Back in the U S of A

After dealing with airport craziness as me and all the other DIS students tried to leave the same day, I had to part with my host family at the security gate. Malou (Morten's girlfriend - as a reminder) said in the car "girls don't cry because if you cry I'll cry." I then made a promise I couldn't keep, because of course the tears rolled when the time came for good byes. So with blurred vision I squeezed Kirsten, Morten and Malou one last time and headed through security.

After a random check at my gate, an 8 hour flight, customs, and waiting forever for my bags I strolled through Newark airport to see my family. 

Now in a previous text message I joked about requesting a ridiculous homecoming complete with lemurs doing parkour, the Savannah animal pyramid from the Lion King, and a cupcake cake in the likeness of Theresa Caputo among other absurd requests. To which my dad answered "Would you settle for me playing the kazoo?"

And so as I rolled up covered in luggage I was greeted by Tim, Mom, and Dad all playing little kazoos -  absolutely perfect.

When I finally got home I had a slobbery reunion with my pups as I was tackled with dog kisses and then said hey to my indifferent cat. I immediately wanted to bring Hygge to my home so my brother joined me in lighting every candle we own. I think Hygge will influence me forever and I will always be striving to make a space cozy sand hyggeligt.

I am certainly happy to be back with my family, I missed then tons. But I am also coming down from a high, I was living the life and now I'm in travel withdrawal. instead of hopping over to Sweden this weekend, I'm sitting on my couch? I guess it's not half bad relaxing with my family either, but it definitely is a life style adjustment,

Another thing I've been struggling with is JET LAG. Oh Lord is it a pain in my butt. For a week I was asleep my 7pm and up at 5am. It's been getting better now but I my body still is dealing with all the extra time if gained and didn't know what to do with. Moving East was definitely easier, I just had to pull and all-nighter and I was done, coming home as been a bit more a challenge.

It seems like I can't stop mentioning Denmark in conversation. I am always saying "well you know in Denmark..." I must be getting real annoying. But yet when some one asks me "How was Denmark?" it is just a loaded question that I freeze up and all I can say is great. I don't know how to simplify my experience into an answer to one question. And even if the question is more specific "what was your favorite part?" I can't choose. There were awesome trips and specific events, but I wouldn't pick any one as my favorite moment, And I can't explain well the feeling of being there either, I can't say exactly what I loved soo much about Denmark. It's just... Everything! I don't think I will ever be able to sum up or really truly describe my experience, it will just be integrated into my life, influencing the person I am now and will be in the future. 

Maybe you can see it a little in my photos of withing my blog posts or just from the way I talk to fondly of it in casual conversations, but I don't think anyone will be able to see my experience entirely but that's okay. I don't have to share it with everyone, I was a personal journey - it's changed me, helped me define myself a little bit more, and it has brought me so much joy that I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

Home is Where the Hygge is

"Home is Where the Heart is."

-Pliny the Elder

I never used to really understand this quote: what do you mean home is where my heart is? Home is home! Long Island, New York- that's home! But it's not actually that clear cut. Home is not the wood and nails of my house or the block I live on, it is a place where you feel comfortable, loved, confident, and happy. Studying abroad has given me the opportunity to learn how to listen to my heart and find home in other places than, well, home.
Studying abroad has surely given me confidence; throwing myself into a strange environment was not easy. My home town is small, my college campus is small, but "Copenhagen as my home, Europe as my classroom" that doesn’t sound so small. I have been given the opportunity to travel to many different countries and have gotten to see so many new places. I've always dreamed of being a world traveler, but to be honest I didn’t even know my way around an airport. Learning to travel and all the responsibility that comes along with it demands confidence, and once you feel confident in traveling internationally it opens so many new doors. One day I was in Paris the next I was in London; there is such a wide world to see and so much to learn from it. Feeling confident and being comfortable within cultures different from your own is a valuable skill. It’s about acknowledging the differences, making connections and appreciating both. Living amongst the Danes and visiting various other European cultures has offered me the chance to see the world in a plethora of different lenses. Seeing a situation from different perspectives and approaching arguments knowing that people have their own way of seeing things, prepares me for living confidently and successfully in a global world.
If we bring things back to practical skills my experience has given me, living in Denmark has forced me to tackle the giant that is public transportation. I take a bus, a train and the metro in one trip to school alone. I quickly had to learn my daily route and be flexible in my commute plans, because sometimes rejseplanen tells you take the 147 bus but it'll throw you for a loop and say the 152 is best this time.  I had to learn to no let change upset me and make me anxious. So a change in the bus doesn't seem like much to get nervous over , I know, but public transportation in general was a change for me. I walk  five minutes to class everyday at home and here I had to adjust to an hour commute with multiple line switches. Even through something as tedious as taking public transportation, I have seem a change in my self confidence. I'm not afraid to take different routes and find my own way around. I've learned to think of different places to get somewhere and that can be said for more than just what bus to take, but also more figuratively about life choices in general.
Through this experience, I've become confident that I can take my life in any direction I choose and that no matter where I end up, I will be able to find my way around; I can thrive in any surroundings. But this experience has not just been about gaining confidence and opening professional pathways for me . Finding somewhere you can be intellectually and financially secure is part of creating a home but what is more important to me in defining my home is the comfort, love and happiness I feel.
For a time I viewed the idea of home as a sterile, concrete definition. This is where I grew up, it is where my blood relations are, this is home. I now know that home is a fluid entity, it is an abstract definition. Yes, where I grew up is home, but not for the logical reasons I had attributed to it before. It is home because I am happy there, I am comfortable, people I love and that love me are there. However, these emotions are not exclusive. I can create a safe warm environment anywhere and my parents and my siblings are not the only people I can love as family, my host family has shown me this.
Signing up for DIS I knew I wanted to live in a home-stay, because I felt it had so much to offer and it was the best route for true cultural immersion; it didn't hurt that my home university required me to do home-stay. Either way, it was the choice for me, though I was a bit nervous about how it would work. I just wanted it to not be awkward and I didn't want to get in my family's way. I was going into it with the wrong mind set, I was counting my host family as a separate unit from myself. I am part of the family here; they welcomed me with open arms, and for the past months they have cared for me and as well I have cared for them. My host family has taught me how to find support and love in others, to let new people become a big part of my life and to not be scared to rely on others: ask for help. I cannot express in words how much I appreciate my host family, never did I expect to feel so loved and really consider these people, who once were strangers, to be my family. This experience has open my heart to let others in, I have learned to approach others with compassion and to accept them into my life and heart. I had underestimated the dimensions of my heart, there is endless space for new people to love and each addition will have its own spot, it's own breed of love.
Part of feeling comfortable in Denmark, came from learning some Danish. I think making an effort to learn the native language not only put me in an open disposition for understanding cultural aspects but also helped me to feel a part of that culture. To me, Danish is one of the nicest languages I've ever heard. I don’t really know why but I find those pesky extra vowels and the awkward soft d sound to be just fantastic. I quite enjoy learning the language - I find it fun to tackle it’s hard pronunciations- and I am also delighted by the fact that is has helped me bond with Danes. Many times at social gatherings with my host family or neighbors I have been asked to show off what I know- "Can you say rødgrød med fløde?"-  but it actually is a way to engage me in conversation with them. As well when they slip naturally into their native tongue I can still keep up with the conversation to some extent, which makes me feel included. Learning a new language in general has lasting effects on the way we think, other languages may take different approaches to why they assign a certain word and it forces you to see that word and what it represents in a new light. As well speaking with someone who is learning the language can also be an eye opening experience. When I speak with my host-mormor she sometimes uses a totally unpredictable word yet it makes logical sense to use it when you think about it. It really makes you analyze your own language and do some self-reflection on your own culture.
Living in Denmark has given me a whole new outlook on life. In fact I have dedicated myself to living the hyggeligt life. The idea of hygge has to be one of the best gifts Denmark has given me. Hygge and happiness are intertwined, and living with the aim of hygge will surely promise me a life of happiness. Achieving hygge doesn’t require extravagance or opulence. Hygge encourages me to not be materialistic, to cherish the company I am in, to appreciate the little things in life and to slow down and enjoy each moment. It is good to remember that happiness cannot be bought, and as well it can come in many different shapes and sizes. Hygge cannot be directly translated, and I think this is important to note. It is not strictly defined, it can be whatever you feel is hyggeligt. A life is not defined by the things a person had, the things you owned aren’t tallied up and every last bill counted.  Life is a compilation of memories and emotions, the good times along with the bad, spent with people who matter. Hygge helps me to focus on the good times, so they are there in my memory for the bad, and to appreciate the people around me who make me feel happy, warm and safe.

My soul has surely been molded by this experience. I can now be a confident person no matter where I go, and even if I'm not at first, I know to trust myself and embrace my apprehension. I can appreciate cultural differences and take different perspectives to a challenge. My heart has been opened to accepting love in all different forms and I have learned to live for the little things, for the hyggeligt moments. I have learned to accept other people and places as my home. Home truly is where the heart is and my heart is big enough to be shared among many homes.  I can find love, comfort , and happiness wherever I choose and it delights my heart to know it has a whole big world to call home. And as I move on from my time in Denmark, I will leave a little part of my heart here, to pick up later when I come back home again.

Human Health and Disease

This semester I have had the pleasure to be enrolled in one of the bets classes I've ever taken- Human Health and Disease.
I this course has given me so many amazing opportunities and my teachers Ditte and Anita (Danish Doctors) and our course assistance Karen (Danish Med-student) have taught me so much.

This class takes an applied approach to learning anatomy and physiology. It has taught me to think diagnostically and given me ample practice in doing that, through theoretical case studies as well as interactions with real patients from Hvidovre Hospital. I have gotten to learn practical skills with hands on training. I got to conduct lung, heart and abdominal exams, I've done suturing and placing IVs, orthopedic inspection, CPR and defibrillation in a mock cardiac arrest scenario, and recording patient histories. Not to mention the things I witnessed on our study tours, like I've described before (C sections and such).

This class has really given me experience that no class at home would offer me. It has given me a look into the world of a health professional and has helped me to solidify my decision in career path, and really excited me for my future. I am so grateful for this course and the knowledge and stories my teachers shared with me.

London Calling

"Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong." - Big Ben

Roll up in London and first thing me and mom do is grab a pint. We sat in a cute pub, that seemed so British, with a name like The Jack Horner - Ales and Pies, what else can you really expect. We got some beer and some food and had a hyggeligt time.

With only about 2 days to see all we wanted in London, it was a busy packed visit, and we still left so much unseen. We saw big Ben, went into Westminster Abbey, and saw the London eye from a distance because that was on the opposite of moms to do list. We saw the crown jewels, visited the outside of Buckingham palace (since tours are only in a short window of time in the summer). We ate fish and chips, saw a show in the west-end, spent a lot of time getting familiar with the tube. we walked across the tower bridge and the millennium bridge, much to mom's dismay- though I enjoyed making fun of the anxiety that bridge caused her. And we visited 2 of my favorite attractions the tower of London and Shakespeare's Globe.

The Tower of London was so much fun because we took this free little tour. I HIGHLY recommend taking the short tour if you happen to be visiting the tower of London. The beef-eater tour guide was an absolute delight. He not only knew his stuff but made it interesting with hilarious comedic commentary. It was also amazing seeing all the crown jewels. It was too bad we only got a quick glimpse at the crowns and orbs and such as you had to be on a conveyor belt to pass by it. Because without that conveyor belt I would DEFINITELY be able to break into the plate glass surrounding the crown and steal it under the eyes of 2 near by guards and the probable alarm that would sound. Just seemed like over kill to me, we get it they are expensive and important!

The Globe was probably one of my favorite things to see in London. We spent a good amount of time getting lost on our walk there and ended up getting there too late and we weren't able to take a tour before our show in the west end.  So I moped for a minute or too and then we walked away. I am so grateful that we went back the next day, and I think we ended up getting a better view of the Globe in the daylight than we would have in the evening. The theater was gorgeous and hearing about how difficult it was for actors at that time and the dangerous conditions they worked under sometimes was really interesting. I really really enjoyed the Globe and I just hope I can go back to London in season to be able to see a show there.

Though we ended our stay in London rushing to the airport in a panic of the possibility of missing our flight, it was overall a really great stay. And I really enjoyed sharing that experience with my mom as we both really appreciate British culture and definitely British TV programs.

As we returned back to Copenhagen, we hit some trouble at the airport... mom's luggage was MIA. That put a damper on things but we still saw Tivoli all dressed up for Christmas and spent a lovely brunch with Kirsten and Morten on Sunday.

Then I sent mom back home a little light on luggage but still in one piece!
I really enjoyed my holiday with Mama, I couldn't think of any better way I would have liked to spend my travel break! And it is really comforting to me to know someone at home will know a little of what I am talking about when I get home and never shut up about Denmark.

Pondering Paris

Imagine strolling down the side walk, passing by Parisian cafes packed with people sipping on lattes and soft accordion music pouring out  over looking the Seine with it's small meandering boats going by , and the smell of warm fresh croissant greeting your nose.
aaaahhh our preconceived notions of Paris.

Now Imagine a bumpy, loud, dirty metro taking you to an hour long wait for the Eiffel Tower as Parisian teenage dirt bags refuse to leave you alone.
That's the Paris I experienced.

I went in to this trip with every dream, hope and beautiful picture of Paris painted in my mind. I mean ITS PARIS! and of course it had it's charm - tasty croissants, wines and cheeses and beautiful towering churches- however overall I felt an overwhelming feeling of disappointment as the city felt short of my high expectations.

Before I go on about how Danish Culture is way better than Parisian culture, let me first talk about the highlt enjoyable parts of my trip.

The Churches. 

Notre Dame was not just a beautiful face, it was an ephemeral but emotional experience. Mama and I happened to be there on Veteran's Day (or Armistice Day) and so a choir was rehearsing inside. Beautiful choir music rang through the towering ceilings, making for an overwhelming experience; giving me a sense of faith, love, fear, joy... wrapping me in the presence of God. A feeling which brought me to tears as my soul was brought to its knees. Sitting in that church absorbing the light and music into myself like a sponge, I realized how disconnected I had become with my faith. It was like I had so much to tell Him, I needed to ask for the Lord's forgiveness for neglecting Him in my life for a while and at the same time proclaim my love for Him and thank Him. But no words were needed, no prayers to be said, no sermons to be listened to, I just entered that church and the tears welled in my eyes like I couldn't keep what was in my heart within me at that moment. Faith is flexible, it can eb and wave, as long as the ocean doesn't dry up there will always be a high tide to follow the low.
With a faithful heart and a sinners body I lifted myself of my seat and continued to be in awe of this mighty cathedral. We waited in line for over an hour to climb to the top of that amazing building. And after endless steps we reached the top and were faced with a gorgeous view alongside majestic gargoyles.

Along with Notre Dame we also took in the excellency of Sainte Chappelle. We stood in the warm and beauty of the floor to ceiling stained glass windows displaying different biblical stories. Never has a photo required a filter less, these windows were a stunning aura of light and color, intricate and blended with one another at the same time.

The Tower.

Of course we went to the the Eiffel Tower, I mean is that even a question? no... if you didn't go to the Eiffel Tower were you really in Paris at all?? 

I think the Eiffel Tower lived up to its hype. It is of course gorgeous, especially at night all a-glow. And it is quite tall! we took multiple elevators all the way to the top with mom gripping my arm and fearing for her life the whole way up. 

The Food.

Food is very important to me, so of course I had pre-booked a eating excursion.

 Mor and me went on a tasting tour of the St Germain area with "Paris by Mouth" tours. It was an intimate group of 8 including our tour guide, a Californian defected to Paris for the love of food. We stopped at many renowned shops: a boulangerie, an MOF chocalatier, a charcuterie, a fromagerie, and concluded our night with the sommalier. We leisurely paired our cheese, meats and wines. Some were quite good though one cheese could only be described as the equivalent of licking a farm animal.The chocolate was amazing; extraordinary combinations of flavors in the finest of cocoa: Espresso, Jasmine tea, and Lemon and Basil. We had one other stop for sweets after the wine and cheese. We were scheduled for a creme puff one can only dream of, and we ended up literally only dreaming of them because we didn't get there in time and the shop closed. It turned out to be not so bad a turn of bad luck as we ended up going to the shop of a man who brought salted caramel into being... yum.

The Art.

We took a trip to the lovely Louvre and saw some amazing art. Of course the 8 year old in me begged mom to taking pictures of me imitating statues. Hey, we all have our own ways of appreciating art. We also took the obligatory selfie with my gurl Mona Lisa. We also visited the Musee d'Orsay which was so great, I loved all the Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas.

The People and Culture.
Here's were I start to turn on our French friends. Mom put it so aptly that you felt as if Parisians were laughing at you the second you turned around, like our waiter at the fancy restaurant, the lady at the baguette shop, and the lady at the Louvre ticket booth.
It is proper Parisian etiquette to always say "Bonjour" when you enter a store and "Au Revoir" as you exit. Ain't that adorable.... I see it as really fake. They put on a facade of friendliness, when really they don't care for or about you. And this is where I become an advertisement for Denmark. In Danish culture, these niceties are nonexistent, this may make them seem harsh but NO it is refreshing because they don't put on a fake act, they are extremely sweet and friendly once approached but they don't require stupid empty politeness.

And as our time with Paris came to an end, we felt a sense of content in experiencing such a city but looked happily forward to our date with London

This is my Temporary Home

6am I jump out of bed
615 dress and brushing my teeth
630 shoveling down some toast
640 frantically looking up the bus time
645 running to the bus stop
648 realizing I'm at the wrong bus stop because I'm too excited
649 realizing I dont have time to make it to the right bus stop
715 the alternative route bus finally arrives
800 worrying I will be late
820 make it to the airport
830 still waiting... guess I wasn't late
845 Mama strolls out of those arrival doors!

The morning I had been waiting for for weeks, my mama coming to visit me! So, bright and earlier I picked up a sleep deprived but cheerful mama and we went straight away to get a pastry!
I dragged her jet lagged self around Copenhagen, from Nyhavn to the round tower and by my school. I don't think I ever stopped talking, typical. I was so happy to be with one of my best friends telling her and showing her my life for the past months. At 5pm we retired to my host families house for a lovely dinner. I'm so glad my mom got to meet Kirsten and Morten because they have become an important part of my life and they are very special to me. Mom was hitting the wall and so we ventured home so mom could finally get some sleep after being awake for over 24 hours. So we went to bed with sweet dreams of Paris in our heads.

{ the saga of mom's visit continues with the next couple of blogs}

Velkommen til København

....Folks, we have begun our descent to Copenhagen, Denmark, where the current weather is a lovely 8 degrees outside and raining. we will be at the gate in about twenty minutes, We'd like the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for arrival.and we want to thank you for flying with us today....

SO YOU'RE GOING TO DENMARK…
maybe you're thinking how can I fit in? what Danish customs should I comply to?

well here's some hints:

What do Danes wear? - Black on black on black… there is very little color in the Dane's wardrobe and the more hipster a Dane is the more black they will wear as well as the tighter the pants will be and the bigger the scarf. Also feel free to wear sneakers with jeans, with a skirt, with a  dress, with just about anything -totally acceptable to even show up to the bar in your running shoes.

What about dining? - prepare for potatoes, that’s a staple. and mind your table manners, keep both your fork and knife in your hands at the same time. Also Danish people eat slow… don't wolf down your whole plate in 3 minutes. You should also thank your host for the food in Danish that's "tak for mad". Saying thanks is super important to Danish culture!

Are Danes nice? they seem stand off-ish. - the Danes are a sweet peoples but very quiet. they will not make small talk on the bus and if they need to get by to get off that bus they won't say excuse me they will just clear their throat or stand up and just wait for you to get the hint. Actually Danes don't even use the words "excuse me" you could say sorry - "unskyld" but more often Danes will just say nothing and this doesn't mean they are being rude, though it does seem like they are just making it more difficult for themselves. Basically communication is not their strong suit but if you initiate a conversation, say asking for directions most Danes will be happy to help and very friendly!

Okay now here’s an important question will people understand me? - YES most Danes speak English, well . Because Denmark is so small and the only country that speaks Danish they know they must pick up another language to function globally and English is a key choice. Signs/menus may not be in English often but you can order in English no problem . If you want to say I don't speak Danish in Danish you say "jeg taler ikke dansk" but people will probably understand you better if you just say it in English

What do I call the delicious treat that I know as a Danish?? - we will just call those pastries, the Danish word is  "weinerbrød", no matter what you call them, pastries will be consumed and it will be enjoyable.

How will I get around? - Danes don't use cars too often, it's all about public transportation and BIKES. we will ride the metro (metroen), bus (bussen) and the train (toget). If you choose not to use a bike (cykle) try to just take note of the really interesting bike culture. They are everywhere and the bike lanes function like regular street traffic. Watch out to not get into the bike lane because they will take you out, cyclists are fierce.

I'm thinking of checking out the bar scene what will that be like? - Copenhagen has a variety of bars from small intimate hyggelig bars to bumping discoteks where you can dance all night. You will find that if you show up much before 10 the bars will be empty. Danes find midnight to be a reasonable hour to start the party and will probably keep going until 4 or 5 in the AM. Also if you appreciate healthy pulmonary function you may not be able to stay in certain bars for too long because many bars still allowe smoking indoors. On a more technical note keep in mind that buses stop running on the weekends at midnight so you may end up walking  half hour with your roommate or calling your host brother to pick you up at the train station at 3am (sorry Morty). One more fun fact about nightlife: you will most definitely see a man peeing on a building at some point during your night,

What's the money situation, will I have fat stacks of cash when I convert my American money?? - NO. Scandinavia is one of the most expensive places to like in the world. The Danish Kroner is worth 5.5 USD but don't think you're getting 5 times your money this is reflected in the prices. You'll probably suffer mild sticker shock when you have to pay 30kr for a coffee (30 dollars for a coffee?! stay calm it's only 6 dollars which is still highway robbery for en lille kaffe latte)


Now you should be a little more prepared for your upcoming visit, we hope you enjoy your staying in lovely Copenhagen.

Totally Tivoli

Tuesday night I had the pleasure of spending the evening with the host fam at Tivoli,
Tivoli is an amusement park right smack in the middle of Copenhagen. It opened in 1843 making it the second oldest amusement park in the world, with first oldest being another amusement park in our very own beloved Denmark. Tivoli welcomes millions of visitors each year from around the globe, it is the most visited theme park in Scandinavia and the 4th most visited in all of Europe.
Tivoli is really a fun experience for all. There are tons of thrilling rides but for the more faint at heart there are also lush gardens to walk through, a bunch of cute little stores and shops, and a wide variety of choices when is comes to food.
Tivoli also is known for their seasonal changes. Tivoli is open for a short period of time for Halloween and then again later for Christmas. The whole amusement park is dolled up in holiday fashion. We obviously were there for the Halloween season and so the park was covered with pumpkins and skeletons.

My visit to Tivoli included riding along on some really fun rides with Kylie screaming her lungs out next to me and Morten enjoying Kylie's fear. We went on some rides that flipped us upside down and others that twirled us til we were dizzy but it wasn't hard to tell that Morty's favorite was the bumper cars because he got to chase Kylie and I around and smash into us. Poor Kylie though her lame ankle was already in pain and I think head on collisions wasn't helping any. I can't if it was hilarious or terrifying see this face gunning for us ....

I also got to accomplish my goal of having one pic of all of us: me, Kylie, Morten and Kirsten. So now I have at least one picture to show of our happy little family.

And at the end of the night we got some delicious mini churros, a tasty end to a wonderful night.

Berlin - Long Study Tour (part 2)

So as we all know (because all of you, my millions of readers, check up on my blog everyday right?) I was on my long study tour. Our first stop was in Poznan, Poland- and if you haven't read about me being in an OR, chickening out on the nude sauna and drinking polish vodka... you should head on over to my previous post and read up. Anyway on Wednesday night we took a train from Poznan over to Berlin. It was a Hogwarts-ey train with little compartments we rode in. The commute consisted of me laughing uncontrollably at mildly funny things and discussions of politics, so that was a fun time for all I'm sure.

We arrived in Berlin and all played checkers and went straight to bed at 9 o'clock... okay are my grandmothers gone? good ... actually we had quite a bit of polish vodka stowed away in our bags and whipped that out which lead to a photo shoot in my hotel room and some good times at a bar after.




The next day we went on a bike tour around Berlin. Our lovely tour guide William was particularly cheery even in the icy rain which we all endured the whole day. We stopped at some lovely sights including the Brandenburg gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin wall. I would love to say it was totally awesome even in the cold rain but to be honest I was a bit miserable in those conditions but I tried to pay attention to the amazing city around me as best I could.

After we all dried off and warmed up a bit we went to the German Heart Institute Berlin. Here we got an all inclusive lecture-tour experience with videos of live heart surgeries and a peak inside the ICU.
Next we went to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which was destroyed in WWII but the remains stand as a reminder and the new church and tower are right next to it with beautiful blue windows that glow in the night.

That night we ate traditional German food at a restaurant that was described as having food served by grandma herself... well this grandma must have had her panties in a bunch because we were basically asked to leave after dessert for being too loud ( remember we are a group of 30... gonna be a little louder than usual off the bat) and she found an empty soda bottle in the bathroom which enraged her and she accused us of putting it there....Germans are strange.

The next day we went to a family planning center were we learned about German sex education. This plays offers a safe environment for classes of kids to come to learn sexual education, and it is also a place for women to go with questions about pregnancy and even get an abortion. After that we went to Charite Comprehensive Cancer Center where we were briefed on the centers activity and then were ushered into a medical museum. The museum was really cool, with lots of old specimens, but I was a little disappointed we didn't get to learn more about the cancer center. But oh well, I did get to see a megacolon so i guess that's pretty cool.

One of the coolest places that we went to in Berlin, in my opinion, was the Markt Halle Neun - a street food market. This places was lined up and down with booths of foods ranging from traditional German to Korean to Venezuelan. I decided to get a Korean ramen burger which had korean beef with kimchi and the bun was made of fried ramen noodles squished together.... It was to die for, AMAZING. I couldn't stop just there so I also got Moroccan veggie couscous which was also delicious.
 While at the market we also did a short brewery tour of Heidenpeters brewery,which is a homegrown business in a  small basement that makes craft beers. We got to try out 3 different kinds, so 2 thumbs up for pale ales! with full stomachs we headed to a bar recommended to us which was an upside down bat, sounds exciting... not so much, in reality there were just some tables with place settings glued to the ceiling, A for effort I guess?

On our last day we all met to discuss our experiences and come together on what we gained from this trip. Afterwards we went to visit an old airport - Templhof airport.WORST part of the trip BY FAR. we were lead from one creepy room to another that all looked the same and the tour guide talked endlessly of the most boring things. I couldn't wait for it to be over and I think everyone else was on the same page as me.
 Once free of that jail of an airport we all went our separate way for some free time, I went shopping with Kelsey. We first went to what I would say was a German diner and had schnitzel,yum.Then we went to a HUGE Christmas store which we got lost in for a good hour gawking at the sparkly ornaments. After our wallets were a bit lighter we met back at the hotel to head out to the airport.

I was really sad to see this trip end, I had really grown to love all the people I spent so much time with. Half of them I'll see in class everyday and the other half hopefully I'll see elsewhere. These study tours is what sets DIS apart, they are what make DIS great because they get it, they understand that we chose to study abroad to see the world and travel not sit in just another classroom. These trips made it so easy for us to see other parts of the world without the worry of planning flights and hotels which gave us more time to concentrate on what these trips have to offer and what knowledge we would gain from them. They also bonded us as a class, or 2 classes rather. The city setting of DIS, with all its housing options, does make it a bit harder to make close friends and these trips really help to foster friendships and give you great travel buddies. I can't thank DIS enough for the experiences they have given me so far, I appreciate the study tours more than they can imagine.

Poznan - Long Study Tour (Part 1)

As a student with DIS, you have 2 trips planned for you, one short and one long. As you may know my short study tour was to Sonderborg and Odense in Denmark. This past week was my long study tour and we visited Poznan, Poland and Berlin, Germany. I traveled with my section as well as another section of the Medical Practice and Policy Program, and I couldn't be more grateful for having such an amazing, fun, friendly group of people to travel with. So here's part one, our travels to Poland.

Poznan is a city in the western-central area of Poland and is the 4th largest metropolitan area of Poland. It is among the oldest cities in Poland. On Sunday morning we all boarded a small plane in 50s movie star fashion walking up steps from the tarmac. On our first day in Poznan we did a student guided walking tour, because apparently polish tour guides aren't the best match for solely English speaking tourists. Anyway we split into 2 groups and each of us presented on a stop of our tour. We saw the Imperial Castle of Poznan, the June 1956 Protests Memorial, the old city walls, the old market square (Stary Rynek), Poznan town hall with its ornamental ramming goats by the clock, and the Proserpine Fountain.

( me and my friend Kelsey)

 Monday began our academic visits, for these we had to split into smaller groups, and my group first went to Poznan University Pediatrics department, where we had a tour of the hospital and a very length lecture from a resident who was not afraid to be opinionated and honest. His answers to some of our questions were quite eye opening like his response to a possible ebola outbreak in Poznan - "when the time comes I think we'll just improvise." And if that doesn't make you a little uncomfortable with the Polish healthcare then their lack of hand washing and how they cram 5 patients with gastroenterological diseases into one room, to share one bathroom, may change your mind. Now I know I'm really ragging on the Poznan right now but it was a little alarming, but that's not to say the doctors didn't care for their patients, and I certainly still learned a lot and enjoyed my academic experiences in Poznan, especially my trip tot he Obstetric and gynecological department of Poznan University Hospital. 

The nest day on my visit to the OBGYN department we were lead around by a fast pace doctor who was on a mission to show us everything she could. In our time there we got to peak in on a C-section of twins. I saw that second little baby fresh out of the womb purple, though I only caught glimpses of the surgery through the window. Next we saw the end of a hysterectomy and the doctor picked up the uterus on a tray for us to see. The removed uterus had a very large tumor on the left ovary. And the surgical show doesn't stop there, next we were invited into the operating room (standing in the corner and told not to touch ANYTHING) and observed the entire procedure of a hystoscopy in which the surgeon removed polyps from the woman's uterus. It stood in awe watching that screen, thinking is is so awesome that I get to watch live surgery right now, as our guide constantly asked if we were feeling okay and not about to faint. On a different note from the rush of surgery, we also got to experience the more human side of a hospital. We got to speak (through translation) with women who were having difficulties in their pregnancies and had to stay in the hospital with fetal heart monitors strapped to their bellies. We heard them tell of how they got there and how its hard worrying about their child. We also experience the joy of new mothers as we visited with mom and baby who were going about their one of their first breast feedings. The bond between mom and newborn and they joy you feel from the love they already have for that brand new life was amazing to see.  Overall our visit with the OBGYN department really showed me the ins and outs of a day at a hospital and I really got A LOT out of it. It reassured me this I want to be doing, working in medicine combines the exciting mental stimulation of surgery and diagnosing and the compassion and connection with other people that you get from interacting with patients. 

Aside from academic visits we also went on a trip to an indoor water park and sauna. Now to be totally honest I was not psyched about this, getting in a bathing suit not during bikini season... no thanks . But, I really had a fun time. We all enjoyed the water slides and pools together. And we all got a little closer when we went to the sauna together. So Europe is a little more open about nudity and so sauna-ing in the nude is a totally normal thing, but for modest american values me, being naked with all my class friends was not ideal. I did however try it out when we all went in one with just towels on, but when some daring souls wanted to lose the towel and try out the other steam rooms, you could count me out. Even with out the full sauna experience, I really had a lot of fun.

We also got to make our own pierogis which were heavenly. We we all donned some aprons and rolled some dough and then enjoyed a traditional Polish lunch. This was Tuesday which was also the Birthday of our tour leader Stephanie and one of my classmates Tucker. So we celebrated the big 25 and 21 with cake. Tucker celebrated his 21st in the American fashion later that night, but Steph celebrated in the Danish fashion. On your 25th birthday in Denmark, for some reason, you bombard the birthday person with cinnamon. so she woke up to a cute decorative plate of cinnamon at breakfast from our other tour leader Karen, but then was feeling paranoid all day of the looming attack of cinnamon that awaited her from Tucker and some others. Though she got the cinnamon she was promised eventually she still said it was a birthday she'll never forget.

Some other events of Poznan include all showing up at the same Mexican restaurant when we were on our own for dinner (including our tour leaders who may or may not have not been happy to see us), enjoying 30 cent shots of polish vodka in a particularly good fig flavor, shopping, and enjoying some really cheap tiramisu flavored ice cream.

- Also look out for part 2: the second half of our trip, to Berlin

Norway-My Trip to the Motherland

Standing on the shores of the fjord, I feel overwhelmed by the beauty of the world. Every landscape view I have seen before pales in comparison to the views I saw all around me in Flåm. Norway is jaw-droppingly beautiful, every time I turned my head, I was smacked in the face with another awe-inspiring spectacle. And though I can show you photo after gorgeous photo from my trip the beauty of  the Norwegian fjords can not be encapsulated into such a 1 dimensional matter. It's not just the view, which is stunning in the photos yet still falls short of the real thing. It is an entire experience: the sights, the sounds of the water and sheep baa-ing softly from a far, the sun peeking over mountains, the crisp chill that makes you hug your scarf around you a little tighter, the rewarding tightness in your muscles as you push yourself to explore further on your hike, the taste of salt on your lips as the water sprays you in your kayak, and breathing in air so fresh it feels as if it is actively cleansing your lungs. It was a rejuvenating experience being engulfed in nature and it also renewed my faith: what a magnificent earth God has given us for a home.

Maybe you're wondering about the title of this blog post now, so let me explain. Norwegian is part of my heritage. Though we have no direct relatives in Norway at this time, my family,going back generations, came from Norway. My brother and mother have put loads of time into tracking our ancestry back and we have learned about our family's lineage coming from Germany and Whales and Norway.. and some other places? I don't know I'm not the one who did the research. But I am definitely a good part Norwegian as proven by my surname "Jacobsen" highly Scandinavian in origin as I have been told numerous times here in Denmark. So this is why I call Norway "The motherland" and getting to visit here was a dream come true, and the only thing that would have made it better would have been to share the experience with he rest of my crazy viking obsessed family.

Now you probably want to hear about what I did on this trip besides just stare with my mouth open like an idiot. So I would describe this trip as an adventure trip, and by that I mean we did a lot of physical outdoorsy exploring kind of things including tons of hiking (ranging in difficulty), kayaking, biking, cheese making... you know the usual. It was arranged through DIS so my itinerary was set which I loved because I think it would have been hard for me to plan out seeing all these great places on my own. We flew to Bergen and then took a bus to a very small town called Flåm (pronounced like foam with an L in there ). Flåm, is a remote town with  one restaurant, one store and a handful of houses. It was a really beautiful area and I felt like I was in the middle of no where, which was actually a delightful change of pace from Copenhagen. The weather wasn't great in the beginning but it cleared up towards the end of our stay.

One of our first activities was a tour with a company called Fjord Safari. This tour was on a speed boat and it raced around through the fjord stopping to point out landmarks and porpoises in the water. It was a really beautiful tour but unfortunately for us it was rainy and cold, though we stayed pretty dry and warm thanks to the ridiculous gear they had us wear. We headed out from Aurlandsfjord and went further into the stunning Nærøyfjord,our turning point was Gudvangen, the end of the fjord. We were actually in an area were apparently they filmed the landscape shots for the TV series "Vikings" which of course my family watches. Though the weather was bad and was a little miserable by the end, it made everything look really cool. There was like a misty fog thing going on that made everything look awesome and bad ass.  I'm not really sure how a fjord can be a bad-ass but like those mountains were looking ominous and the water was so still you just think " aw man I don't wanna mess with that fjord." therefore I stick by my description of the fjord as bad-ass. So too sum that weird explanation up, the fjord looked really cool in the fog.

The next day was the main hiking day. We hiked the Rallarvegen trail which was first created and used by the railroad  workers who erected the Bergensbana and Flåmsbana railway lines at the turn of the 20th C. Long in disuse, it has since been reborn as a recreational trial which winds through the hills and dales overlooking Aurlandsfjord. We took the Flåmsbana train up to Myrdal, the top the mountain. This train ride is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world, and I would certainly agree. Once at the top we slowly hiked our way down and back to Flåm, 21 kilometers.  The hike was more physically demanding at the top, with a more sharp decline, but otherwise it was a mild hike, by the end it turned into paved roads. But it did call for some major endurance, 4 hours of hiking and the fatigue starts to set in, in your muscles.

The next day we went kayaking. I love being in the water so this was a part of the trip I was super psyched about. We suited up in wet suits, jackets, and grabbed a partner and a paddle and hopped in the kayaks. It was a beautiful day compared to the previous days of rain. We kayaked through Aurlandsfjord and paddled to Fronneset which
had viking burial mounds and a waterfall we climbed up to. I loved being out on the water, with the splash of salt water in my face and the smell of the sea. Even though it was so different it felt just a little like home, which was nice after missing my beaches and the somehow comforting smell of low tide. Back to the viking burials mounds, way cool; the more important vikings were given a ceremonial funeral where they would send them on their boat with their things. The boat was set on fire and pushed away to sea, but the fjord is not that wide and so people were sent to catch the boat on the other side of the fjord and then they would bury the burnt ship under loads of rocks. Some of those mounds of rocks are still there today. The guide said it was important to the vikings that they were buried always looking back to where they came from and  I thought that was a really nice idea. The guide also recognized by tattoo which just made me super happy, I have a viking/norse/icelandic protection symbol on my arm that is all about never losing one's way or being lost in the world. Anyway back to kayaking, lots of fun, go water sports!

Later that day we biked through town to a point were we hiked up to another waterfall and got some sweet pictures from a great viewpoint.

The next day we biked to Otternes Farm, one of the oldest farms in Norway, a collection of 27 farm houses perched high above the water. It was a major struggle getting up there, we were all feeling a bit sore from the previous days of activity and now we were faced with a steep incline all the way up to the farm with our bikes. Though each step I thought I couldn't go any further I made it to the top; and it was worth it, it was the cutest thing ever. On the farm we got to wander around first taking in the sights, taking a ton of photos and giving Mary-Ann the little lamb LOTS of attention. She was the cutest thing and a total attention seeker, what a diva. when we got close to her pen she would run right up to us and stick her head through the fence slats to get as close as possible.





Next comes the awesome part, or just the next part if you don't get as excited about cheese as I do. WE MADE BROWN CHEESE or "brunost". Now there are multiple reasons why this was an awesome experience.
1. it's cheese and who doesn't love cheese?!
2. we got to be part of a process that Norwegian people have been doing for years and years
3. my family has a tradition of eating this brown goat cheese which we call "geitost", especially around the holidays and so it's really significant to me
[and] 4. it smelled AMAZING in that little room as we stirred the hot cheese
So, basically to make brunost they take goat milk and caramelize it, and so we sat in the little room where it is done and each got to take a turn stirring it and we learned about the cheese making process and sang songs - I whipped out some of dad's repeat after me camp songs when we didn't know what to sing. The white milk slowly but surely turned more brown and thickened and reduced into a more brown paste. The cheese was finished by the farmers and then we got to take a little of our homemade cheese with us :)

After our hard work watching cheese simmer, we ate a huge lunch in a barn. There was soup and meats and potato salad and smoked fish; there was Norwegian flat bread and brown cheese and other cheeses; there was organic fresh bread with fresh farm butter that was damn good. And after all that wonderful food we had traditional norwegian pancakes,"lapper", with jam and creme fraiche on top. It was heavenly!!! I asked one of the ladies from the farm if they make Krumkake, a Norwegian dessert I have learned to make at home, and yes they do actually make that and she brought over another woman who makes them especially well and she talked to me about it for a bit. I felt so in touch with my heritage and it was so great experiencing the farm culture because even though we think of vikings as only pillaging brutal peoples they were actually  farmers most of the time. All in all the farm was just wonderful, the people were so very nice and it was a great cultural experience.. and tasty!

After the farm we rode our bikes to the next town over, Aurland. Some of the group rode over to a special look out spot, but it was a difficult path and would require more strength to get up some steep climbs... so, some of us stayed behind and hung out in the town. We found a lovely spot by the water and I had the lovely idea to roll up my pants and get in the water, because I just HAD to be able to say that I was actually IN the fjord. So I stood calf deep in the FREEZING water and that was as close to swimming in the fjords as I was gonna get.

That night we also went to this cool viking themed brewery that had a lounge area with a fire place and fur pelts to sit upon. Drinking beer like the vikings... dad and Tim eat your hearts out (though it'd be more accurate it we were drinking mead I guess)

The last day of our trip, we said good by to our Flåm sweet Flåm, and headed back to Bergen. We spent the day in Bergen, where we road to the top of Mount Floein and then had sometime to wander around the city. 

Norway was probably the most amazing place I've ever been. It was unbelievable trip and I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience Norway like this. I had so much fun hiking and kayaking and biking; and even though all that physical activity made my muscles really sore, it was a rewarding ache that radiated through me body. It's amazing to see how far you can push your body and the ache in my legs was a reminder of the awesome experience I just had. The chance to travel a lot like this and to do and see so many great things in Denmark and in other European countries is such a great gift and each day I am more thankful for the experience of study abroad. Norway was probably #1 on my list of places I want to see in the world and I'm so glad I can check that one off, now I just have to get back there to share the experience with my family.