Name: Emmie Arnold
Home University: Vanderbilt University
Summer Courses at DIS: Children with Special Needs, Prostitution and The Sex Trade
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
If someone had told me that, after less than 21 days in Europe, I would have seen 5 castles,
biked 100 km in one weekend,
stood at the highest point in Copenhagen despite a substantial fear of heights,
spent so much time learning about Danish history and culture both inside and outside the classroom,
become okay with being lost and putting trust in others to guide me,
and grown so much as a person that now I truly feel like an adult,
I’m not sure I would have believed it. If someone had told me that I’d be spending the first 2 days of my long weekend between classes hiking by myself in the Swiss Alps, I definitely wouldn’t have believed it. If someone had told me that I’d love my host family so much that I’d prefer staying in to going out at night, I’m not sure I would have understood.
These first 3 weeks have been amazing in ways that are so different from what I expected. There are moments when I feel foreign and out of my element; there are moments when I say something in Danish and people smile because my accent is believable. There are moments I feel lonely; there are moments where I’m so at peace with being by myself and there are moments with dear friends and “family.” For every uncomfortable moment, there are 10 that are amazing. I’m learning so much about who I am through my beautiful experiences both inside and outside of the classroom here and I’m absolutely thrilled to see what the next 3 weeks bring!