On change and hygge

I don't think I realized it while it was happening but during this past week I finally adapted completely to the Danish life. Yes, there are still some things that confuse me (WHY COINS WHY) and a lot other that amaze me like if I was a little kid. But if I'm going to be here for only a year, I might as well get excited about every tiny little thing if I want to. 

There's something that crossed my mind while talking to my host parents... We as exchangers become professionals at adapting to change. It starts with the country, the family, the language. Those are the biggest changes. But we also learn to adapt to a change of plans during a weekend, or at school, or even a change of events in our lives during the exchange. And when our exchange years are over and we grow older, we adapt to how different our lives are now but we also learn to change the world as world citizens, because that's part of what this experience does to you. If you were a close minded person you probably wouldn't even have gone on exchange, but it opens your mind further into the unknown, the infinity of possibilities we have just at the reach of our hands, and when we, as young people that lived and experienced incomparable things, realize that there's nothing we can't do if we put ourselves to it, we become unstoppable. 

Sometimes I feel like writing about what happened during my week, sometimes tbh I don't feel like writing at all... And sometimes I have so much on my mind that it's hard to put it into words. I visited some amazing places and met some incredible people this past week, and every day that goes by I'm more convinced of one of the thoughts I talked about in the latest post. I don't understand why Danes have a reputation for being cold and reserved people, it is so wrong. There has not been one person in my 15 days here that hasn't treated me as if I was part of their families or friends or whatever. Maybe I'm the lucky one, but I have only been here for two weeks and I already feel at home, surrounded by warm and nice people wherever I go. It's true that there's no translation for hygge, because there's no way of explaining how perfect that feeling is. 

Have fun, be safe, don't get caught!

I'm in a happy place

Does blogspot have a word limit? Because if it does I'm screwed.
I literally don't know how to start this post. Have I really been here for only one week? So much has happened, it feels like I've been in Bjerringbro for 3 months already...
So basically I survived what my hostmor calls hell week! And it wasn't hell at all! I started school last Wednesday and at first I thought it was going to be awkward and awful, but it turned out to be amazing. My classmates are great! Just on the first day the girls really tried to get to know me and talk to me in English and help me translating what I didn't understand (pretty much everything), so yeah, it was cool. Towards the end of the week the boys started talking to me too which was nice because I really want to get along with everyone in my class, I'm going to be with all of them for the whole year after all...
I also met all of my host families and my counselor's family and what can I say? I honestly don't understand why Danes have this crazy reputation for being cold and reserved... They're all so nice I can't even believe it ❤  Back in Argentina I have three older siblings, and now here in all of my families I'm the eldest sister of boys (actually living with boys isn't bad at all, it's part of the challenge!)
And then my first weekend here was just around the corner and it seemed crazy that it had only been a week. On Saturday we had Mathias goodbye day (that's what I call it. He's going on exchange to Argentina, probably next Saturday), I met a bunch of relatives who were all really cool and funny (Danes have a great sense of humor) and then the night came and it was time for the party. Lemme just say danes are wild. Not even kidding. But I had a great time and everyone was really chill, specially when they found out that "oh you're the Mara that they announced on the speakers at school". Yup, that's me... On Sunday I had my first district meeting with all the other exchange students and let me just say... THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING EVER. I met all of the other exchangers, made some pretty good friends with whom I already have inside jokes and anecdotes and even reunited with my bae whom I hadn't seen in more than a year ❤ So over all my first week in Denmark was amazing.
I did get a bit homesick. Specially on the 12th because it was my first 12th alone and I honestly didn't know how to deal with that. Missing is tough, yeah, but it doesn't matter how much I miss, it never outweighs how happy I am with the path I'm taking right now. I'm in a happy place (in every aspect) and I intend to keep it that way.
Have fun, be safe, don't get caught!

And so it begins...

Maybe it's because I'm already thousand miles high that it finally hit me, yeah, I'm on a plane (for the first time) and leaving for 11 whole months... Leaving my family, my friends, my routine, everything I know... And I'm only 17?
Let me just say this plane is da shit. Not even kidding, KLM you made this first experience begin with a pretty good start. Yeah, my flight got delayed but that had nothing to do with the company. And yeah, the two Chinese people sitting beside me make me feel like they are talking about me but so what? It's fun and they've been lovely to me, plus movies and music on demand is everything I never knew I wanted (finally got to see The Force Awakens, sorry Cami)...
This post isn't that philosophical or deep or anything, I don't have a lot to analyze, I'm just too happy to think about anything else! I'm meeting my first host fam and my third hostsis and I just can't wait. Danes are known for being cold people (maybe they are, I still have 11 months to figure that out) but every Dane I've gotten the opportunity to talk to has been really nice to me, even if they didn't know anything about me yet...
As of right now I still have like 8 hours until I get to Amsterdam and boy has my butt completely flattened for life. I didn't cry that much when saying goodbye to my family, which to be honest surprised me, but I guess I know they'll always be there, and the whole day felt like a huge goodbye... But yesterday (as of Friday)? I don't think I stopped crying not even for one second. Goodbyes are hard yes, very, but how sad can I get when it's overweighed by how awesome it feels to turn this dream into a reality...
There are so many people I have to thank for this opportunity, not all the posts in the world would be enough.

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Okay so I wrote that while I was on my way to Amsterdam on Saturday night/Sunday really early... And gotta update now!!
Amsterdam was amazing! The airport is beautiful and HUGE, there are shops literally everywhere and it takes a good ten minutes to go from one gate to the other...
By the time I got to Aalborg I was so tired I didn't even get nervous, I just wanted to get home. My first host fam and my hostsisters from the third host family were there and they all received me so so so warmly. I drove with my hostsisters so I got to know them a bit and we talked about a lot of stuff, they're both really cool and funny. Then we got to Pindsvinekrattet (I think that's how you spell it, blame me and my terrible danish) which is the neighborhood/street where I live, and it's so pretty! Actually everything in Denmark is beautiful 😍 we had dinner (I loved it) and licorice ice cream afterwards... I didn't like licorice the first time I tried it back in Argentina but I gotta say that ice cream was not bad!
And then I slept... And God I slept SOOO much, woke up at like 3pm! Had brunch (Almuerzayuno) and Danes eat so many different things!! My counselor came while I was taking a shower and I didn't know! So he had to wait for me, which wasn't good because I know danes are very punctual and argentinians are not, at all 😂 And then I unpacked, I already feel at home here :) We ate dinner at like 6:30 (yeah, so early, nothing like the 11pm dinner back in Argentina) and it was really good... If I keep liking absolutely everything I eat my clothes won't fit anymore!!
Some time later Jørgen and Sigurd showed me the way to my school, through the woods and literally everything is so green here! My school is beautiful from the inside and the outside, I loved it.
It's a great feeling to finally be here, I feel at home and everyone has been extremely nice, I'm so happy and I already don't want this year to be over! True, I miss my people back home but this is the happiest I've been in my life! So life is good right now :)
Have fun, be safe, don't get caught!

Goodbyes

Today marks 5 days left until I leave, and I don't think I truly ever realized  what it was going to feel like to say goodbye to all my loved ones.  It's heartbreaking, to say the least. I read in another blog that this is pre departure depression  and I think it might be right.
From organizing my goodbye party to hanging out one last time with my "significant other" soon, to seeing all my wonderful exchange friends start their own exchanges somewhere else. This last few days have been and will be very emotional. Maybe it's weird that it hit me just today, only 5 days before I leave, my friends and classmates of 6 years started school today and I wasn't there, because I'm taking a different path to theirs and it just hit me that I am going to be somewhere else living a new life while everyone here goes on with theirs. I've made some pretty amazing friends throughout my life, I'm so lucky...
Next time I write, which will be next Monday I think, I'll be somewhere else already, calling Denmark my home. And I can't wait! I don't think nothing ever prepares you for the feeling of being on exchange,  of being foreign, of  being almost on your own.
Have fun, be safe, don't  get caught.