planner and counting how many school weeks I had left. Seven weeks until fall break, I told myself, and then only ten until Christmas, you can make it until Christmas! And now here I am… I did what at times I thought I wouldn’t be able to… I survived a year at a Danish gymnasium. Okay, maybe survived is a little dramatic, but it was a lot harder than I had thought. And maybe I didn’t make any lifelong best friends, but sitting here looking back on the past ten months and everything that has happened, I realize that I did meet a lot of really nice people, and I got to walk a mile in their shoes and see what it is like to be a teenager in Denmark.

It’s really easy to sit here and feel sorry for myself and think, ‘Oh poor me, it was so hard, no one wanted to be my friend, it was such a waste of time!’ But what would that accomplish? As much as I love to whine, I know it would only make me feel bad.

So I am making the decision to look back and think about the GOOD things that have happened school wise this year.

All of the school parties of course:

Introfest and Gala were my favourite parties. Introfest was my first glimpse of how crazy Danish teenagers are. I warmed up with some girls in my class, and her mom drove us to the school and were sitting in the back seat drinking, and her mom didn’t care at all. And then of course how the school sold alcohol. It was so crazy, and totally not a night I’ll soon forget. And Gala was a great chance to bond with my class, we all ate dinner together and did class awards and it was a really nice chance to get to know everyone. The other parties were all great too, but those two really stood out.

Field trips: I didn’t go on a lot of field trips, but the ones I did go on were so great. In Canada to go on a field trip you need your parents to sign like nine hundred forms, but in Denmark, you need nothing. Teenagers here are completely treated like adults, and pretty much the teachers just told us where to meet and when, and that was it. I love having independence, and having the teachers trust us that much.

Independence: It took me a while to get used to it, but I have learnt to love the amount of independence we are given in the Danish school system. If you aren’t in class, no one calls home. It’s your job to be in school, not your teachers or parents’ job to make sure you get there. And there aren’t morning announcements or anything; it’s up to you to know what is going on and to be on top of things. In the Danish gymnasium you are basically treated as an adult, and I love that.

STUDY TOUR! In the 2^nd year of gymnasium you get to go on a trip with your class to somewhere in Europe, Asia or North America. My class went to Istanbul, and like I’ve said before, it was amazing! I love how Danes are so close to the rest of the Europe, and how easily they can travel. I don’t think they know how lucky they are, but I’m so glad that I was able to participate on the trip and see a different part of Europe.

Overall though, looking back on everything, even though it didn’t go perfect, I’m really content, and I feel like that’s a good place to be. No regrets, no resentments, no whines. I learnt a lot about Denmark, Danes and of course myself. I got to see a lot of amazing things and meet a lot of really cool people, and at the end of the day I’ve had an amazing experience, and I really can’t complain.

My last day of school went really well. I baked Nestle chocolate chip cookies for my class, and brought them a whole bunch of Canada goodies and got them to all sign my flag, and I feel like it was a really nice ending to the year.

(Some of the kids in my class writing on my flag)

(Me and some of the girls in my class)

(My class! 1.w!)

And now that chapter of my exchange is over, and I’m moving onto the part of the year that I have been looking forward to the most: EUROTOUR!!! We leave tomorrow and our first stop is Berlin, and then Prague and then I think Venice. After that I’m not totally sure where we head onto next, but I know it will be amazing!!

I hope everyone is doing well, and I will update with a big post when I get home!

Lots of Love,

Andrea

(In case anyone cares what my room looks like. I was packing for eurotour, and figured I would start getting stuff ready for home. This is barely half of my stuff. Packing for home is going to be impossible.)

The beginning of the end

When you’re drowning, you don’t say “I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,” you just scream. -John Lennon

Again, sorry for the ridiculously late post, but I’ve been so busy…

The day after I got home from Istanbul I went to visit Emma for five days. We hadn’t seen each other since March, so it was so great to see her again. We did our usual, lying in bed and eating, and then taking a nap, and then waking up to eat. However, this time we also managed to venture out of the house. We went to a party with some of her friends from school (hooray we were SOCIAL!) and we went to this cool zoo where you drive around in your car and the animals come up to you! And we also went to Aarhus. Going to Aahrus was more an act of closure than anything else. Back in August at out introcamp we took a day trip to Aahrus, and while everyone else explored the city, Emma and I sat in McDonalds and contemplated running away from introcamp. Yes, we actually sat there planning our escape instead of taking in the city. Anywhoo, we went back to that same McDonalds, and sat at (possibly) the same table and basically just talked about how fast the year went. Last time I sat in that restaurant I had my whole year ahead of me, and now I was there to say goodbye.

(At the awesome zoo)

(At the McDonalds where it all started)

Leaving Emma’s time was also very different. This visit to Emma was my last for this year. Throughout the year Emma and I have consistently seen each other almost every month. So many times we were sitting on skype, planning our next visit, looking at train tickets, bitching about prices, and then booking the ticket. It was just a part of my year, visiting Emma, or her visiting me. But now an era has ended, and it’s actually really sad. I will never in my life book another ticket to Horsens to visit her. I will never get on a train only to find out it’s the wrong train and then have to call her to tell her I’m lost and late. I’ll never sit there and watch the city to turn into miles and miles of nothing. When I got on the train home, a chapter of my exchange was closed. And that’s when it first hit me that this is the beginning of the end. Doors are closing. Next time I see Emma will be a few days before we go home. We fly out of Copenhagen together, so as of now the plan is for her to come spend the last few days with me, and then we will go to the airport together. I can’t even comprehend that.

After I got back from Emma’s, I had a two day turn around before MY MOM GOT HERE!!

Last summer you couldn’t have a found a kid more excited to start her year. If you asked me if I thought I would be homesick, I’d have said no way. But for anyone who’s followed me all year, things did not go as I had thought. This year has been infinitely more difficult than I had ever imagined it would be. I missed home so badly that at some points it hurt. Looking back it wasn’t even so much that I was homesick for Canada, I was just to desperate to feel comfortable. To be able to be 100% me. There’s not a lot of people who will love you unconditionally, and when you’re away from those people, you really have to always be on your best behavior. You have to smile when you want to cry. You agree when you think the other person is ridiculously wrong. You have to go to museums when you want to lie in your room and shut out the world. So getting to escape all of that and to be with my mom again was so, so amazing.

(Reunited!)

We went for dinner our first night and gaah I just can’t even begin to explain how HAPPY I was to be sitting across from my mom, eating and talking and just being with her. And of course the best part was getting to hug her, finally.

The whole week was so go-go-go, but hopefully I can remember most of what we did. Saturday we got up and went to a café for breakfast and then headed to the shopping street near my house. Pedestrian streets are so common here and it’s a great way to get to shop AND enjoy the sun. We just walked around and I showed her all of my stores and where me and my friends go, and we went up and saw Nyhavn and then we went back to the station to catch a train out to Roskilde to visit my second family.

Nina (my host mom) and Maria (my host sister) met us at the station, and then the four of us went to Roskilde Cathedral, a church where all of Denmark’s Kings and Queens are buried. I had been there before, but it never ceases to amaze me to be standing in a church full of coffins older than the country I come from.

After that, we went to the Viking Ship Museum, and walked around outside looking at the boats and stuff. I was so happy that my mom was finally getting to meet all of the people who’ve made up my year. It was kind of surreal for my two worlds to be coming together.

We went back to their house and had a really nice dinner, and just talked and my mom got to know them and it was a really nice evening. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with that family because of their cats, but I wish I had because they are so nice, and so easy to be with.

Sunday was a very touristy day. We did the canal tours, and then we got a map and found our way to the Little Mermaid and then to the castle where the Queen and the crown Prince and Princess and their four kids live. Walking and finding our way around took a long time, so by the time we were done with that, it was already dinner time, so the rest of the stuff I wanted to show her would have to wait.

(The little Mermaid)

Monday we started the morning off by having breakfast with my favorite Rotarian, Candice. She has been a big part of my year, and I just love her and her husband and their new baby, so I was so glad that it worked out for my mom to meet them. After that we went to my third family’s house for lunch. I hadn’t seen them since I moved out, so it was nice to catch up and everything, and of course for my mom to meet them!

Monday evening I took my mom to Christiana, and we walked around there and then made our way home for dinner. Christiana is so unique and weird and I always love walking around in there.

Tuesday we spent the entire day with my first family, which was so great. It’s no secret I love spending time with them, and getting to be with them AND my mom was just totally ace. We had lunch at their house, and then me, my mom, Susanne and Simone went to the beach near their house. Last time I had been there was my very first night, and it was weird to be back 9 months later. I frolicked around in the water while everyone else stayed on the beach. I love how clear the water is and how sandy and perfect the floor is and I couldn’t help but splash around. Once dinner time rolled around, counselor Susanne and her family also joined us, so my mom got to meet Chelsea (who is being hosted by Susanne) too, which was awesome.

(My amazing first family)

Wednesday we went to Tivoli with my current host mom and siblings. There is this one ride that goes through a bunch of H. C. Anderson stories and I am just IN LOVE with it. We did it twice, but I could have just ridden it over and over and gotten lost in the fairy tales. But alas we could not do that, because we had Rotary. Susanne had given us a pass, but I still wanted to go and for my mom to meet everyone. Looking back I don’t exactly know WHY I wanted to go so badly, but at the time it felt like we should.

And then somehow, like with this whole year, we found ourselves at the end. Thursday was our last full day together, and we spent it in Sweden. We went for a really nice dinner together, which was so great. And then the next morning we got on a train and then way too soon, she was gone.

Being back with my mom made the past nine months seem like no time. It was as if everything sped by, and then all of a sudden it all came to a dead stop. It made this year seem so ridiculously short and at the same time it made it feel like a lifetime. Hearing my mom talk about home made me realize that just like my family wasn’t an immediate part of this year for me, I wasn’t a part of their year either. This just made me think about how once I return home I’m not going to be a part of my host families lives, which circles around to my (hopefully irrational) fear that once I leave they’re all just going to forget about me. I don’t think the people in my life here know how much I love them. And the thought of another student coming in and taking my place hurts more than anyone who’s not an exchange student can understand. I love my host families so much, and I know that I will never ever forget them, but I can’t say the same for them. Another student is going to come in, and then I’ll just become a memory. Someone they once hosted. Obviously I hope I’m more than that to them, but thinking about it scares me. Before I came to Denmark I was scared my friends would forget about me. But I knew I would be back. This time I don’t. And even if I visit, I will never be ‘back.’ I’m going to do everything I can though to stay in touch. Email, letters, pictures, whatnot. I want them to be a part of my life forever, no matter how far away I am.

Now my mom has been gone for a week, and it’s hard to find my place. Things are different now. Before my mom came I was in a perfect, indefinite, world. And now I am just reminded of how soon this whole crazy adventure is going to end. And the worst part? I’m actually excited to be back home. (Note: this does NOT NOT NOT mean I am excited to leave Denmark.) How horrible is that, I have only 8 weeks left, and I’m…excited? But it’s true. I am very ready to make the absolute most of the time I left here, and I intend to have the most kick ass last months ever, but what waits for me at the end of those two months is too great not be excited for. My life.

I’m excited to go home and take everything that has happened this year and use it to make myself a better person. I am excited to see my friends and go to school and apply to university and get my life started. If there’s anything I’ve learnt this year, it’s that there is so much out there. So many places, people, opportunities, adventures, and I’m so excited to go out and find it all. Leaving Denmark is going to break my heart, but I cant’t stay here no matter how much I want to. My life here has an expiry date, and I just have to hope that I’ve left my mark so that even once I’m gone, a part of me will stick around here.

Sorry for this novel, but there is so much going on in my head. Time is a’tickin and it’s scaring the shit outta me.

Lots of love,

Andrea