Here we go again with the late, looooooooooong updates - Mostly will be pictures with captions and maybe a few side stories.
First of all, the last month or so has been quite busy! We've had some midterms, papers, lots of group projects, and a nice 2 week travel break.... along with many people getting sick (including yours truly). As a side note, no my weird hand condition has not gone away and I've given up on getting any productive diagnosis on it here... so we'll see what happens when I go back to the States, and if it gets worse. Also, after a 3 week period of having a REALLY bad case of the flu (NOT Swine Flu, dont worry), I'm finally feeling healthy again - yay!
So I did well on my exams and papers. I really love classes here - the environment is less pressured in the way that you feel like you're being an academic rather than having the academics shoved down your throat. No offense to the American system, but its much more uninspired and competitive. I like the laid-back approach you find here - and I dont want to say that as if to seem lazy or anything, but here I feel more productive and more inspired to learn..... and be my own teacher. The MPP program at DIS is worth every effort.
Now for the fun update - my travel break! Well, I started it off by flying to Sweden to visit some Swedish girls I met back in the States a year ago. As soon as I got in, my friend Anja shipped me off to Uppsala to visit our friend Johanna (only a 30 min cheap train ride) to avoid catching the flu she had. I spent about a day and a half in the small college town celebrating Halloween and relaxing with a lot of fun Swedes. It was such a fun holiday! We ate our meals at "Nations" (the Swedish version of sorority court) and danced the Halloween away in fun costumes. I went as...... a....... Viking! So original, I know. But as an American studying in Scandinavia (and always poking good old fashioned fun at Viking culture), I HAD to. No choice! :P I think you all will love the pictures. The next day we spent time walking around the town seeing the famous cathedral as well as the university. Very quaint place. Then, I hopped back on a train to Stockholm to see my soon-to-be sick buddy (I was on the verge of getting the flu for weeks at this point) and relax for a few days. We watched some movies, ate lots of Swedish candy, went shopping, and had a cozy time catching up and bonding over our cultures. Anja was such a sweet host, and I'm so glad I got to see her (and Johanna of course!) again. :D
I flew back to CPH for the night where I incidentally ended up going out with some Danish friends instead of repacking and resting. Whoops! I got home pretty late in the morning where I reshuffled some outfits, threw on glasses, and hopped on a plane to...... PISA, ITALY! I met up with my bestest friend in the whole wide world, Christopher Lettich, to go on our Italian adventure for the long weekend. We started off by spending one night and half of the next day in Pisa, seeing the tower and nearby flea markets/buildings. That was a very predictable city - they also had amazing pizza there though! Then, we hopped on a 3 hour train to ROME to spend a full 24 hours there. It's interesting because many people would be shocked and declare that you can't see Rome in a day...... well, Chris and I did! The key is to not be afraid to see certain sights at night. For example, we went to see the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon at night - and I feel like it was a better experience that way! Both were magical. Of course, by this point, everyone assumed Chris and I were a couple, so it was hilarious to both of us to receive comments about how "romantic" all the sights were....... hint: ploy for those people to get money. No, we will not let you take our picture. No, even with our own camera (because then they ask for donations). And yes, we know we are clever. I also got called "extremely British" there since I appeared so pale. How wonderful, haha! Anyway, the next day, and after a wonderful breakfast in a cute cafe, we got on the very very sketchy metro (watch your stuff!) to see the Coliseum, Roman ruins, and the Arch of Constantine. All were so impressive, I have no words (just pictures). Chris and I spent so much time running around trying to take cool pictures, so hope you enjoy those in a post to come. Now, we are aware that there are so many more sights to see, but we were very satisfied with what we chose, and happy to get on a plane to.... MILAN. Milan was the only city where it rained during our travels, but we didn't mind too much. It was probably my favorite city of the trip - it reminded me a little bit of Northern Europe, had amazing shopping, and a reliable transportation system. The Duomo was MAGNIFICENT, and we had so much fun perusing the expensive shops and daydreaming about purchases. We spent 2 nights there, and then left eachother to go back to our respective cities. But no worries, because Chris was going to arrive in CPH that next weekend! Italy was very exciting: we found our way, ate some very authentic Italian cuisine, bought an outfit from Milan, saw some amazing historical sights, and got in a tad bit of trouble. ;)
Now, when Chris decided to come visit me in Denmark, I was a little apprehensive. I love the boy, but he LOVES places like Spain, where there is warm weather.... and well.... warm weather. I knew Denmark would be a completely different experience for him, so I was determined to make it a fun experience (despite the rain and lack of sun). We basically spent the weekend going out to some of my favorite spots and spending time with Danes. I gave him a tour of the inner city (like a pro), and even cooked a nice dinner for him. One night we ate at a very nice restaurant on Nyhavn, then went to go see the Danish Royal Ballet in Napoli! That was probably the best night in a long time. We hung out at a Norwegian party afterwards, and had such a good time goofing around and being us. Oh, we also went to the Ice Bar, so now I can cross that off my list. :)
I'm sad the break has been over, but classes are up in full swing again - and now I have SO many group projects and tests to prepare for! Luckily, DIS gives us a Thanksgiving break, and I'm off to London this weekend for a class trip! I'm SO excited to go to London, because I'd love to live there someday. Cross your fingers it doesn't rain!
Also, I'm going to go see Les Miserables at the Ny Teater in Copenhagen after my London trip! Reflective of my true hair color, I assumed the musical would be in French or English, but no, it's in Danish.... thank goodness I'm going with a Dane and that I know the plot well! Should be an exciting experience. :)
Expect some pictures in the next 2 posts!
Hej Hej
Danielle
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