All I can say is… WOW! How have three weeks already come and gone? It seems like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to my parents in the airport parking lot while mildly panicking about my obviously overweight suitcase. 64 pounds is close enough to 50… right?
These past weeks have been an experience of a lifetime and I’m so sad to see my time in Copenhagen come to a close. While adjusting to life in a foreign country was definitely more challenging than I had anticipated, I know I will be forever thankful for this study abroad experience. Being thrown into a completely new environment, new language and new way of life was undoubtedly stressful at times, but I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be! These three weeks were the first time I truly felt like an adult—getting myself to classes using public transportation, paying for groceries and cooking meals for myself, which definitely requires more work than I thought. (Shout out to my mom for always taking care of that for me. I love you!)
Maybe I didn’t do too well on the whole making food thing…
My experience in the classroom was truly the most rewarding part of this experience! In just three short weeks I was exposed to countless aspects of the Danish educational system and had so many opportunities for hands-on experience throughout the city. The diversity amongst my classmates truly enabled me to explore the world of disabilities from a holistic perspective! I thoroughly enjoyed the collaboration between my classmates, combining our different experiences and degrees into discussions related to our class topics. This was my first experience learning from not only my professors but also my classmates!
Studying with DIS in Copenhagen for Session 1 gave me a chance to take a break from my major courses back home in North Carolina. Don’t get me wrong, I love studying journalism. But through DIS, I was able to step away from my degree and study something I’m incredibly passionate about, children with special needs, and still graduate on time! It truly was the best of both worlds.
While my time in Copenhagen may be coming to a close, my study abroad experience continues on—and so does the blog! For the next three weeks, I will be studying with DIS in Stockholm, Sweden. I can’t wait to move into my new housing, find my commute through the city, and learn about life in Sweden! And, my class will be traveling to Germany for a week! Someone pinch me, seriously.
I’m off to learn yet another new language. Who knows, maybe this time I’ll be a little more successful.
Farvel for nu!