I have been anxiously waiting for my mom to arrive in Copenhagen. There is so much I want to share with her and so little time. I was a walking zombie and wearing the same clothes as yesterday with a sweatshirt thrown over my head, but I did manage to roll out of bed by 8:30am and make it to the airport. I had already talked to Maja about being a few minutes late to class to get to the airport by 9:30am and back to class a little after it started at 10am. Unfortunately this meant my mom would have to sit through my class because I didn't have enough time to take her to my building and then get back to class before my times slot for the group presentation. I talked to my mom about going to a coffee shop or giving her directions to my building, but she wanted to come to class with me which made my life much easier.
Patiently waiting past customs, I couldn't wait to see my mom come through the doors. Dodging people to run up to her, we hugged for probably five minutes while annoyed people attempted to walk around our road block of an embrace. After being in Vermont since January and only briefly seeing her in March, I was so excited to share this adventure with her.
Unfortunately the next stop on our day was class. I awkwardly walked in late after one group had already started their presentation. I don't like drawing attention to myself, so this was already a painful experience. Not only that, but I'm bringing my mom to class. These are different circumstance, and I'm sure everyone in class understood, but it was still strange walking in with my mom. It was 5th grade all over again when you were embarrassed to be seen with your parents. At 20 years old I've come out of that phase, well at least a little.
I gave my mom the Internet password so she could communicate her safe arrival to friends and family. I attempted to concentrate for the rest of class, but it was extremely difficult. I just wanted to talk to my mom and tell her all about everything. I wanted to talk and talk and talk and not stop for anything except air. We managed to survive the many group presentations and class was quickly coming to a close.
It was a bittersweet ending to the class Children in a Multicultural Context. I had an amazing time in Istanbul and really bonded with others in my class. I would have liked to have more group discussions to debrief the study tour, but overall I learned a great deal and had fun doing so. It's hard to finish class with three hours of group presentations, so Maja brought us fruit, baklava, and other snacks to conclude our time together. We sat in the kitchen and said our final goodbyes with promises of seeing one another back in the states.
Even though my mom had been on a plane for the past several hours, she wasn't particularly hungry. International flights always manage to feed you very well, so I wasn't surprised. On the other hand, I only had a banana for breakfast and a few snacks that Maja brought after class. I brought my mom to Smag in the glass markets to share a salad. Usually I'm known to eat an entire salad on my own, even though I'm uncomfortably full afterwards. Today we didn't manage to finish one between the two of us. Our stomachs must have shrunk or we weren't as hungry as we thought. Lindsay came to sit with us while having lunch so she could meet my mom and have some company. I'm sure it was nice matching a face to all the stories I've told my mom about our travels.
After lunch we went back to my apartment to drop off my mom's suitcase and belongings. It was a hassle brining them to class and then the glass markets, so it was time to give our arms a break and just carry around a purse. While I was cleaning up my mom laid down for a minute to take a nap and rest her eyes. I cleaned all my dishes and started clearing off my desk while rocking out to my iPod with headphones in. There was still plenty of time left in the day, so I started to play my music out lout until my mom work up. She was so exhausted and jet lagged that I'm surprised she was compliant and got out of bed. If I was her I probably would have thrown the pillow over my head, turned over, and gone back to bed. Instead she got right up and was ready for whatever exciting adventure I had planned for the day. In retrospect, it was probably a good idea that she didn't nap for too long because the time change becomes more and more difficult to adjust to when you nap during the day.
There were a few errands I had to run before we could get to the fun part of the day. I had to return my bike and get my deposit back. I dragged my bike all the way to the store around 4:30pm only to find that it was closed. I should have learned the second time. Their website says the store is open until 5pm, but they are really only open until 4pm. When I rented the bike that first week in Copenhagen I made the same mistake and had to come back the following day. You would think I'd learn the first time, but apparently not. Reluctant to wheel my bike everywhere I went today, I decided to lock it up right around the corner from the shop. This way I could come back first thing the next morning and drop it off with no hassle.
Leaving the bike store, I decided to take my mom to see the canals in Nyhavn. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the clouds managed to hide just in time for her arrival. When one envisions Copenhagen, this is usually the picture they see, so I found it appropriate to bring her here and walk around. After we got off the train station at Kongens Nytorv, there is a short front to the Nyhavn waterfront. Along that short stretch of walkway there are usually street vendors trying to sell homemade jewelry, clothes, pottery, and anything else tourists are willing to buy. In our case it was three angel ornaments. We initially walked by the little angels made out of glass with metal wings and thought they were very cute. Walking further down the street we realized they would be a perfect gift, and after great consideration we turned around to make the purchase. One would be for my aunt Karen who always has angels and fun things hanging in her windows. It would be perfect in her kitchen window above the sink where the light could shine through and bring some joy into her life. I've also been looking desperately for a gift for my friend Leahn. I've been going back and forth about what to get her. I wanted to get something practical and functional, but nothing came to mind. Although an angel ornament is neither practical or functional, it reminded me of her. Both Karen and Leahn have been there for me through thick and thin, and in a sense they are my guardian angels.
Once at the canals, we met up with Hannah who walked around and enjoyed some ice cream with us. It was a hot, sunny day, and even if it was cold and rainy, ice cream is always a good idea. We knew we wanted ice cream, but there were many places along the canals to chose from. We finally went to the closest place we could find which looked like a little family run store with ice cream cones from floor to ceiling. There were dozens of people crammed into this little store. We got to the front and had no idea what to get. We saw cones and children and ice cream everywhere, and as soon as we got our ice cream and paid, we escaped the busy building and walked along the water.
Hannah had the good sense of going to clean her room and pack in preparation for room checks tomorrow. I was still in procrastination mode, so I took my mom for a canal tour. In my six weeks in Copenhagen I still had not been on a canal tour, so I thought this would be a perfect and relaxing thing for us to do together. It would give my mom the abbreviated tour of Copenhagen without having to navigate public transportation and miss out on all the history that I wouldn't have known. I was surprised how much was covered in the tour. The tour was 60 minutes long and we saw the Little Mermaid, Christiansborg Palace, the Opera House, the Stock Exchange, and many more. It was a great introduction to Copenhagen, and in my case, a great recap of everywhere I've been and everything I've seen the past six weeks. I even learned things about some of the buildings that I had not known before. I learned that the Opera House is shaped like a heart, symbolizing the love of music. Although I had been by the Opera House several times, I had not taken a second look at its shape let alone considered its symbolism.
During the canal tour we went under several bridges. The tide was very high up at this time of the day, so we often had to lower our heads to avoid smacking into concrete with our foreheads. All the children in the boat would put up their hangs and run their fingers along the roof of the bridge. I was too short to be affected by the high tide and low bridge, but it was still nerve-wracking to enter the bridge with so little space around you. It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic, or else this tour would have been a nightmare.
We still weren't particularly hungry after the tour, so we stopped along the canal to get a hotdog. I've been hearing that it is essential to try the bacon wrapped hotdog at least once, but I've tried to respect my body and limit the pollution and toxins I'm putting into it. Alcohol and liver damage is one thing, but bacon wrapped hotdogs brings cholesterol to a whole new level. It was our last day in Copenhagen, so it is about time that I gave it a try. I would just be sure to take lots of vitamins afterwards to counter the effects. We got a bacon wrapped hotdog and a regular hotdog to split. They were just as good as everyone has been saying. It is a good thing I discovered this at the end of my trip where future opportunities to have bacon wrapped hotdogs would be limited. There was a jazz festival occurring throughout Copenhagen, and tonight there was a live band performing at the waterfront where we began and ended our canal tour. After getting our hotdogs, we went to sit by the water and enjoy some live music for the last evening in Copenhagen.
After lunch we went back to my apartment to drop off my mom's suitcase and belongings. It was a hassle brining them to class and then the glass markets, so it was time to give our arms a break and just carry around a purse. While I was cleaning up my mom laid down for a minute to take a nap and rest her eyes. I cleaned all my dishes and started clearing off my desk while rocking out to my iPod with headphones in. There was still plenty of time left in the day, so I started to play my music out lout until my mom work up. She was so exhausted and jet lagged that I'm surprised she was compliant and got out of bed. If I was her I probably would have thrown the pillow over my head, turned over, and gone back to bed. Instead she got right up and was ready for whatever exciting adventure I had planned for the day. In retrospect, it was probably a good idea that she didn't nap for too long because the time change becomes more and more difficult to adjust to when you nap during the day.
There were a few errands I had to run before we could get to the fun part of the day. I had to return my bike and get my deposit back. I dragged my bike all the way to the store around 4:30pm only to find that it was closed. I should have learned the second time. Their website says the store is open until 5pm, but they are really only open until 4pm. When I rented the bike that first week in Copenhagen I made the same mistake and had to come back the following day. You would think I'd learn the first time, but apparently not. Reluctant to wheel my bike everywhere I went today, I decided to lock it up right around the corner from the shop. This way I could come back first thing the next morning and drop it off with no hassle.
Leaving the bike store, I decided to take my mom to see the canals in Nyhavn. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the clouds managed to hide just in time for her arrival. When one envisions Copenhagen, this is usually the picture they see, so I found it appropriate to bring her here and walk around. After we got off the train station at Kongens Nytorv, there is a short front to the Nyhavn waterfront. Along that short stretch of walkway there are usually street vendors trying to sell homemade jewelry, clothes, pottery, and anything else tourists are willing to buy. In our case it was three angel ornaments. We initially walked by the little angels made out of glass with metal wings and thought they were very cute. Walking further down the street we realized they would be a perfect gift, and after great consideration we turned around to make the purchase. One would be for my aunt Karen who always has angels and fun things hanging in her windows. It would be perfect in her kitchen window above the sink where the light could shine through and bring some joy into her life. I've also been looking desperately for a gift for my friend Leahn. I've been going back and forth about what to get her. I wanted to get something practical and functional, but nothing came to mind. Although an angel ornament is neither practical or functional, it reminded me of her. Both Karen and Leahn have been there for me through thick and thin, and in a sense they are my guardian angels.
Once at the canals, we met up with Hannah who walked around and enjoyed some ice cream with us. It was a hot, sunny day, and even if it was cold and rainy, ice cream is always a good idea. We knew we wanted ice cream, but there were many places along the canals to chose from. We finally went to the closest place we could find which looked like a little family run store with ice cream cones from floor to ceiling. There were dozens of people crammed into this little store. We got to the front and had no idea what to get. We saw cones and children and ice cream everywhere, and as soon as we got our ice cream and paid, we escaped the busy building and walked along the water.
Hannah had the good sense of going to clean her room and pack in preparation for room checks tomorrow. I was still in procrastination mode, so I took my mom for a canal tour. In my six weeks in Copenhagen I still had not been on a canal tour, so I thought this would be a perfect and relaxing thing for us to do together. It would give my mom the abbreviated tour of Copenhagen without having to navigate public transportation and miss out on all the history that I wouldn't have known. I was surprised how much was covered in the tour. The tour was 60 minutes long and we saw the Little Mermaid, Christiansborg Palace, the Opera House, the Stock Exchange, and many more. It was a great introduction to Copenhagen, and in my case, a great recap of everywhere I've been and everything I've seen the past six weeks. I even learned things about some of the buildings that I had not known before. I learned that the Opera House is shaped like a heart, symbolizing the love of music. Although I had been by the Opera House several times, I had not taken a second look at its shape let alone considered its symbolism.
During the canal tour we went under several bridges. The tide was very high up at this time of the day, so we often had to lower our heads to avoid smacking into concrete with our foreheads. All the children in the boat would put up their hangs and run their fingers along the roof of the bridge. I was too short to be affected by the high tide and low bridge, but it was still nerve-wracking to enter the bridge with so little space around you. It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic, or else this tour would have been a nightmare.
We still weren't particularly hungry after the tour, so we stopped along the canal to get a hotdog. I've been hearing that it is essential to try the bacon wrapped hotdog at least once, but I've tried to respect my body and limit the pollution and toxins I'm putting into it. Alcohol and liver damage is one thing, but bacon wrapped hotdogs brings cholesterol to a whole new level. It was our last day in Copenhagen, so it is about time that I gave it a try. I would just be sure to take lots of vitamins afterwards to counter the effects. We got a bacon wrapped hotdog and a regular hotdog to split. They were just as good as everyone has been saying. It is a good thing I discovered this at the end of my trip where future opportunities to have bacon wrapped hotdogs would be limited. There was a jazz festival occurring throughout Copenhagen, and tonight there was a live band performing at the waterfront where we began and ended our canal tour. After getting our hotdogs, we went to sit by the water and enjoy some live music for the last evening in Copenhagen.
I should have started cleaning a week before, but of course I waited until the last possible minute to clean my living area. A few days ago I got three emails from the building staff, each was pages and pages long detailing the chores that needed to be completed before passing my room inspection. Denying the inevitable, I waited until the day before I was leaving to give these emails a second thought. You bet I was surprised to find instructions down to the brand of products we should be using on each surface. As my mom is beginning to read each email, she is literally falling asleep until finally giving into temptation and taking a nap. I continued to clean while she napped before quickly giving up myself and using the last scraps of food in our refrigerators to make nachos with Lindsay and Natalie.
It was nice to spend time with Lindsay and Natalie one last time before all going our separate ways. Natalie is meeting up with family in Poland and Lindsay is traveling around Germany for a week. I'm excited to see pictures and hear about their travels, but there is already a growing feeling of emptiness in anticipation for our final goodbye. I've had such an amazing six weeks with these wonderful girls, and I never imagined it would go by this fast. Throughout the past few weeks we talked a lot about visiting each other in our respective states, and I truly hope we follow through. I've formed an amazing relationship with these two, and I don't know what I would have done in Copenhagen without them.
For the rest of the night my mom and I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. We scrubbed the microwave, the fridge, the stove, the toilet, the shower, the sink, and everything in between. We scrubbed gunk off the stove that has been there much longer than six weeks. I contemplated going to the bars one last night with Natalie, but after practically falling asleep while cleaning I decided to stay in for the night. We cleaned and packed and cleaned and packed until there was no energy left in our systems and we collapsed on the bed to finish in the morning.
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