The End of Session 3

Original Post Date: July 31, 2019

Original Post Location: VED MØNTEN, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

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I cannot believe that my classes here in Copenhagen have already come to an end. As I am sitting here writing the eleventh entry to my blog, I can’t help but think about all the amazing people and memories that were made this summer. Thinking back on these moments is nice after a week and a half of endless homework, and with this being my last night in my apartment.

Before starting this entry, I want to take a moment to talk about the people who have been important to me this summer and those who helped create all my great memories; Natalie, Raechel, Justin, Meredith, Hannah, Shannon, Henry, Delaney, Evan, Jake, and Maura. Natalie was the best roommate I could have asked for. She was always so supportive, and good at filling our apartment with positive energy. Raechel was my introverted pal who never made me feel guilty about wanting to spend time at home. Justin was always willing to go on long, exploratory bike rides with me. Meredith was good at getting me out of my comfort zone to try new things. Hannah and Shannon were incredible friends who I did not get to hang out with long enough since they were only here for Session 2. Exploring the Faroe Islands with them as well as Copenhagen was so much fun. Henry, who I ended up have classes in Session 2 and 3 with, and who also shared my obsession with dogs. Delaney was always very inclusive and supportive. Evan and Jake were great neighbors who always knew how to have a good time. Lastly, Maura, who traveled abroad with me and helped start the summer out with a great trip to NYC.

7.22.19

It was a rainy Monday, and thankfully I only had class in the morning instead of the whole day. In class we wrapped up the study tour and had various discussions about our readings and homework. After class I went to 7-Eleven to get some lunch and then went to my favorite café to work on some homework. At the café I met up with some of my friends from class to work together and chat about our weekends. We hung out here for a while quietly doing our homework as the candles flickered and the rain fell outside. After working until my laptop died, I left the café and went to a few stores to pick up some things I needed for the remainder of my time here. Once back home, after riding through the rain, I began working on homework again.

7.23.19

I had class until 3 PM, where we had discussions and began work on our research paper. For homework I had to write a 1.5-page reflection paper, start forming an outline for my research paper, and read 70 pages of philosophical literature. Sadly, when I got home from class my homework took up the majority of the rest of my day. About halfway through I did stop for a break and went to the bakery down the street to try one of their cupcakes that all my friends had been talking about. It was a vanilla chocolate chip cookie cupcake, and it was very good. While completing the hours of homework I migrated between the balcony, Natalie’s bed, the kitchen table, and my desk, finally finishing everything at midnight.

7.24.19

In class we went on a short field study to the Parliament located in Christiansborg Palace. We received a tour of the various meeting rooms gathering spaces, as well as the main assembly room where they gather for large meetings when the public can join. After class I rode my bike back home to eat lunch and work on more homework. Later in the evening I met up with Justin to go on a bike ride and visit The End ice cream stand for yet another ice cream cone! We didn’t really have a plan, so we ended up riding around for over and hour before heading back home. Once back I did some more homework and called it a day.

7.25.19

It was yet another long day of classes, which is very exhausting after participating in discussion and lectures in a room that gets hotter by the minute. In class we had a guest lecturer who talked to us about Albert Camus, the author we have been reading about. We then had another workshop for our research paper. When I got back home, I did some laundry and house keeping things before making dinner and working on homework again.

7.26.19

On my way to class, the bridge was up again, but thankfully it did not get stuck this time and I was not late to class. For the morning session of class, we completed some exercises in relation to our readings. As class drug on it was getting increasingly hot, thanks to the lack of breeze and air conditioning. To our relief we got an early break for lunch. For lunch I went to a nearby coffee shop to eat and respond to emails. We had an hour for lunch and then we were meeting at the Kunsthal Charlotteborg Museum where we had a scheduled tour. The exhibit that we went to see was supposed to be an immersive experience, so we entered the main room by walking on scaffolding which then forced us to crawl under some doorways. This ending up being an experience that made me uncomfortable all together with the strange lighting and videos that it was playing. When we reached the end of the exhibit, we still had some time left so we decided to walk through the adjoining exhibit and then head home. Once back at home I worked on homework for a few hours before heading back to DIS for the Furniture show put on by the students who had taken the furniture design class. I finally got to see the chair that Justin had been designing as well as all the work the design students had been doing throughout the summer. After the show I headed back home to finish up my homework while enjoying the cool breeze from my balcony.

7.27.19

After getting ready for the day I headed out to the neighborhood of Brøndbyøster to find the giant Sleeping Louis, this would be my 5th giant. To get to the neighborhood I took the S-train, this way I could take my bike. Once I got off at the station in Brøndbyøster I rode to the nearby campsite where the giant was said to be. This one ended up not being as hidden as the others, so I found him pretty quickly. He gets his name from the way that he is laying on the ground. After finding him I rode back to the local station to ride the train back to Copenhagen Central Station. When I got back downtown, I rode to my apartment to grab some supplies before riding to the beach where I was meeting Raechel, Meredith, and Delaney for dinner. They met me at the metro station, and we went to the grocery store together to pick out the food we wanted. Before finding a spot to lay out our picnic we got some ice cream from the shop nearby. At this ice cream shop, I had some of the best banana ice cream. It tasted like banana laffy taffy with chocolate chips in it. After getting our ice cream we walked to the beach and found a good place to spread out our blankets and prepare the food that we got. We snacked and chatted for almost two hours before heading back home.

7.28.19

This was my last Sunday in Copenhagen, and so I started my day with my last visit to the Hillsong Church. I think that this church is going to be one of the things that I miss the most when I leave. This time I went with Raechel, Meredith, and Delaney. After church we decided to go shopping along the Stroget, the pedestrian shopping street, to do some last-minute shopping before all of our travels after classes end. When we had finished shopping, we were going to get brunch at one of Delaney’s favorite places, but they were closed for vacation, so we just decided to go home. Once at home I went to the grocery store, cleaned up a bit, and began working on homework again, which ended up being the rest of my day.

07.29.19

It was the last Monday of classes, and my professor filled our time until 3 PM with discussions, lectures, and debates, as well as a workshop for our reflection paper. After class I went home to get started on all our homework. A while later, after dinner, Raechel come over to pick up some of the clothes that Natalie had to leave behind, and I worked on selling our freezer. Once again, the main thing I did this day was homework.

07.30.19

For class this day we went on a field study to the sovereign community of Svanholm, an hour outside of Copenhagen. Svanholm is located on an old plantation and has about 130 residents. This community still pays taxes to Denmark but operates off its own constitution. While we were there, we ate lunch at the café, read our last reading as a class, toured the property, and we able to learn about their history. It was an interesting experience, but I was not very impressed. After spending most of the day there we got back on the bus and were back in Copenhagen by 5 PM. I then rode my bike home to make dinner and work on the last of my homework. Later I went over to Raechel and Meredith’s apartment to hang out and chat since our time as neighbors is coming to an end soon.

07.31.19

This was the last day of class. We had a short wrap up session in the morning and just like that, my time as a DIS student in Copenhagen had come to an end. It rained all morning and I got soaked on my bike ride to and from class. Once back at my apartment I sat at our table and listened to the rain while I finished writing my research paper. I took a couple of breaks to eat dinner with Meredith and Raechel, do laundry, and say goodbye to a few people. Besides cleaning for a bit and enjoying the cooler weather, I spent most of my evening finishing up my paper.

Weekly Overview – Copenhagen Week 9:

1. Places Visited

• Bake My Day bakery

• Christiansborg Palace

• The End ice cream

• Sleeping Louis (Giant 5 of 6)

• Amager Strand

• Svanholm

2. Favorite Moment

Sitting on the beach enjoying good food and good company.

3. The Best Food I Ate

A Red Velvet smoothie from The Living Room café.

4. A Helpful Tip

Make time to eat an ice cream cone and watch the sunset. It is always worth it.

5. The Best View

The window from the museum overlooking the famous Nyhavn canal.