"Welcome to Wonderful Copenhagen!"

So here I am in Denmark, finally, after an exhausting 28 hours of being awake. I don't have any intention of ever flying again, so don't expect me back in the country anytime soon - I flat out refuse.

Going through security at Burlington Airport went quite smoothly - I didn't expect it to be that easy. I found Gate 13 (it was pretty crowded already) and had to sit near people (I think I'd rather have been a loner on my first flight alone), but I wasn't unhappy with the circumstances - I figured I might get to know some people on the flight and attempt some friendly conversation. When I walked in, one of the workers handed me a blue tag -- saying that apparently my backpack was going to be too big to fit in the overhead compartments, so I would have to planeside check it -- meaning I would give it to them, it would fly in cargo, free of charge. Annoying, especially because my computer was in it. It wouldn't have fit in my other bag, either, so I was kind of screwed. As soon as I sat down, I realized I'd walked in between a conversation that a woman was having with some people sitting across from her. She talked, and talked, and talked, but unfortunately, was literally one of the top 10 obnoxious people I've ever met in my life. Some conversation snippits for fun:

Woman: How old are you?
Girl: ...17?
Woman: What???? You look like you're twelve.

Flight attendant: While I know some of you have connecting flights with little time to spare, if you miss them, we've scheduled you other connecting flights.
Woman: OH, well aren't YOU just comedians?!?!

(What??)

Among some others. So eventually I just started reading a book, and avoided all eye contact with her. I'm pretty sure she wanted to talk to me, because every time I looked up, she was staring at me...awkward. Well, whatever, I realized I wouldn't have to sit with her, and I only had to wait around an hour at the gate. Not so bad, right?

So, so, so wrong. Lucky me, I got to sit NEXT to this woman for the hour long flight to Newark. When the plane landed, she said to me, "Get out of my way, I have to get onto another flight in 15 minutes!" Sweet. Well, the guy in the seats next to us had to catch a flight in 20 minutes, so he got up, blocking my way. The woman proceeded to push her bag into MY seat, pushing me OVER the armrest and into the guy standing in the aisle. Overhead, our pilot told us that we were a little bit early -- She responded, "Yeah, well SOME of us have another PLANE to catch to FLORIDA."

It was a lovely ride.

So then I'm standing around in Newark Airport completely lost and looking for my Copenhagen flight in Terminal C. After two guys working there decide that I look so lost that they need to assist me, they give me completely wrong directions, and I end up asking someone else. This man (who was about 6 inches shorter than me) looks at me and says, "Yeah, well if you were looking at the right AIRLINE, you might have gotten it right." I had talked to Tali earlier, and she had told me about Air Trains that would take me to the different terminals. He told me that I needed to get to Terminal B, and I asked, "Oh, do I have to take the Air Bus?"

Response: "Um, I haven't heard of an Air BUS...but you DO have to take the Air TRAIN." He used the hand quotations around "bus" and "train". Ouch, Newark. Harsh.

So I finally get to the right place, meet up with Tali, Trevor, eventually Alex, and some more of the SLU kids. Somehow in all of this, the zipper on my bag broke, and I lost my hat. Definitely devastating, as it was the most perfect hat in the world, $19, and brand new. Great.

Anyway, we get on our flight, which, despite the seven long hours it took, was pretty nice. Alex and I got to sit next to each other (though we were the LAST row in the middle of the plane, so no window viewing at all), and we met a new friend, Lizzie from DIS. SAS was a great flight, decent food, lots to keep us entertained... so it wasn't bad at all. It was huge, though. There were at least 150-200 (but I'm bad at estimates, so it may have been more - definitely NOT less) students from DIS headed over, so it was fun. Our pilot even wished us good luck at University.

So we arrive early, at 6:40a.m. Denmark time (and 12:40a.m. our time) and go over to our baggage claim. "Welcome to Wonderful Denmark" signs were all over, and I was really excited to be there. After a frustrating day, I knew the signs would be right. Right? Since Trevor and Tali were getting in around 9:00a.m., we figured we'd just wait around a little while for them (because baggage would end up taking so long anyway). So Alex gets his bags, and then they stop coming on the conveyor belt. A woman working for SAS Airlines comes into the throng of students and says, "Check with me to see if your baggage got lost."

Yeah. OBVIOUSLY I'm on that list. Why wouldn't I be?

Obviously.

So I'm here with no luggage. Welcome to Wonderful Denmark, huh?

After going to the baggage check, I was physically drained, and eventually just started crying - lucky Alex. I got over it eventually, because they said my baggage would arrive the next day, and we could pick it up at DIS. It just sucks because so much of my stuff is in it, all of my electronics (exception: Computer.), clothes, toiletries, shoes, etc.

So Alex and I finally decide to check in with DIS because Trevor and Tali are taking so long, but their flight said they would be in at 8:55...WRONG.

So we waited and waited for them, and eventually realized that their plane had been totally delayed, and they weren't getting in until 10:01. We had already missed the bus that went to DIS at 10:30 (because it said they had gotten off the plane, they just hadn't gotten their luggage yet), but they said another one was coming by 11:00, so we figured that they would definitely have their luggage by then. WRONG.

The 11:00 bus came with the 10:30 bus and everyone boarded, so the next bus wouldn't be coming around until noon. So Alex and I sat in the damn Copenhagen Airport from 6:40a.m. to noon. What an exciting entrance to Copenhagen! Not. When Tali and Trevor finally got to us, Tal and I grabbed some Starbucks, while the boys got their first meal in Denmark - BURGER KING. For all four of us, Epic Fail.


Totally cranky, we finally get out of the airport and head over to DIS, where we're expecting tons and tons of orientation stuff. Almost immediately after we get off of the bus, a sweet-looking, blonde woman comes up and asks if I'm Kristin Howard. Lene, Tali and my host mother, had found us. We were able to go through all of registration really easily, got our cell phone, etc, and got on the road.

We stopped at a bakery, which smelled absolutely delicious, got some stuff and drove home - not a very long drive at all. When we got to our house, they told us that Tali and I would be living downstairs, and we have the entire basement to ourselves. I've got a smaller room with a bigger bed, totally cosy, wireless, and wonderful. Tali's got a gorgeous room, and we both have a bathroom to share. The laundry room is also down here, so it's really nice. When we got to our rooms, we found a nice little keychain with a house key on it - because we have our own entrance to our little home downstairs, and they decided to make one for us for the next four months. So sweet of them. It's absolutely lovely. Lene and Lars are wonderful host parents so far - they took us on a 2-3 mile walk around the town, up their "mountain", which is just 17K. We walked by the sea, which was gorgeous - swans and ducks swimming all over. We saw so much, and it was a lot of fun, and we got to spend a lot of time talking to them. We're finally home and it's almost noon your time -- almost 6:00p.m. ours. I'm totally exhausted, but we're trying not to go to bed until around 8 at the earliest to minimize jet lag. Lene makes sure that we're not sleeping every quarter of an hour - very sweet.

Last downfall of my life: Remember when I said I had to check my backpack at Burlington? They must have thrown my bag hard enough that it broke the corner off of my computer. AWESOME.

That's why I never intend on flying again. Sorry guys. Luckily, once I got away from the airports, Denmark has been great. I've met some really awesome people, love my host family so far, and am very happy that Alex and Tali have been with me for the entire day, because without them, I think I would have lost my mind.

So that's been my last 48 hours - mostly terrible, but made up for with Denmark, Lars, and Lene.

Hope you enjoyed listening to my epic failures - will post pictures of the house and scenery soon!