Denmark Diaries: I Pack My Suitcase...

My time in Copenhagen is coming to an end. In the last few days I’ve passed my final exams (at least I hope so), sold my bike, packed my things and cleaned the flat.

The five months in Copenhagen were a good time. August in particular was great: the Danish advanced course was challenging, but also a lot of fun - and I also cycled through one of the most beautiful cities twice a day, passing almost all the sights.

Copenhagen is an incredibly liveable city and I really enjoyed being not just a tourist but an actual resident here. (And until the end I was secretly delighted every time someone answered me in Danish when I spoke Danish) I have many fond memories of Copenhagen and Denmark - of the euphoric atmosphere in August and September, of the daily bike rides, which I loved even when it was drizzling and windy, of delicious food and lots of art, and an affinity for Danish design that grew over time, as well as wonderful trips to Sweden and Sjælland. (Oh yes, and at some point I also went to university.)

What I actually underestimated somewhat was the “huge university” factor. At my previous universities there were around 10,000 students and always a relatively informal atmosphere in my department - at the University of Copenhagen there are just under 40,000 students and there were exactly two people I saw in more than one course (although the attendance rate tended to hover around 50%). As I wasn’t really in the mood for a “party four times a week” Erasmus semester, I found it surprisingly difficult to meet new people. Previously, I had always had a regular social environment in which it had been relatively easy for me - and suddenly this regularity no longer existed once the language course was over in the summer.

Overall, my semester in Denmark was a very enjoyable and enriching experience. I came here with joy, enjoyed living here and am now sad to say goodbye. It was clear from the outset that I would only live here for a limited time and would leave the city and the country again after just six months - that’s why I’m sad now, but not devastated and I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the people who are important to me again.

Copenhagen may not have become my home (partly because my time here had an expiry date from the beginning and there was always somewhere else I would return to), but I very quickly felt like I had arrived in Copenhagen - and I have a feeling that I will be back.