Hey Gusties! I am currently spending my semester abroad in the beautiful city of Copenhagen, Denmark.

As someone who has lived and gone to school in the same state her entire life, I was slightly worried about being over 4,000 miles from home. However, as soon as I arrived in Denmark I knew I had found another place to call home.

Copenhagen is a beautiful city and my program, DIS, spends time showing its students all the city has to offer.  My Danish language and culture class went to the national museum, toured Denmark’s palaces like Christiansborg and Amalienborg, went to the site of the hall mentioned in Beowulf, and ate a lot of delicious Danish pastries.

Outside of my class I have taken time to travel to Kronberg castle, also known as the castle in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

I also went to the Viking Ship Museum, where they have preserved five viking ship remains and built a ship the same way the Vikings would have, celebrating the completion of the project by sailing the ship to Ireland.

My program caught my attention because of its one of a kind pre-health opportunities.

My main course, Medical Practice and Policy, spends the semester in hospitals learning about specialties from practicing physicians.

I travelled with my class to Germany and Poland to get a look at how health care in other countries is practiced. My classmates and I were lucky enough to sit in on a few operations and surgeries, including a gastroendoscopy, part of a brain tumor removal, and the entirety of a natural birth.

In an upcoming class, we will be learning how to insert IVs and suture. The Medical Practice and Policy course has been a great chance for me to explore my interest in a future career in medicine, something which can be hard to experience prior to Medical School.

“As soon as I arrived in Denmark I knew I had found another place to call home.”

After living in Denmark for a few months, it is easy to see why they are considered the happiest country in the world. When the weather is nice, everyone is outside enjoying the sun.

Parks are located all throughout the city, giving Danes plenty of space to lie down and take a midday nap or place to read.

But the Danish culture is almost better when the weather is not so nice. Danes practice a lifestyle called hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”).

It’s a practice of adding meaning to simple things in life like a cup of coffee or a meal by setting aside technology, lighting a bunch of candles and a fire, and taking a moment to talk about your day and laugh about life with those you choose to share your meal with.

Meals here aren’t considered a task you have to complete and they aren’t done on the run. The cozy atmosphere is meant to be enjoyed so you can forget all about the cold outside and focus on the warmth within.

Even with all the fun I am having here in Copenhagen, I cannot wait to get back to campus. I have a newfound appreciation for coffee, great pastries, candles, and wonderful conversation with friends which I hope to share with all of you when I return for the spring!