Danishes Here I Come!

T-minus 48 hours until I am on my way to Copenhagen! My last few days in America are filled with packing, saying goodbye to friends, and more packing. I'm super excited for my trip and I cannot wait to finally be in Denmark. I am most looking forward to trying new foods, especially all of the delicious pastries. I am also excited for my classes. For one of my classes, we had to read two books by Dan Ariely pre-arrival. They were really interesting because they explained why consumers act irrationally, but in such a way that is predictable. We are going to test some of these theories by venturing into the streets of Copenhagen and conducting experiments.

I am very excited to explore the areas surrounding my housing, which is in the center of the city. Within walking distance is the royal palace, royal library, an amusement park, a train station, and the famous colorful canal called Nyhavn (which happens to be the cover of my blog!). I can't decide where to go first, but I'll certainly have to hit all of these spots. I also hope to travel out of Denmark independently. I've never left America before, so I'm hoping to visit some other major European cities like Amsterdam, Paris, or London.

This is Tivoli, the local amusement park!

My greatest initial worry was the language barrier. I've never been anywhere that English is not the primary language. However, after talking to a few friends who have traveled to Copenhagen previously, my fears have vanished because the majority of people speak English in addition to Danish. In fact, over 85% of Danes are fluent in English! After my first week in Copenhagen, I'll actually be able to speak a little Danish as well. My first week in the country will consist of Danish culture courses, which includes learning the language and Danish customs.

That's all for now! Next time you hear from me I'll be in Copenhagen! Many more blog entries and plenty of pictures to come :)