Transients

The wonderful part about living in another country and meeting like minded people in similar situations is there is an instant bond. You may not have hung in the same circles or even lived in the same city in your home country, but here it doesn't matter.

Other times the only thing you have in common is that you speak the same language, but when you are living in a foreign speaking country, that is truly music to your ears.

The sad part about meeting these people is they eventually return to their home countries or move onto their next adventure and it is uncertain when or where you might see each other again. It gives an entirely new meaning to enjoying the present.

That is the case for three wonderful ladies I met over the past year and had many good times and laughs with, so I'd like to dedicate this blog entry to them.

Thank you for making life in Denmark a little bit lighter (despite the lack of sun) Marie fra Frankrig, and Maren & Mandy from California! Copenhagen won't be the same without you.

Master Mind

Today is the beginning of the next two years of my life in Denmark. The first lecture in Strategic Market Creation at Copenhagen Business School begins.

Most everyone that goes to university in Denmark graduates with a Masters degree, so this was a logical decision when it comes to career, coupled with the fact that I have been wanting to go back to school since I started working in the real world.

Intro week was last week and besides feeling really weird talking about my 'husband' while in college, I was impressed with the material we will be absorbing ourselves with over the next two years, and the classmates I will work with on a weekly basis.

Project work is a common method used in the Danish educational system which is very different from the independent study in most American universities so that will be different for me, but in a good way. It's very practical and realistic in terms of preparing you for the real world.

Another bonus is the fact that I have a 'husband' who enjoys learning more than anyone I know, which means he will be available to bounce questions or theories off of regularly. That's one competitive advantage I wouldn't have, had I gone back to school right after my Bachelors.

Seriously Missing Summer

I moved to Denmark a year ago in May. When I arrived it was rainy and cold and I could not under-stand for the life of me how the women could wear sandals and pretend it was summer. June 09 wasn't much better, but we lucked out for our wedding with a little bit of sunshine. By the time we made it back from the States in August we enjoyed a few more weeks of warmth.

This year has been my first official, full summer in Denmark and I knew not to expect the humid highs of the Midwest, but I was anxiously anticipating the day I could actually wear a summer dress. Those days arrived sometime in July, and lasted pretty much exactly one month. It is late August and long gone are those summer dresses.

When you come from the Midwest you live for your summers. The season starts at the Memorial Day holiday (late May) and ends with Labor Day weekend (end of August). Sometimes we're even lucky enough to get a little Indian Summer in September, but either way you can pretty much count on at least three months of nice weather.

Those summer months get you through the long, hard winters. So when you reside in Denmark and live through one of the coldest winters on record in 25 years, you need a little more than one month of summer.

Sister Visit

My baby sister took her very first flight EVER to come visit me in Denmark. If anyone knows Steph, that shouldn't surprise them. She's always been a daredevil and has never really been afraid of anything.

It has been an absolute pleasure to watch her absorb an entirely new culture, country, and language which she has wholeheartedly tried to speak. Especially when we were visiting my husband's family, who speak little English. She even made up a new word: "Velbetak." It's Velbekomme and Tak all rolled into one. Thanking and Welcoming someone all at the same time. Brilliant!

Any time friends or family visit, it gives you a chance to do all the touristy things you haven't tried yet, which I am very much looking forward to. Things like going to see the Crowned Jewels at Rosenborg Castle or taking a tour of Christiania to learn the history of how an abandoned military barracks could turn into an "Alternative City" based on communal living and freedom.

However, the best memories are those moments when you see your loved ones experiencing something for the very first time, like swimming in the ocean.

Viking Holiday

For my thirty faux birthday, my husband and I in true Viking style, took to the sea for a weekend of leisure. We sailed to Oslo to check out Norwegian country.

This was especially fun for me as I was surrounded by my own little Norway in the Midwest as a child. I grew up next to a little town called Westby, where a lot of Norwegians settled. Names like Hansen and Petersen were very common to me in school which is probably one of the reasons I have felt right at home here in Scandinavia.

Sailing into Oslo I also realized why they must have felt right at home when they settled into the US. Wisconsin is a spitting image of Norway. For a second we felt like we were on the Mississippi River, not the Oslofjord Bay. Hills and valleys of green speckled with houses of yellow and red. It was beautiful, and actually made me a little homesick.

Change of Dress

Summer has finally bestowed its lovely self upon Denmark and I am happily smiling while I sweat it out. AC is not the norm in this earth friendly country which means the buses and trains are stifling and sometimes it's hard to sleep at night, but who needs sleep when you have warm summer nights to enjoy!

I never thought I would get a chance to bust out my summer dresses, tank tops, and flip flops in this Scandinavian land, but the past month or so has been absolutely gorgeous and provided plenty of opportunities to soak up the rays.

One thing that is definitely different however is how strong the sun is. In the Midwest we only need to be wary between 12pm and 2pm. Here, I can sit out after 3pm and still get tan, or burnt.

Another thing that is different is how young everyone dresses. Leggings and stripes can be seen in all seasons, but my favorite is when I see modern and stylish women in their prime years of life not afraid to show a little leg. Now that's something to aspire to!

Back to School

After a year of planning and waiting and insisting that I qualify - I have finally been accepted to a Masters Program at Copenhagen Business School. This was a close call and a battle almost lost because of the differences in my American education but I am happily toting my bags to summer school so I can 'officially' be accepted come Fall.

This means I have to take my nemesis of a class called Accounting and then the subject that is like breathing to me called Marketing. Why Marketing is a requirement completely baffles me, but I knew I was two tiny little nothing points short on the requirements in Accounting. So I am struggling through. Actually the subject matter isn't so bad, it's the time intensive problem solving that sucks the life out of you.

My professors are American, so I get a little taste of home during each lecture and while I still sometimes want to throw my Accounting book into the bin, I channel my good friend in the USA, the CPA, and try to appreciate the language of Accounting.