I DO NOT like change. Any large transitional event, from spending a month in Spain to going off to college freshman year, is usually preceded by weeks of trying to calm a racing heart, attempting to put my imminent departure out of my mind, and even bargaining with my parents to let me stay home! Now I’m facing another big change: spending the fall semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The fact that I’m so nervous about going to Copenhagen is ridiculous, considering my two qualifications for applying to colleges were that they be small liberal arts schools and that study abroad be popular among the student body. After having an incredible time during the aforementioned month in Spain, I knew I wanted to study abroad during college, and I didn’t want to go to a school where it wasn’t common to do so.
Luckily, I wound up attending Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where over half of the student body has studied abroad by graduation. The majority of my friends are all studying abroad in the fall, so I don’t have to worry about missing too much on my home campus during this semester.
As an English major, it would probably have made sense for me to study in an English-speaking country like England or Ireland. But no, I decided to make things slightly more difficult for myself by looking for a location that was “off the beaten path”. I’ve traveled around the world with my family and have been to many countries in Europe already, so I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before. I’ll also admit I was slightly obsessed with Stieg Larsson’s novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo at the time, so Scandinavia looked promising. My decision was made after I talked to fellow Bowdoin student and HC writer Joanna Buffum, who had spent a spring semester studying in Copenhagen. Denmark it is!
The goal of all of my previous travels, either with my family or with my peers, has been to expose myself to a world completely different from my one in New York. Copenhagen is no exception. Instead of attending school in small-town Maine with about 470 other students in my class, I’ll be in a European city with 600 other students at DIS, one of the largest study abroad programs I know of. DIS is so popular because it offers specific tracks of study, like Architecture & Design or Medical Practice & Policy. My core program is European Culture & History with a focus on the Czech Republic. This class has nothing to do with my major, but for me, study abroad is more about experiencing Europe like never before.
It is yet to be determined whether all of this will fit in two suitcases. Good thing I bought space bags.
While of course I’m excited to be in Copenhagen for four months, right now I’m paralyzed with nerves. I’m nervous about packing the right things, being able to find inexpensive food that I’ll eat (I’m a bit of a picky eater), getting around the city, booking travel, making friends…the list goes on and on. I know that once I get to my dorm, settle in, and meet some other students I’ll be fine, but I’m not doing so well with the anticipation.
In the few days I have left before I leave on Saturday, I’m just focusing on getting last-minute items at home that might not be readily available in Copenhagen, spending time with my family and friends, and eating my favorite meals. I’m used to coming home for breaks each semester, but I won’t be back in my house until December. Hopefully I’ll love Copenhagen so much that I won’t even want to come home then!
Next week I’ll update you on how I’m settling into my new home in Denmark. Leave a comment letting me know if you have any study abroad or Copenhagen-specific advice!