Three Days of Orientation = Three Days of Learning How to be a Dane!

It's so hard to believe that this is only my fourth day in Denmark, because despite clinching a map in my right hand, I've already been mistaken as Danish TWICE. While this may seem like a small or insignificant feat for an outsider, as someone who worried about "looking American," I feel pretty proud of this accomplishment.
After arriving Sunday morning and being picked up by my host family, I immediately saw that these next four months were going to be life changing. Weekends for the Danes, I found out, are days of relaxation; instead of running around to do errands or completing chores, my host family explained to me that weekends are designed for family time. In order to get over the jet lag, we went on a walk around the Blixen Musesum garden in Horsholm and ate at a local cafe for lunch. Since the menu was in Danish, my younger host sister translated every single item for me. In the end, however, I decided to order what she ordered-- a risotto made with barley and pesto and sautéed mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes.  Maybe it wasn't the most Danish-choice, but it was absolutely delicious :)

These last three days have been filled with Orientation workshops including "How Not to Meet the Danes" and a fun Amazing Race tour of the city center and waterfront. I really appreciated the busy orientation schedule because I was able to meet lots of new people and navigate the city. I also really enjoyed the opening ceremony held on Monday morning; the speeches by the DIS director and past DIS students allowed me to really understand just how important immersing myself into the Danish culture is going to be.  As of now, my bike ride to and from the train station from my host family's house has been a time to really appreciate the Danish lifestyle; riding my bright yellow bicycle down the bike/walking path in the cold morning and evening is not only refreshing, but also slightly invigorating.

I can't wait to see what other cultural experiences I will have and what else I can learn from the Danes.

Vi ses snart