Coming to Copenhagen I had no idea what to expect. I had tried to learn some Danish phrases but quickly realized when I got here that my pronunciation was far from correct. Here in Copenhagen I share a room with 2 other girls and we share a kitchen, living room, and bathroom with 9 other girls. One thing that was challenging for me at first was getting to class. Copenhagen has an amazing public transportation system (the metro is my favorite part of it). To get to class, I walk about 9 minutes to the closest metro station, ride 3 stops and change metros, then I get off in Copenhagen city center where I then walk about 8 minutes to my class building. On my first day here my roommates and I decided to brave the metro so that we would be prepared for class the next day. Thank goodness we did that! I would have been completely lost.

The first few days here we rainy and a little bit cold, but nothing living in Pittsburgh hasn’t prepared me for. We made the most of our rainy days and explored the city as much as we could. We visiting the Christansborg Castle, the Round Tower, and even braved the cold to enjoy some fresh pizza on the Canals. One thing that I love about Copenhagen is restaurants encourage people to sit outside even when its cold by giving out free blankets!

Even though the weather was not was I was hoping for, I knew it would be important to make the most of every day I have here. Walking around in the rain with my new friends has become one of my favorite new memories. To avoid the rain we wandered into little shops, bars, and restaurants that we probably would have never found on a hot sunny day. Getting comfortable in a new place is hard and it takes awhile, but I have found that it is so important for me to push myself to keep exploring even when I’m on my own. After my class each day I usually walk in a new direction away from my school building and see what I find. I have wandered into countless caffes and can never turn down a danish pastry or hot dog!

The most important thing I’ve learned so far is to wander around. As someone who loves a detailed daily itinerary, I have to constantly remind myself that there doesn’t always have to be a set plan. My best outings here so far are the ones that are spontaneous, where I may have gotten lost, but chose to change my mindset and just enjoy where I end up. I am so excited to see where wandering aimlessly will lead me next!