Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Year in Review

I only have a little over 2 weeks left here. WAIT, WHAT!? This has been going crazy fast, and I'm not sure I'm ok with that. Sure, I miss feeling like I'm actually learning, but going to school abroad is just way cooler. Ok, maybe not the school part, but I just really like to travel. Anyways, the truth is, what comes after this semester scares me a little bit. Real life is fast approaching and I feel no where near ready to face it. But in the mean time, lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future, classes for next semester, what to do when I inevitably graduate, and also just thinking about the whirlwind of a year this has been. I'm so lazy so this may or may not be my last Denmark post, sorry I've actually been M.I.A. from this thing. I'd say life got busy, but it's more like I got lazy. This post is mostly a diary entry for myself, but feel free to read on about my year.


January-May

Well, alright spring semester sucked. I keep trying to tell myself and others (and definitely did this while the semester was actually happening) that I was fine, but let's be real, I wasn't. I felt pathetic, I kind of was pathetic. I wasn't in a good place, and I won't pretend like I didn't throw myself the occasional pity party. And that annoys me because I don't like when people feel sorry for themselves for things that aren't that bad.  I've realized recently, I still hold some resentment and weird feelings from those four months, for a lot of reasons. And those I need to let go of, or probably talk about ha. Especially because of the whole not liking people to feel sorry for themselves. I do often complain about that semester, but I kind of feel bad doing it, I mean it could have been way worse right? Yes, it could have. But I suppose that doesn't take away from the fact that I wasn't happy. Just because things can be worse doesn't mean things still aren't bad. Bright side, I learned about the joy of pinterest and Ellen videos.  Those things are the best. Seriously. Pretty sure pinterest is just as addicting as most drugs. But anyways, I'm trying to let go of a lot of the negative feelings I have from that brief part of the year because let's be real negative, mopey people are annoying. There is no use dwelling, and no use still feeling upset by anything that was so long ago, right? Right.

June

By far the best month of my life. I am seriously not exaggerating even a little bit. I'm not sure I can explain why June was so amazing for me, but it truly was. Despite being terrified after a brief google search of Guatemala City, and even just Guatemala itself, it turned out to be my favorite place in the world. And as much I do enjoy Copenhagen, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have large waves of missing Guatemala, even while roaming through Europe. I think it was just the entire experience. I loved where I worked, I loved where I lived, and I loved who I lived with. I miss those ladies from the nursing home every single day, and often wonder what they are up to and if they are happy. I hope so. They truly changed my life and career path. You go, ladies, don't know what I would have done without you. I miss all the wonderful friends I made through Cross Cultural Solutions, and thank them all a million times over for making the experience that much better. I attribute so much of my obsession with that trip to the amazing people I got to share it with. I genuinely miss them and hope that at some point in the not so far off future we can all meet again. Plus everywhere I went in that country was breathtakingly amazing. The stress induced from the many car and bus rides on the sides of mountains probably took a good five years off my life, but ya know, it was well worth it. Guatemala, you were really great to me...probably too great and I miss you like crazy.

July-August

This time was decently uneventful. Or, I shouldn't say uneventful, just good. Spent a lot of it knee deep in popcorn, but that is just fine. I suppose. I got to see all my best friends, which is becoming increasingly difficult now that adulthood is fast approaching. So I legitimately feel lucky to have spent time with friends who are now all over the place conquering the world. I met Brock. I chilled in Malibu. I ate froyo among other wonderful Californian foods. Discovered I was born in the wrong state. I ate a lot of Mill No. 3 with my mom. Consulted in the consultation corner. Baked a lot of cupcakes. Took Trevor and Chester for multiple walks. Climbed a mountain every week. I met the wonderful people at Abby's House. I'd say summer 2012 was a success.

August-December

Where to begin? I have been lucky enough to call Copenhagen home for the past four months, and I have to say I've truly loved it. In many ways this city has become like a second home to me. I finally feel comfortable here and know my way around. I'd say I feel like I fit in, but I'm not a super model gorgeous, blonde, stick so that's out.

 I was able to travel to Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland all within the span of a few months. I even spent one day in three different countries. I've now eaten churros by Plaza Mayor,  survived a country wide general strike, stood by the Berlin wall, spent endless hours in a German cafe, stolen grapes along a Swiss vineyard, walked in the footsteps of Holocaust victims in two different countries, listened to a Viennese Chamber Orchestra, and ate my way through the Danish bakeries. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for these opportunities. I owe my parents and Wheaton big time hahaha. I can't really put into words how the last half of 2012 has changed me, but I absolutely know it has. Sure, I don't actually have my own source of income, but I now know that I can manage to maneuver myself around the world on someone else's dime without too many hiccups. Let's not count that one missed flight and near jail experience in Germany. Wait, did I not almost go to jail? Sorry, it just really felt like I was close. But I really did miss that flight. That wasn't a dream. But anyways, I can now manage to kind of feed myself. Although, let's not go crazy now. My hair is falling out in mass quantities, so maybe I don't have the proper amount of protein down, but I'll get there. At least I know I won't ever starve. This semester has been a whole other level of independence. I wasn't so sure I was going to be able to manage conducting my life in a foreign country for this long, but I'm a boss, so I more than managed. Just kidding, I still talked to my parents every other day and drained their bank account, soooo almost.

Mostly, I feel like I can take on the future with a new perspective. Sure the Danish culture isn't anything too crazy, but it is still different, and I can really appreciate that. I can appreciate my own culture and country even more. AMERICA. The past almost six months now, have helped me figure out what I'm actually doing with my life and where I see myself in the upcoming years. I honestly don't think I would have realized what I really wanted to do unless I'd made the trek to Central America and Europe.

So thanks, Denmark, for letting me come invade your country full of supermodels for a little while. It's been real. And real expensive. Like seriously, do you make your sandwiches with gold plated cheese? Because that's the only way for me to justify your prices. Is the tea made of diamonds? Yeah, that must be it. But really, I still enjoyed myself nonetheless and will always remember Copenhagen as the city that robbed me of all my life savings. And where I learned a few things about life...I guess that too.