Well, as you all predicted, I did finish packing in the end. After the second entry in one day, I realized that I just had to throw everything into a bag and then I wouldn't have to think about it for another month or two. It only took an hour or so more to finish, to vacuum, and to un-make my bed.
Finally feeling accomplished, I went into Copenhagen to meet Alex so we could walk to the concluding ceremony & champagne reception for DIS. I realized I couldn't have been more happy to be done with DIS - after the terrible academics, and miserable professors, I was ready to walk away from the institution forever. I didn't think DIS had contributed to my life really in the least, but after listening to all of the speeches and seeing all of the photos, I guess my opinion has changed some. While looking around at the people around me, I realized I HAD made friends. It was never something I cared to do. At the beginning of the semester, I just wanted to be immersed into Danish culture - I only wanted to meet Danish friends, hang out with my host family, and learn Danish. I blocked out the Americans (maybe that's why I didn't have any close friends in my core course) as best I could, because I didn't see the point - why should I meet Americans while I'm in Denmark? Americans that all live far away from me, ones that I'll never see again. I mean, eventually I realized I couldn't go through DIS without making ANY friends, but even so, I had two or three close ones and Tali, and that was all I needed. Eventually though, life became a lot more stable here in this cozy little corner of the world, and I was content with the level of immersion I had achieved. I began to relax in classes, talk to more people, and trade travel experiences for insight. I began to make good friends, and even summer plans to visit different places in the States - future plans to visit different colleges, and plans to keep in touch with each other. I realized that I was starting to make memories - ice cream and walks to Vestebro with Tori and Sarah, bartending with Emily at Studenterhuset, shopping with Shea, trips around the city with Lauren. The thing that I never intended on doing happened - I made friends with many of the American students at DIS, and now I half regret it for two reasons: I've made even more people to miss, and I didn't do it sooner.
I guess I do try to think about it in an optimistic light as well - I really took advantage of my time abroad in Denmark. I didn't miss out on a single thing while I was here - I did everything I promised myself I would, from wearing bright socks outside of black leggings with black converse in public (I looked ridiculously stupid), to singing outloud in front of my host family (was so much fun!), to traveling the world by myself (was amazed), to finding the most wonderful boyfriend (was shocked), to becoming friends with my host family (was so happy). Aside from the friends that I didn't meet sooner, I don't regret a single thing about my time in this wonderful little country. I will be so disappointed to return to St. Lawrence next year - it will seem so far from my second home in such a beautiful and busy little city. The thought of going to Canton, New York makes me feel a little sick - I will miss the cobblestone, the long walks in the city, seeing new sights every day, the parks - just everything.
Now I'm here in anonther room that I've learned to call my second home in Denmark - 5 Rebaek Sopark. It is now, for least a little while, what I'll have to call my first home. It didn't take long to move in all of my stuff, and it'll be a cosy place to live temporarily. I'm happy here, and I know I'll miss it so much when I return to SLU. I'm already plotting different ways to find my way back to Denmark after I graduate from St. Lawrence.
...
We're running late for dinner with Stefan's parents & sister, so I guess I'll have to finish this later....maybe. I'll have a lot of time to kill, now that I'm not really doing anything with my life...except studying Danish with my private Danish tutor.
Vi ses for nu! (:
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