Leap of Faith

Hi, I’m Sam Lindberg and I am from a small town in Illinois. I will be a junior this upcoming fall at Northern Illinois University studying journalism and working towards minors in sociology and women’s and gender studies. I will be attending Session 1 in Copenhagen and Session 2 in Stockholm.

The course I am currently taking is ‘Storytelling through Photography’ and I will be taking ‘Gender, Equality, and Sexuality in Scandinavia’ in Session 2. So far I am really enjoying my photography class. I’ve learned some new techniques and I enjoy that we go out into the city to apply what we are learning in class.

I’ve wanted to study abroad for a few years now and I really liked that DIS offered a summer progam because I don’t think I would like being gone for an entire semester. I also liked that DIS allows students to study in both Copenhagen and Stockholm during the summer and offers Study Tours with its courses. This summer I will get to go to three different countries: Denmark, Sweden, and Germany.

This summer I decided to take a big leap of faith as this is my first time ever leaving the US and I also didn’t know anyone traveling with me. While it was a bit scary, I am so glad that I did things this way. I’ve been in Copenhagen for a week now and I’ve already made some great friends and have become comfortable in the city.

My first week I have gone to various cafes – my favorite right now is Roast Coffee – and have wandered around the city, which is the best way to find new places to eat or shop. Some of my favorite place I’ve gone to so far has been the Kings Gardens, the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens, and Roskilde, Denmark – the historic Viking village.

Some of my goals for the summer is to use public transportation and to push myself out of my comfort zone, which I have already started working on! This past weekend I was able to try out the bus and train system. My roommate and I quickly learned that at the train station you have to check in and out! I’ve also already tried the Danish open-faced sandwiches, Smørrebrød, which was the first time I had ever eaten fish. While it wasn’t my favorite thing, I am glad that I tried it!

With five weeks to go, I am excited to keep exploring Denmark and Sweden. There is still a lot of photos to be taken, places to go, food to try, and coffee to drink!