Becoming a Dansker

Name: Marie Ojo
Home University: Wittenberg University
DIS Copenhagen Summer Session 1 Course: Human Health & Disease: A Clinical Approach 

Hej and welcome! I cannot believe it has already been a week since I arrived in København (as the natives say). I didn’t believe this trip was actually going to happen until I flopped onto my bed at my Residential Community, took in the view from my (screen-less) window and realized I was here. The past few days have been a dream come true and I have already experienced so much that I cannot wait for what the next few weeks will bring.

My name is Marie Ojo and I am a rising Junior at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio (Tiger Up!). I live in New Jersey but I am originally from Lagos, Nigeria so I am definitely no stranger to travel. In fact when I talked to my family about applying to this program my brother said ‘Aren’t you already studying abroad?’. Yes Gerald, yes I am but this experience is so much more different! I have always been drawn to Europe, the fashion, the food, their laid back attitude and many a time I have pictured myself living that lifestyle.

If I’m being completely honest the first time I heard about Copenhagen was when I watched Pitch Perfect 2, it looked like the picture perfect European city and I knew I just had to visit. The idea of studying abroad came to me last fall and I wanted something short and sweet and of course I had to be able to communicate with the locals. My school offers many options of which the most popular are in Spanish speaking countries. I found DIS and I was drawn by the flexibility of the programs and the fact that there wasn’t a language requirement. I went home, did my research on DIS and Copenhagen and thanks to the student blogs I decided this program would be perfect for me and I applied! As my departure date approached my excitement grew and I fell in love with this city from across my computer screen.

I arrived on a warm Tuesday afternoon with way too much luggage (shoutout to my amazing roommate Maggie for helping me), and I was immediately dazed. There were pedestrians, bikes, and cars on the same cobblestone streets! The street signs were on buildings, there were 7-Elevens everywhere and all the streets were topsy-turvy. It was about 75 degrees, the sun was high in the sky and I immediately regretted the three jackets I had in my bag. Despite all of this I couldn’t be happier! I was finally here and I could not wait to take head on all the challenges that would come my way.

Copenhagen is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined and surprisingly not that hard to get around. In a day I made my way to Hvidovre Hospital and back home in one piece, I did get a little lost along the way but that’s besides the point. There is so much to discover and I have found myself walking down the streets I take home everyday and finding something new every time. The food is amazing, there’s so much to do and I have already made the most amazing friends.

I have so much more planned for my three weeks here and with one week down already I feel like I have made a huge dent in my bucket list. I found the trampolines in the street, I almost got run over by a bike (do not j-walk here), I had the most amazing ice cream cone on Nyhavn, I learned how to say Nyhavn and I’ve met some of the most amazing locals. I haven’t jumped on the bike trend though, firstly because I’m terrified of how fast-paced the traffic is but most importantly because I love walking and thankfully, Store Kannikestræde, the street I live on is so close to everything that I am able to walk almost anywhere with ease.

It has been an incredible journey so far and as I sit at my desk listening to the natives doing their thing outside, I am eager to see what the next day will bring. I am slowly falling in love with this city and I don’t know how I’m going to bring myself to leave in a little while.

Peace out everyone, I’m off to seek another adventure.