Day 1 in Denmark!

Arrived in Denmark today! Had a brief stopover in Oslo, Norway, which was very snowy and foggy, so  I was not able to see much of the view. The airport was beautiful and meticulous --everything that Newark is not. After an 8 hour flight from Newark International Airport to Oslo, all I wanted was a small cup of hot coffee. Upon learning that it would cost me $6 for a coffee, I ditched the idea and waited for my next flight with other tired friends from Gettysburg. About an hour and a half later I arrived in Copenhagen. I was greeted by DIS faculty (The Danish Institute for Study Abroad), and was paired up with my host family, Ca and Lennart, and my roommate, Molly.

I am living in a small town called Gevninge (pronounced "Gehv-ning), which is about an hour away from Copenhagen, and 10 minutes from the city of Roskilde. On the way to their house, we passed by rolling meadows, huge wind turbines, a HUGE cathedral built in 1100, and a tiny but tempting bakery that I will somehow have to walk by everyday with restraint and self-discipline. Well, we'll see about that.

Ca and Lennart made delicious homemade pizza for dinner tonight. One was broccoli and mozerella, and the other was tomato and strong "danish cheese" (not quite sure what it was, but it also commonly referred to as "stinky cheese"). They were both incredible! Dinner also included a carrot, raisin, and walnut salad with a glass of red wine from Spain (according to Lennart, the Danes are not big wine producers, but are large consumers).

The house is very quaint! It is a traditional Danish home, originally built in 1860. It has a mustard-yellow exterior, and one must bend over a little when entering through the door, as the house was not built for tall folk. It used to be an old farmhouse in its day, and Ca and Lennart's bedroom is actually where an old horse stable used to be. The house embodies huggelig, which is a Danish word that means "coziness," but is more of a general cultural feeling shared by Danes. When I asked Ca and Lennart was hygge means to them, they said it is usually just the act of relaxing and having a good time with people. Every culture does this, of course, but the Danes are the only culture to recognize it and give it a name.

Very tired from a long day of travel, so off to sleep for now. Yes, it is only 6:30.