50 Days Left

it almost feels to soon to be writing yet another update, but it has been another month and so has to be done. October was fun. change in season- Autumn now. although it already feels like winter. it's very rainy and the leaves are all falling. it's quite appealing to look at. 

50 days left. quite a crazy and extremely overwhelming thought. it's not a long time at all and my time here in Denmark is coming to it's end (as well as my ability to speak English!). 

the first weekend in October, i visited my friend Mari for the weekend and Grace spent one of the nights at her place too. it's always a good time with Grace and Mari. my two favourites. 

the weekend after was a classmate's 18th birthday, that was fun. early the next day i left for Copenhagen to visit Asbjørn for the week. i had such an amazing time there. it is such a great city and very different to the city i live in. had a lot of fun seeing my brother again and getting to meet great people and also get to some of the exchange students that live over there. it was a week filled with awesome experiences. was very tired when i came back to Randers and of course was sick for the entire week after. Autumn weather doesn't seem to be on my list of best friends at the moment. i am still sick. just trying to enjoy each day as they begin to pass me by. 

i don't want this year (or should i say this life!) to end. my life in Denmark is so amazing and it feels so normal to be here now. it will be an adjustment to return home, but i do look so forward to seeing everybody again. as well as going back to the life i had back home, and starting a new one at the same time. 

last weekend was the final Rotary get2gether (1-3 November) of the year. the last time that all the exchange students in Denmark would be together. it was such a lot of fun, and very special to see all the exchange students that i haven't seen in a long time again. there were a lot of photos and stories were shared. it was a great experience. we had a Halloween party on Saturday night and that was really such a good time. saying goodbye the next day was extremely difficult and just a little taste of what it will be like to leave. it started to really hit me that this does have to end at some point. i'm so glad there is some time to go still. time to absorb everything and enjoy the 50 days to go. 

every day i am grateful to be here, just having the best year of my life. when i look a few months back, i am so amazed by what this year has been, the person i have become and the wonderful people i now have in my life. 

i will really remember and cherish this year forever. 

so one more update left to expect! 

see you in the next blink of an eye :) 

Hello October

Well, in my opinion (and I'm sure in many others' too), September just came and went, not sparing us even the blink of an eye. It was an extremely eventful month, a lot of fun things happened and the end of my third quarter of living in Denmark.

I moved in with my third and final host family on the 4th of September. Exactly a month from now (oh how time is flying!). I am enjoying living with them so much and couldn't ask for a sweeter final host family to end off this amazing year. It felt like home immediately and I looked forward to getting to know my new family. My host sister just got back from being on exchange in Brazil, so she knows how it is to be an exchange student, and we automatically connected in that I'm-an-exchange-student-too kind of way.

So in the very exciting month of September, these are some of the things I got up to:

Saw a handball match with my host sister. it reminded me so much of the beginning of the year, when I saw my first match and ended up winning a whole bunch of prizes. Nostalgia, and also very nice to experience one again.

My host mom and I rode our bikes down to the river and had a picnic dinner before I went to a friend's band's concert one weekend. Was so nice.

Made homemade pizza in the pizza oven my host mother made (herself!) one Sunday evening, tasted delicious!

Joined a gym, and starting going to some classes with my host sister, as well as just normal working out (to try and get rid of some of the 'exchange weight' us exchange students are always complaining about!). It's a lot of fun though, and also happy to get a little head start in losing all the (7 kilos!) weight I've gained in the eight months I've been here.

Given a few presentations, quite exciting! Haha. Given two about myself and South Africa in two different classes. As well as one in Danish! It went very well except for the mistake of using the word 'naked' instead of 'some'. Went fantastically, right?
Also did a voiceover for one of the English teachers at my school. she invited myself and my host sister over to her house and we had some coffee and cake, then I read out a text and she recorded it. It was rather professional. She wanted to capture my accent.

Got to see my host brother whom I hosted in South Africa before leaving. Was so nice, but very brief. So looking even more forward to visiting him in Copenhagen in two weeks time! He's Asbjoern by the way. ;)

Spent an afternoon in Aalborg with some of the exchange students, and then again another weekend in Aarhus. So much fun getting together with them. Exchange student love.

I attended our district's District Conference, which was held in Thisted. All the exchange students spent a night together in a camping spot in Hanstholm and then we went to the conference the next day. Was a very fun weekend. That Sunday, my host mom, host sister and I took a little bike ride to the forest, and went on a 'mushroom hunt' - we succeeded and found about 2 kilos worth of mushrooms! They were edible ones, of course, and so we made some soup!

Got to visit LEGOLAND with my host mom and sister. Was so cool, and very interesting. The rollercoasters were a lot of fun, and also just seeing the sights made out of lego, and spending the day there.

SO - I think that's about it for September.

Thoughts on an emotional update, I would have to say I'm at the point where time is overwhelming. After eight months, one can see how fast it's gone by, and therefore can really begin to freak out about only having three months left! I am so excited to go home and see everyone again and be back in South Africa, at the very exact same time as feeling completely depressed about leaving! I don't want this amazing year to come to an end. I don't want to leave the beautiful people I have met.
So anyway, I would just leave it at MIXED EMOTIONS.

Bring on October (please go slowly...)! :D

With love

Change is Good

The month of August has been one of great excitement, busyness and change. It being my seventh month in Denmark means it included a lot of thought- both about coming home so soon (yet not soon enough!), as well as not having enough time left. The thought of having only four months left had me even dreaming about when I am finally home again, lying on the grass in my garden, crying and I'm screaming at my mom, "I JUST MISSED THIS PLACE SO MUCH!". Crazy dreams. It also had me thinking of all the possibilities about one day moving to Denmark. Once I get home and I have seen everyone again and started normal everyday-living, it might occur to me that I belong in Denmark. Although, that is far away and it is a possibility, which is a sweet thought in itself.

I don't want to go home just yet. Time flies, and that makes one realize that one should savour every day they have left on their exchange. It really does go too fast and before you know it, you are back in the comfort of your 'home' land. Yet, I think after you have experienced another part of the world and made families and friends (whom come from all over the globe) that will last forever, you never really are 'home'. You belong to the world now. You are a traveler, and now the earth is your playground and the unknown seems like your comfort zone.

At the end of July I got to visit, Klara, whom was an exchange student in South Africa and had just come back to Denmark. It was really good to see her, felt like a part of me was home. It was so much fun being with another half Danish, half South African person. 

Anyway, back to August. I visited my first host family at the beginning of the month, it was really good to go back there and reminisce about the time I had living there. Also getting to catch up with them (especially my host mother, whom after talking and talking for hours- I had to get a drink of water). We had a nice dinner and it felt like old times. (Hyggeligt!) I missed them a lot, so it was really a blessing to return, spend the night in my old bed and feel at home there as I used to.

I was lucky enough to get a visit from one of the exchange students living in Copenhagen from Australia, Danica. She's one of my really close friends here and it was so nice that she could come spend a few days with me; we had a lot of fun together.

It was my host dad's birthday this month too, and the family drove up from Fyn and we celebrated together. After that, I got to go to the 'Sommerbio', which is like a cinema outside, where people come and picnic on the plane along the river and watch a film. Kind of like the Drive-in we have in South Africa. I went with my host mom and host sister, as well as some of her friends. We watched a Danish film called 'Alle for To'. It was really funny.

One Sunday, my host sister, her boyfriend, my host brother and I went to Djurs Sommerland, a theme park about an hour from my city. It was so much fun. I love Roller-coasters and such, so it was really good time for me. I was so grateful for that experience.

I also spent a day with my next host sister, and then joined by my next host mother, we took a trip to Aarhus, and shopped a little and got some coffee at Starbucks. It was really nice, and made me look very forward to moving in with them. (4th September!)

I started school again on the 15th of August and it was nice to see all my classmates again and get back into the whole routine of going to school everyday. It was an amazing summer vacation in Denmark, with great weather.

On the 18th of August, was the Welcome Meeting in Nibe for all the 'newbies' in Denmark. The new exchange students that is. Also, there were some 'oldies', like me, who were there and it was good to see them again, considering they were the exchange students on my Euro Tour with me, and we are all very close because of that.

I also got to visit my best-Brazilian-exchange-student-friend, Mariana, who lives in Aars. So I took the train and visited her for the weekend. It's always a good time when we're together, so I was very happy to visit her.

So, it's my last weekend living with family and I've had a really lovely time here, and felt very blessed. It's good timing to move now, considering when I visited Mari, she cut my hair- very short- and it was a really nice change, and change is always good.
It's the start of the final chapter of living here, and that is scary but also exciting. I've experienced so much, yet there is still so much to experience. A lot of room to grow and have fun at the same time. I love Denmark, and want to enjoy every minute I have left here.

Bring on September! :'D

Oldies at the Welcome Meeting - District 1440

Hair cut

I'm an Oldie now, look at all my pins- also, R.I.P long hair

Summer in Paradise

One of the perks of being an exchange student in Europe is the lovely, long summer vacation, three weeks of which I got to spend in south France. 

Week 1 and 2 

The first two weeks I spent with my host family in an apartment with a beautiful view of the ocean and the pool. We spent days at the poolside, reading, swimming and tanning. I even (I know, due to me being a redhead, it's a little hard to believe) got a bit if a tan. 

We took some little road trips to other locations, such at St Tropez, Monaco, Theoule, Antibes and Gorges du Verdon. They were all beautiful- that is just France. Gorges du Verdon was a drive in the mountains to a big lake, with crystal clear, blue water.  We hired a little boat and floated along the river between two huge mountains until we found a waterfall. It was beautiful. Overall it was a relaxing two weeks. 

Week 3 

The third week I spent with y counsellor. The first two nights, there was another couple staying with us, once they left, my counsellor's daughter flew down and stayed with us. That evening we were joined by two girls traveling around Europe, they spent two days. After that it was just my counsellor, Peter, his wife, Lone, daughter, Anne Sophie and myself. We spent days on the beach, dinners either home or at restaurants- both included really good food (3 dishes nearly every night). Definitely indulged myself as one does on holiday. More so, being an exchange student and all. 

The second last night we spent in a hotel up in the mountains, and on the way there that day, we stopped to see this waterfall that was so pretty and saw a few cute little towns as well. 

The last day we spent melting in Nice. It was so hot, and we walked up to the top of this hill which had such a beautiful view of the beach. Then I flew back to Denmark with Anne Sophie. 

I was so spoilt by both my host family and counsellor this summer- it was truly wonderful. 

Week 4 

Spent a week with my host family at their summer house. Spent some time on the beach too. We were visited by an exchange student my host family hosted last year, as well as her parents. It was a lovely evening. It was quite funny that she and I were speaking Danish to each other and she's German and I'm South African. My host family was quite pleased. We were also visited by friends of my host parents the next evening, that was also lovely. 

So after 4 weeks on holiday, now I am back home and catching up all the Skype dates and preparing myself to go back to school. 

X

Hello June

Euro Tour 

Our bus left on the 17th of May, and we were on the tour for 18 days. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of people to be on a bus with. It was so nice getting to know everybody and getting extremely close with some people too. We really just had the best time together and now everything feels silent without the sound of Portuguese. 

The places we visited were incredible. I never thought I'd be able to see 8 countries in three weeks and still get to realllyyyy seeeee each of them. It went by really slowly in the beginning, which we were glad about- then things picked up and before we knew it we were shedding tears and waving goodbye. 

Berlin

The first two days we were in Berlin and it was such a lovely city. There is so much green ecerywhere and you wouldn't expect such from a city that big. We got to see the Berlin Wall which was really interesting and fun. We also got some free time to wander around and take a LOT of pictures. Also we saw some other sights on the bus and walked in the rain- yay! 

Prague

The city was so interesting and gothic looking. We walked on a tour up this huge hill and got to see a lot. Lost half of the group most of the way but that was totally normal half the time. Prague was really beautiful. 

Vienna

On the first day we went to a palace where I wore a horse head and scared away some children while dancing around. No excuse. We also rolled down a hill on the grass in the sunshine. 

Lido Di Jesolo 

Beach. Our hotel was right on the beach and we were overjoyed. The first day and night we spent at the beach. The second day we travelled to Venice. It really looked like it was sinking. There was a lot of water and it rained a little, but it was soooo beautiful. We witnessed a hobo covered in pigeons kissing our tour guide, Mama, on the cheek. 

Verona

We spent the day eating Italian food and paying extra for breadsticks and service (at least they were good looking italian guys that photo bombed our pictures) without knowing, until we had to split the bill. We also got to see Juliet's balcony. Verona was a dream. 

San Remo 

For the afternoon and night. Our hotel was up on a hill and we had a really nice view. We went and sat out on the pier in the evening and saw the stars and threw a piece of our belongings into the ocean (whoopsie for littering). It was rather special. 

Nice 

We got to spend three hours in Nice on our way to Avignon and stopped for five minutes in Monaco. Monaco was beautiful and we just wanted to stay. In those three hours in Nice, we all "stripped and dipped". We ran into the turquoise ocean and I never wanted to leave. It felt like heaven. 

Avignon

We saw the sights within Avignon and stayed in the middle of nowhere after that. But knowing us, we still made it super interesting and therefore there were people thrown into pools and crazy group photos with a really beautiful view  somewhere behind the masses of us. 

Paris

It was amazing of course! First day we saw the Eiffel Tower and saw some sights in the typical Parisian traffic. 

The second day we spent in Disneyland which was so much fun, (my second time visiting it while in Denmark) was so cool going there again. 

The third day I spent shopping on le Champs-Élisées with my favourite Brazilian, then I met up with my friend from South Africa whom lives in Paris and spent some time with her. That was truly amazing and I will remember her as part of my euro tour. 

Brussels 

We held our own prom considering some of the Americans would be or would have missed their Senior Prom while being on exchange in DK. And because there was only 8 boys and about 40 girls, each guy had like 3 dates. Anyway, it was a fun night getting dressed up and being fancy for once.

   

Amsterdam

We went on a boat ride/sight-seeing tour around the city which was very interesting and beautiful. It was really good weather too. Our hotel was also in the middle of nowhere so we watched the guys have a little wrestling competition. Haha.

Then we journeyed back to Denmark, all a bit depressed and overtired. Saying goodbye to the "oldies" that would be leaving soon to return to their home countries was really hard after having bonded so much. 

YLX Boat Trip 

A week after the Euro Tour was the sailing tour up to the too of Denmark and down again to my city, Randers. This time it was just my district and not the other district that was with us on Euro Tour, so it was really good seeing everyone again but sad the others weren't there too. 

The sailing tour was a lot of fun and gave us some good sailing experience. We got to climb up the sails to untie them and set sail (about 26m high) and that was an adrenaline rush and a half. 

The first day, more than half of us felt seasick and basically half were throwing up. That was good fun... 

But the next few days were great, everybody felt fine and the sun was out so we jumped overboard and swam in the ocean. 

The last day was really hard once again, having to say goodbye; but we will all stay in contact somehow. 

I left a little early so that I could get back sooner so I could attend Northside Festival. I was really looking forward to that and seeing most of my favourite bands perform. 

It was three days long but I went home each night and then met up with my friends the next day. I got to see some exchange students too, which was awesome. 

Overall it was a perfect weekend. 

So the past month or so has been extremely exciting and I am so grateful for all the events that have occurred. 

Now it's summer holiday and I'm going to France with my host family for two weeks and then another week with my counselor and his family. Cannes for three weeks! I'm so excited and feel so blessed. Can't wait for the beach! 

Pictures soon. X 

Soooo... Now That It's May.

So now that's it's May and I missed an entire month of blogging, you've got to understand how insanely fast time can go by. It's rather cheeky, gets you all distracted and then does a little 'fast-forward' maneuver. Not cool, Time, not cool.

Anyways, to get to the point. April was a fun month, and being my third month in Denmark, it taught me a lot of things. Third month, as expected, gets you feeling slightly homesick from time to time, but it's easy to forget about when you have such an awesome country to get to know. April was filled with busy weekends and (somewhat) boring weekdays- but every day included something new and a step closer to May.

May is a good month because we (all the exchange students) are going on EuroTour and we have been counting down the days. It's going to be amazing. 18 days around Europe, starting from the 17th. I'm so excited. Also this month I am moving to my next host family, actually this week. This weekend is my last weekend with my first host family. I have mixed emotions because I am going to miss them so much. They have been such a good host family, and I am so glad I can return and visit them through the year. Also they have put up with me eating all the Nutella in the house, as well as drinking all the tea. Also, my craziness- which seems to match theirs actually. Overall, it has been a lovely experience living with them, and I am so grateful for a super cool host family.

I am so excited to move to a new family too, as it's something new and a change of scenery. I will have to cycle to school every day which should be interesting, considering I have done little to no exercise in the whole three months of being here. Haha. I am excited though.

It's officially Spring in Denmark, and it is so beautiful. The sun stays up until about 21h30 every night and comes up really early too. So much sunshine makes everyone so happy. It's a great atmosphere, especially with all the flowers blooming and the green leaves returning.

Yesterday, we had a 'Fredagscafe' at my school and those are always fun. This time was better because every was outside and it was such a good day, with the sun out and all that good vibe stuff. So it was a really nice day, which ended off with me cooking for my host family. 'Vetkoek', something nice and South African (as well as easy enough for me not to destroy). They liked it, thank God.

Moving this Thursday, don't know how I am going to pack all my stuff up, there is already so much that I have accumulated after three months.

Still loving Denmark and still discovering things about it.

Until I remember to write again. Xx

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

It has been a really long time since my last update. I have been so busy, and the days have rolled on by. It's been over two months in Denmark and it really doesn't feel that long at all. Two months down and ten to go.

The past two months have been nothing less than wonderful, crazily exciting, and yet relaxing at the same time. I have managed to spend a serious amount of money, and feel a bit hopeless as a poor exchange student already after only two months. Don't ask where the money went because I wouldn't know how to answer.

I do know, however, that it has been spent on good experiences. I also know that every experience has been better than before, and there is still so much coming my way. I have a year in this playground and I can't get over how fast it is going by.

I am really looking forward to the Euro Tour coming up in about a month, it is going to be so much fun; three weeks around Europe, that is.
Another thing I am really looking forward to is going to Northside Festival, a three day music festival in June. I bought my ticket and cannot wait to see so many of my favourite bands in one place over the three days.

In my first two months, I have learned how to get around on a bus and seen what Friday nights should look like. I am really enjoying the time with my host family and they really make my time here a good one. I feel so at home.
I got to see the Danish beach yesterday on a little adventure with my host mom and host brother to Løkken.  The beaches here are really flat, with hardly any waves; different to SA. It was really peaceful, beautiful and freezing.

I have the next week off of school, and everybody loves a holiday!
Last Friday I went to watch the X Factor final live, and it was such a cool atmosphere and some really big artists were performing. It was a lot of fun.

The Friday before, was a party at my school. Two bands performed there and it was a really good time.

So, I hope it doesnt take an entire month for me to update my blog again. Until then-
xx