Hot Wheelz

I think if there is one inanimate object that I am going to miss when I leave this place it's going to be my bike (sans the unknown guy who walked into the picture).

It's funny how something as simple as a bike can make you feel like you belong. Once I got over the thought that Danes were crazy for riding their bikes in the winter (as scary as it sounds), I became more and more dependent on my bike, especially it's basket! I didn't realize this until one night coming back from a club I found the front wheel of my bike mangled beyond repair and for about two weeks I was seriously inconvenienced by my lack of bike (walking quarter of a mile while carrying groceries is not fun). To think that before I came to Denmark the thought of getting a bike and learning how to bike through the city made me nervous, and now it's something I love. Biking in Madison used to make me nervous and the bike traffic there doesn't hold a candle to what it's like here. Hopefully I will be able to find it a good home come June.

Much Love

And then there was Berlin!

I decided that I should take a break from staring out the window (in disgust) at the white stuff (that should not be named, but to give you a hint it's not volcanic ash) falling from the sky and finally write about Berlin.

About Berlin

The trip started with a 7 hour bus ride starting at a time of the morning that no one should be awake. Thankfully I packed enough tylenol pm to knock myself out with until I arrived in Berlin :), though I did wake up for part of the Ferry ride across some body of water (I have no idea how we drove to Berlin) only to resume my nap on the floor of the boat for the 1 hour 45min ride (as uncomfortable as it sounds).

We had fabulous weather for the entire trip, a little cool some days but always sunny. We didn't do much the first day there (weary travelers) except for prowling the city in search of a sports bar to watch a football match, Barcelona vs. Arsenal for the record. This walk produced my first "first" of the trip; First #1: I saw my first hooker (the real deal; hooker boots, fanny pack, etc.), which would be quickly outdone by walking to dinner one night and spotting a hooker every 10 yards.

The remainder of the trip (5 days total) went a little something like this:
Wake up at 9
Eat breakfast
Sight see all day
Siesta time
Dinner at 9
Go out until about 6am
Repeat

We took an extensive walking tour (3 hours kind of extensive) around the city seeing all the top historical spots (see picture album). It was really interesting learning about the history of Berlin, mainly the wall. It was something that I had never taken the time to learn, (or in my defense never had the opportunity to learn about) and it was extremely fascinating. I loved our visit there, and I think it's the history of the place that made it such an interesting place.

Another part of our trip (4 hours to be exact) was spent inside the famous Pergamon Museum. Not being one for museums, my attention span was lost an hour in, and I literally was forced through the rest of the museum. At the time I wasn't to thrilled but looking back I think it was a cool thing to experience. The Museum was full of all these ancient artifacts and reconstructions of discovered buildings and statues that dated back to the BC ages. There is something cool about seeing something that old, and even more interesting was how they had moved these enormous pieces of building from their discovery sights and into the museum (still a mystery).

When it comes to traveling, the one thing you always think to do is eat something that is specific to that country. All I could think of that I had to eat in Berlin was a brat (OK so I thought of more things but this is the only one that I would have eaten), which we found a stand at a train stop selling brats for 1 Euro that did the trick. I also continued my tradition of eating Indian food in every place I travel to. That was something that I never really planned on doing, but since it's sooo expensive to eat out here it's become a tradition when I travel (though it might be ruined in Italy). Needless to say, the Indian food, although delicious as always, was not nearly as good as in London (next best thing to India I hear).

On our last day we spent 3 hours in a line (on 2 hours of sleep) waiting to get into the Reichstag (Parliament) building to go to the top dome. It was worth it in the end, but still...3 HOURS! To top it off our 7 hour bus ride was spent attempting not to go crazy from being exposed to a baby crying...for the entire trip (not exaggerating).

In other news, I hate Iceland.

I was supposed to be in Barcelona right now (I bet there isn't white stuff falling from the sky there right now), but due to the stupid volcano in Iceland my flight was canceled. Sooooo I'm going to try to rebook at the expense of the airline (suckers) and hopefully will make it there without incident. Otherwise I have Italy to look forward to in the beginning of May.

A little less than 2 months left over here (try not to wet yourself with excitement) so I'm making the most of my time! I promise more pictures with people in them.

Much Love

Because I Said So

My dad wrote me the other day telling me to write on here more often, and like any good daughter, when dad tells you to do something...you do it.

This past weekend I went to a triple birthday party for a group of friends who all turned 21 in the same week. They all happen to be Scottish, and apparently turning 21 there is as big of a deal as in the US. And by "big deal" I mean they out-do any American belief that we make 21 a "big deal." There were Scottish men everywhere dressed in kilts, and at one point, the birthday boy broke out his bagpipes and played while all the Scottish people began dancing little jigs all around the room. It was quite a cultural experience and it made me realize that I can't come up with anything specific to my culture for my birthday...other than my friends trying to get me to black out and/or vomit.

Tonight we are having the first good bye dinner of our group of friends. I'm not looking forward to saying good bye and it is not helping with the fact that I am trying to forget that I leave soon as well. I am making a chocolate chip and sour cream cake (comfort food) for our little dinner that we're having, cross your fingers that it turns out.

Much Love

It's Sometimes Sunny in Copenhagen and Learning to Pay it Forward

...thank god because seasonal affective disorder (a.k.a. seasonal depression, don't I sound educated?) would have definitely set in by now.

The sun and the warmer weather here made me realize that there are actually people in this city. As soon as it got nice out there instantly was a change in the atmosphere here, as if the sun magically makes everyone happy. With that kind of vibe in the air you can't help but be happy yourself, and of course instantly miserable as soon as it rains.
I had my first picnic in the park this past weekend. Although as soon as we laid out our blankets clouds covered the sky, it was one of the most relaxing things I've done in a long while (hard to imagine since it appears I have been relaxing for the last 3 months).

I've hopped on the popular trend wagon and picked up the book Eat, Pray, Love (the author is a little full of herself but so far so good) about this woman (the author) who after a mid-life crisis spends a year living in various places to more or less "find herself". Anyway, I read this part where she is living in Italy and learned that the Italians have this ideal, "bel far niente" which translates into "the beauty of doing nothing" which is the goal of everything that they do. To completely relax and find pleasure in everything. And of course it goes into this whole thing about how American's have an "inability to relax into sheer pleasure", which the more I think about the more I realize that it's true (think about it you know I'm right on this one). So it's something I am going to try and work at in these last couple of months here because lately I have been only thinking about how I have two months left, how quickly it's going to fly by, and how sad that makes me. It's turning me into a Debbie Downer and I'm not happy about that.

On a more interesting note I have a funny story that I'm sure you'll enjoy. I never fail to amaze myself with how easily I can embarrass myself with little to no effort (it's practically a skill). So here is goes:
Once upon a Thursday evening, Carlye decided to wear a dress to a party at the Copenhagen Business School (damn the classy precedent set by all business schools, which I can't help but try to fit in to). At said party are the said "hottest guys" in all of Copenhagen (who can resist a guy in a suit?) and two cocktails for 40 kroner (STEAL). The party takes place in the atrium of the B-School building and there are a lot of people there (is the scene set enough?). So I decide to go to the bathroom (easy enough) and I walk out and back across the room. I get about 10 yards into the room when this girl comes running up to me from behind and grabs my shoulders saying "undsykld" (sorry/excuse me) and then grabs at my dress. I look at her puzzled and say what, to which she replies, "your dress was tucked into your underwear..."

Like I said, skilled in the art of self-embarrassment. It made me think about how many times I've noticed something like that with people and didn't say anything. Because of that I am implementing a "pay it forward" mentality so I can avoid future dress-tucked-in-undesirable-places incidents. So far I have flagged down a grounds keeper to let him know something fell off his truck (go me!).

I promise to tell you about Berlin soon. I'm off to Barcelona in a week, the first of my last two trips, damn not having a larger bank account.

Much Love