I hate coming up with names for my blog posts

Hey everyone!
Soo my mom said I should write a blog post for once, so here's a written blog post that won't take you 20 minutes to get through like my videos do.

A few weeks ago I thought it would be really great to make a Thanksgiving dinner for my host family, and since my host mom has Thursdays off from work, we were actually able to have in on Thanksgiving. Thankfully, since I'm a terrible cook, my host mom kind of took over the dinner, and made most of the food. I still made the pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, but she made the turkey, sweet potatoes, salad, mud pie, and probably much much more that I actually can't remember right now. And it was so sweet, I love that she made a Thanksgiving dinner for me, that's actually one of the nicest things that anyone's really done for me, so tak for det Lene! And we had my oldie and host grandparents over and ate a lot and it was just really hyggeligt. I'd put some pictures up but we only got a picture of the table and some awkward selfies so really I won't waste your time.

Then last Monday I went to a Swedish House Mafia Concert in Copenhagen, which was so so fun just omg. I went with a ton of exchange students and we got squeezed to death in the mosh pit so then me and my Australian friend went up to the balcony to watch. Where we so luckily ended up standing next to this really questionable woman, who was dancing like I don't even know she was dancing so weird, and she was using quite a lot of space, and she was not having it when I came and stood next to her. So then I proceeded to be elbowed in the head and stepped on for the next couple hours, but you know what it was worth it so it's okay. The concert was so good, and so fun and just wee! Here's some pictures:

From left to right:

Patrick, Juan, Mimi, Cassidy, Ed, and me!

Danish flag

Then on Friday my host parents took me to the HC Andersen Christmas market in Odense, which was so cozy. Christmas in Denmark is a huge deal, they get really into advent, so it's like a month long holiday. They have advent candles that they light every day, and melt it down to the next number for the next day, advent calendars, advent lottery calendars, advent candles for every Sunday in their homes, not just in church, and advent gifts for every Sunday. There's not even a way to describe why Christmas is so great in Denmark, I tried to send a box home to capture a Danish Christmas for my mom, but I couldn't, because it's really it's just a feeling, kind of like hygge. 

It's also been snowing a ton, which makes it feel so Christmasy! (and cold)

My advent gifts from my first host family.

My first advent gift, an advent lottery calendar and a cute little art project.

My giant Lindt advent calendar, so much nicer than the American ones!

I stayed in Odense Friday night and Saturday so that I could see my friend and tour around Odense. It's where HC Andersen was born, so that's really their main tourist attraction, so we went there and we went shopping a little and it was so nice.

HC Andersen's house, it's under construction right now so it's not that pretty.

Me and Jaidan on HC Andersen's street.

Cute little house

HC Andersen's street

Us in front of HC Andersen's house

Odense is so nestled

A church where some king died or is buried or something

Inside the church

In Denmark they don't decorate their trees until Christmas and wah.

So yeah, that's basically it, I've just been chilling (literally, it's so cold here) and hanging out and enjoying Christmas in Denmark. I hope everything's going well back home and remember that you're not currently living in an arctic tundra ;). (Although really I'm not either).

Alicia

Basically famous

Guys I'm in the newspaper!
http://www.e-pages.dk/bgmonline_ta/312/16

Moving and other various things

All of my stuff

Min Dansk Fødselsdag/Holbæk G2G

Hahahaha sorry that this video's so long! I had a lot to say.

Efterårsferie

So last week was Efterårsferie, or Fall Holidays, a wonderful concept that I hope to take home with me. It's a week long break for no apparent reason, but it was a much needed break from school. I don't think I've had one long weekend since I got here, so by the time Fall Break comes, we're all basically dying from so much school. So it is a trade-off to have 3 week long breaks throughout the year to make up for the lack of long weekends, and also I think the shorter summer break.

I started off the week by going to Copenhagen Culture Night on Friday. It's a night where you pay around 90 kr? something around there, although I don't remember the actual price, but yeah somewhere around $15, and then you get free admission to most of the museums and many other exciting cultural things across Copenhagen. I went with some Danish friends, and we met up with the Brazilians, and went to the Planetarium and the Zoo. Our thought process was that these are very expensive normally, so why not save as much money as we can and go to them for free? The entire night was so fun, Copenhagen was FULL of people, and all the stores stayed open so late, which is not normal for Denmark, normally everything is closed by around 6.

Then the next day was my host brother's 18th birthday party. We had a huge classy dinner and then just a normal crazy Danish party afterwards. I love how big of a deal 18th birthdays are here. There's not really a super important age where you get a huge party in the US. I mean there's Sweet 16's, but no one actually celebrates them. It's because you're legal for everything, drinking driving smoking, everything, when you turn 18 in Denmark. And gaining our legal rights is a little more spread out back home. But anyways, it was such a fun party and a comedian came and the dinner was so good I love Danish food.

Then I just spent Sunday and Monday night relaxing first with my oldie, Vitoria, and then one of my friends from the US, Cassidy. Both nights we just watched a ton of movies and relaxed and talked, and it was really nice.

I spent the rest of the week hanging out with my English class and exchange student friends, trying to see everyone and just being insanely busy. I went out to Holbæk, a city in Western Sjælland, and a class party, and spent a lot of time in Copenhagen, like always. It was just such a good week.

And then yesterday my host family got a PUPPY! Oh my god oh my god he's soo cute. He's a little 8 week old golden retriever ball of fur, and yeah I'm just so happy to finally have a dog again so weee!

And then next week I'm switching classes. I need to start participating in school more, and my current class's line is all science and math, which I don't care about in the US, so how am I supposed to force myself to do it when it's in Danish? My new class is the class I have English with, and their line is social studies, so I think it'll be a really good change for me. Stay posted for how I survive attempting to do my Danish homework!

I hope everything is going well back home, and sorry for this very poorly written blog post ;). I promise the next one will be better!

Hej hej!
Alicia

Change

One thing that obviously comes with the package of being an exchange student is that you're going to change so much during your year. It's said that you mature 8-11 years during your exchange, and I believe it. When I landed in Denmark, I pictured myself as this little ball of clay, a completely new person ready to absorb a new culture and adjust to it accordingly. And in many ways I have. I hated meat back home, and love it here. I was scared of being alone back in Oregon, but find myself desperately wanting time to myself as I go through my year. I can feel myself growing up so fast, and it's terrifying. Looking at who I was back in July, and who I am now, I am almost two completely different people.

I just pictured that I would naturally change while I was on exchange. But while I am naturally changing, there's a lot of changes that I have to physically make myself. It's really nice, I have this year off where I can reflect on who I am and who I want to be, and really work on moving myself in that direction. I'm so thankful to have this time to figure out who I am, despite how cheesy that sounds. It's also difficult in a lot of ways, because I have to change to adjust to the culture, and sometimes it's a battle trying to become a Dane while still holding onto who I am. I like who I am, and although I'll change and improve and grow up this year, I still want to hold onto me. And sometimes that's really hard, I'm always thinking "is this something that Alicia would do? Am I still me?" I want to go home an improved person, not a different person. And I can imagine that's a common thing that exchange students have to deal with.

Just wanted to share some deep and cheesy thoughts with you!

Alicia

Idek

The past few weeks I have been so incredibly busy. I always have so much to do, making it so that time just flies by. This Thursday will mark my 2nd month of being here, which absolutely terrifies me. Where is the time going? I feel like this year will just zoom by, and then I'll be back home wondering if it all actually happened. It still doesn't feel real that I'm in Denmark right now.

Last week was probably my best week since I arrived here, I was so busy I didn't even go to school! On Monday, my language school went to this Medieval themed town where they teach you about how people lived in Denmark in the 1300's. Despite it being absolutely freezing, it was such a fun day.

All of us minus Cassidy before we were properly garbed

Bahahahah

All of us minus Cassidy AFTER we were properly garbed

It was a weird day

We did archery and made necklaces and other interactive activities that were much better than sitting to school

After that I went home to attempt to get warm, which didn't really happen, and then I was off to Tivoli for a concert! It's called the Voice, and it happens every year. I think it's put on by a radio station, the kduk of Copenhagen. It was nice because all the rides at Tivoli were free, and the Voice had some pretty famous artists at it. Most of them are Danish, like Outlandish, L.O.C. and of course Medina, but Flo Rida was also there. Oh and it was POURING RAIN for the entire 6 hour concert! Here's some pictures:

L.O.C. performing

Troopers

Despite the awful soggyness of the evening, it was still a great night and I got to see a lot of my friends that don't live that close, so det var en godt aften.

Then on Wednesday my class took a biology field trip to go snorkeling and sailing. Snorkeling in Denmark? Yes in Denmark it was insanity. It was such a cool experience, slightly terrifying because the water was full of jellyfish, and seeing as I don't speak Danish I didn't get the memo that they wouldn't sting me, so there was some rather impressive water gymnastics as I tried to swim around while avoiding the jellyfish. I wish I had pictures of us all dressed up and ready to go, but I didn't want to get my camera wet sooo no there's no pictures :(.

Then on Thursday I had to get up bright and early to go to the immigration office in Copenhagen to do some stuff for my residence permit. We got there 5 minutes after it opened, and we were number 28 in line. THANKFULLY though there was a special booth to go and get my biometrics done, so I didn't actually have to wait in line. And then I just went home because I only had 3 classes that day and missed them all making myself a legal immigrant in this grand old country. Oh and because I finally have my residence permit, I can finally get my hypercard!!!!!!!!! It allows me to travel wherever I want within Copenhagen for only 300 kr a month, and I will never have to use a klipkort again. I would explain the whole public transportation system so that what I just said made sense, but it's complicated and confuses me so yeah I can't but getting my hypercard is gonna be really really good! 

Friday was my school's birthday, so instead of having classes we just did these really cool workshops. I was in pressphoto, so basically we just walked around and took pictures of all the other activities  There were several different dance classes, tree climbing, gourmet foods, as well as many others. It was just a really laid back day. 

After school, I went over to my classmate's house to have dinner and get ready for the school party we were headed to that night. Like I said in a previous post, I love my class. They're so nice and friendly, and I'm so happy that I'm actually making Danish friends so cheers! The entire weekend I was just crazy busy trying to hang out with my class and my English class and the kids in my town and my exchange student friends so it was crazy, but such an amazing weekend, I'm having the best time here. 

Well yeah sorry for this slightly frazzled post, in case you couldn't guess I'm a little sleep deprived.

Tak for reading my blog! (Læser min blog på dansk? Hmm I don't know)

Alicia