The Last Post

Oh it feels so sad to be posting this. But the fact that I slacked off and didn't post for over a week should tell me it's time to end my blog. It's not that I haven't wanted to write about coming back to the US, it's that I've been entirely too busy to sit down and have enough time to write a solid post. And we all know I don't proof read my posts, so I'm afraid the results would have been scary.

Since I got back to the US (including a race through Dulles airport in DC and being picked up in Boston by my two best friends) I have been unpacking, visiting friends, celebrating holidays and working! Overall it's been a really great week and I can't believe only nine days ago I was still in Copenhagen! I guess what they say about going somewhere new is true: you think you've been there forever, but stop and think and you'll realize it hasn't been that long! When I arrived in Denmark I became extremely homesick after about a week. I felt like I had no friends and wanted to be in DC with my friends. My mom knocked some common sense into me and said I'd only been there a week. I needed to give it much more time before I could make such claims. She was right, and a few weeks later everything was fine.

For me the hardest part of coming back to the states has been seeing how normal everything is. I felt like an outsider many times over the past four months, and now to be immersed in my culture again seems really odd! Everything seems so normal! It is nice though, and I enjoy visiting people and places I love to go to. Even being back at work seems nice! I get to see coworkers I've become good friends with, and earn some money for when I go back to school!

In all I am very happy to be home, and want to enjoy every minute before I have to move back to DC. I don't know where my blogging future is going to go from here, being home and realizing how busy I am has made me think maybe long blogging isn't for me, but possibly something shorter will do. I wish everyone who read my blog who is headed to Copenhagen to study with DIS good luck and have an amazing semester! It is highly worth your time, but make sure to travel as much as possible! Plan trips in advance so you don't get caught up at the last minute, and go where the cheap flights are, you never know what you'll find! And last of all, buy a bike! My bike gave me so much freedom and opened my eyes to Danish culture like nothing else. Buy a bike!!!

So that is all from me, I may post again and contradict the title of this blog, but who knows! Have a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year! I have really enjoyed posting and blogging about my semester abroad, and hope you all have enjoyed reading about it! Now onto new adventures in new places!

- Devon.

Last Minute Touristy Adventures: Part Two!

Hi everyone! I wanted to get this written and posted before I actually leave Denmark, as I feel that would be sad to have to write about all of my lovely adventures from home. So here we go!

First I went on a canal tour of Copenhagen with my two friends Stephanie and Jane. I had tickets from back in October when my mom and sister were here, but we never used them and I didn't want them to go to waste. So on Wednesday we headed out onto the water to see the city from a different angle! It was actually really fun because we knew about most everything we saw, and got a better sense of where in the city everything is. It also helped me cross a bunch of stuff off my list like seeing the opera house and Black Diamond again. The bridges our boat went under were so short, we were afraid we'd hit them! It was a really fun trip!

Jane and Stephanie enjoying the tour!

Royal Opera House

Then I went to the Little Mermaid again! My friend Amanda hadn't been yet and wanted to go before she left, so we rode our bikes over and had the whole place to ourselves! It was nice to have one last adventure with her before she went back to Chicago and we actually did something with our night other than packing!

Saturday I went to lunch with my visiting family for the last time (so sad!) and then walked around Copenhagen to do a little more Christmas shopping. The food markets (Torvehallerne) were open and full to the brim with Christmas spirit! It smelled so good, there were Christmas cookies to decorate, trees for sale, chocolates to sample and outside there was a fire pit to warm up next to. It was very festive! I bought a few last gifts and then headed home to pack!

This weekend wasn't very touristy for me, I helped take two of my friends to the airport. My roommate left to go home today, and I leave tomorrow morning. Our room is so empty it echoes! I'm pretty sure my bag is under 23 kilos (50 pounds) but if not I have some wiggle room in my carry on for a heavy thing or two. I honestly can't believe I'll be home tomorrow! It seems very strange to go back to the US, like it's a strange land or something. I'm sure once I'm there I'll feel right at home, but right now I don't know what to think!

It was snowing today!

Fingers crossed I make my connecting flight in DC tomorrow and get home safely! I will of course blog if I can and update you once I am home. I have loved my semester in Copenhagen and couldn't have asked for anything better!

- Devon

5,000 VIEWS!

Wow. Thank you all so much. I never thought I'd see a thousand, let alone FIVE thousand view on my blog! I remember when I was around 1,500 views I was hoping to hit two thousand, maybe three by the end of the semester. Now I'm heading home with more than five thousand views on my blog.

I just want to thank you all so very much. I started this blog as a way for me to remember my time in Denmark, and also to create an outlet for my thoughts and experiences. I don't ever edit my blogs, they are simply my train of thought. To see so many people enjoy and understand my long posts is incredible, sometimes I even loose my place! I hope you have learned things this fall and seen things you'd never even heard of. I know I have. I am entirely grateful and just can't thank you enough.

I leave Copenhagen in two days - on Monday. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but know it is time. Before I leave I promise to post the rest of my touristy adventures and conclude on my time here in Denmark. Thank you so much, and stay tuned!

Sending you my love!

- Devon

My Final Final!

Unlike many of my friends at DIS, I had a total of FIVE finals this week! Many classes have long papers or large group projects for the final assessment, but since I'm in all science classes I have five final exams! I realized this early on in the semester, but didn't actually know other students didn't have as many as me. Last week I was dreading having so many exams, but the week has actually flown by!

I honestly can't believe it's Friday, and I apologize for not blogging more this week! I really wanted to, and actually have a lot to talk about, so I'll try to include it all here and not forget anything.

First, I started my week with one of the most terrifying cell phone bills I've ever had. Over my two week travel break I had to call my bank for ten minutes to turn my card back on. Ten minutes cost me over one hundred dollars. It was an emergency, and my mom understood (usually I pay the bill but literally don't have that much money right now - ps going abroad makes you broke), but I still didn't like looking at the email...

Second, I have another blog coming on my touristy adventures, don't worry! I knew if I put "Part One" on that blog that I'd have to follow up with it, and here I am, not following up. This weekend I'm doing more things, and I did some on Wednesday so I have adventures to update you on, I just need some time to do it!

I am now four-fifths through my exams, having taken two on Tuesday (Complexity of Cancer and Medical Ethics) and then another two on Thursday (Human Health and Disease and HIV/AIDS), all of which went well (at least to a degree). It has really made this week fly by and I honestly can't believe it's already Friday here! On Monday I was really home sick and hated that I still had a week here, but now I'm shocked I'm leaving in four days and don't want to leave! Tomorrow I have one exam (Pregnancy, Birth and Infancy) which should be pretty straightforward. Then I'm done! Oh and if you want to learn more about any of my classes, look here!

And if having an exam tomorrow isn't enough, I also have to return my books and loaned laptop back to DIS. I honestly think my backpack weighs about 20 pounds right now. I think what I'll do is return my laptop before my final at noon, and then bike home, get my books, and return those after my final. It shall be interesting. Saturday I'm seeing my visiting family for a final lunch and returning my bike! My friend Amanda is going to the airport, so I have to work in helping her to the airport, too. Sunday I'm helping another friend, Kelsey, with her suitcases and then packing up!

I am still working on Christmas presents, but think I'll be done by the time I leave! Some people will be very happy! It's frustrating that on Sunday most everything will be closed because I would love to go shopping that last day and get everything finished, but nothing is open on Sundays in Denmark, so I'll just be sitting around at home. But it will be good to rest before traveling all day Monday (literally - I leave my housing at 9am and get home in Maine at 9pm, that's 3am Copenhagen time)! I have friends on my flight home too so that will be nice!

And then I'm home... and my adventures in Denmark are over I guess... no more blog, no more followers, no more documenting my crazy life online... NOT! Even though I won't be abroad anymore, I have decided to keep blogging! I love it so much, and actually currently have a tumblr but it's anonymous, so I won't post it here! But once I have my blog up and running I'll make a huge post about it and make sure everyone knows where I'm headed! Hopefully you will follow along!

Well I hope that's enough updating for all of you today, and for everyone studying for finals, I hope this was a fabulous study break/procrastination tool for you! I am off to study some before heading to bed and getting up early for my last exam. It really is bittersweet to be leaving Copenhagen so soon. On one hand I will miss it so much, leaving makes you realize all the small things you take for granted. But on the other, I can't wait to see my family and friends. I can't stay abroad forever, I have too much I love at home!

My post on touristy adventures part two will be up soon!
- Devon

My Danish High School Experience

Last week I talked about my visiting family and how amazing they are. They truly are some of the most wonderful people I've met here, and today confirmed that. Hanne, the mom, is a teacher (so is the dad, Jacob) and asked a while ago if Katherine and I would mind coming in to her school to talk about being American and about our experience here in Denmark. Of course we said yes, we were just as curious to talk to Danish students as they were to meet us!

This morning I woke up at six to go to the train station on time and go to her school. I don't know how I did that in elementary and high school... it was so early. My freshman year of college I woke up at 5:45 on Wednesdays to go to skating practice and I don't know how I did that either! But Katherine and I managed to stay awake today and had such a good time. It was interesting to not only see how the school was designed, but also to answer the students questions. In Denmark you learn English beginning in third grade, so by ninth grade they are pretty much fluent. These ninth graders looked like seniors in high school though, not fifteen!

Questions about the US were mostly about gun control, because in Denmark nobody carries weapons of any sort, not even pocket knives. When I told them I knew people who owned guns (being from Maine, most people own hunting rifles) they were shocked! They also asked about school shootings, as they had recently watched the movie Bowling for Columbine, and I assured them it's not something that happens every day! Politics and Obama were also hot topics, they wanted to know how I felt about politics in the US. Denmark is so liberal and has so many political parties it was really hard to explain our system to them, but I think they understood. I also talked about how sometimes politicians in the US vote a certain way to maintain popularity and to get re-elected, not because that's what they believe in. The students thought this was stupid... and I can't say I disagree.

One thing I thought was really funny was when I talked about how unhealthy Americans are compared to Danes. To be honest, I've only seen one obese Dane while here. And I've been here for four months. I talked about how large people are in the US most students didn't believe me. It shows some countries are getting it right when it comes to healthy lifestyles. They also thought it was weird that I liked peanut butter, but I told them it was weird they like liver paste!

Overall it was such a fun day and I loved learning more about the Danish school system. Katherine also loved talking to them and answering their questions. Being from New Jersey she got lots of questions about Jersey Shore, which she of course answered well. I can't believe I'm going home in a week, but I'm really happy I got to fit in this trip before I leave! Now onto my FIVE finals and packing up my things!

- Devon

Last Minute Touristy Adventures: Part One

A few weeks ago I made a list of all the things I wanted to do in Copenhagen before I leave. It wasn't too long, but was comprised of things that all take a long time and require proper planning. That is probably why I left them until the last minute. Since I only have a week left in Copenhagen (and had two when I started working on the list) I have begun to cross things off my list! Here's where I've been so far:

First on the list was Louisiana Modern Art Museum. I went last weekend with my friend Stephanie. After our visit I posted a blog all about it - check it out!

Next up was the Little Mermaid. This required help from a friend as well. If I make plans with someone, they are harder to cancel (obviously) so I end up actually doing what I wanted to. Andrea and I go to American together and are both in sororities, so we've known each other for a while. I asked her because I wanted to take pictures at the statue of my sorority hand sign, which is something only other sorority girls understand. She had already been a few times, but knew where it was so that was a huge plus. Everyone I've talked to said it was underwhelming, and I agree. It's good to go to, and if you don't go, people in the US will ask and you will look stupid. So I went. And now I can cross it off the list!

Between the sun (!!!) and wind, I'm glad to have taken a good-ish picture. 

With the Phi Sig hand sign no less!

After the Little Mermaid was the Christmas Market in Christiania. I didn't really know what to expect, but everyone was saying it was a great place to go, so Saturday I went with Scarlett! It was very interesting and so crowded! I would not recommend going on a Saturday, Danes don't understand how to maneuver crowds very well and were shoving everyone out of their way. I bought some great presents for my family and can cross some names off my list! So in all it was a productive adventure!

Christiania mugs! The three yellow dots are their symbol. 

So far these are the places I've been. I decided to skip the Carlsberg Brewery because I've already been to a brewery in Poland and don't want to spend the money for a tour of the same process. Tivoli at Christmas might also get cut, I don't have twenty dollars to spend on Christmas lights right now... But we shall see! I'm also planning on using my canal tour tickets this week with two of my friends, as long as we can find a time to go. Squeezing tourist adventures and finals in the same week isn't exactly easy... I'll figure it out!

- Devon

Skating!

For those of you who follow my blog on the DIS website you may not know that I am and always have been a figure skater! I started when I was about three because my dad played hockey and wanted his daughters to follow suit. Well Kristi Yamaguchi changed all that when she won Olympic gold and appeared on the Wheaties box, becoming my sister's idol. We dropped hockey sticks for figure skates and never looked back. My family became immersed in the world of figure skating. My mom drove my sister and I to countless competitions where she did our hair, made last minute adjustments to the dresses she sewed for us, cheered us on and helped put smiles on our faces when things didn't go well.

My sister, Robin, and I at one of our first competitions.

My friend Laura and I skating to Moulin Rouge in the ice show - we were no older than ten.

Skating in an ice show my junior year of high school.

Practicing senior year - I was so fast even the camera couldn't catch me...

I have lived through skating my entire life. In high school I went against mandatory sports to skate on my own, sacrificing the fun of being on a team for the thing I loved most. It definitely wasn't always easy - I'd see my friends laughing on their way back from a soccer game or walking to tennis practice together - but I still had skating, and that's all that mattered. By the end of my senior year I had passed my senior moves in the field and gold compulsory dances. My freestyle years were rather sad compared to those I spent working on ice dance, I only made it to the juvenile level because of three nice judges and my desire to want a solo in the annual ice show. I loved skating and went to the rink almost every day to skate on my own in the freezing cold. That was until college, when I went to the city with no rinks and traded skating for a sorority. I was on a synchronized team for a year, but wasn't in love and decided to pursue other interests. But skating still has a special place in my heart.

White Ice, my synchro team freshman year! I'm on the very right in the front row.

Getting ready to compete - second from the right!

Before Thanksgiving, DIS announced the last student event of the semester: outdoor ice skating. I was so happy I immediately signed up and marked the date in my planner. Even if I don't have time to skate on a weekly basis, I will still bend over backwards to get on the ice and this was no exception. Friday night I met up with my friends and other students at the train station and we all went skating! The rink was a lot smaller than we thought and hadn't been cleaning in days. My figure skates my mom so wonderfully mailed me stayed safe in my backpack - I wouldn't dare ruin my skates, they cost more than you'd believe. Instead I traded figure skates for hockey skates. This was a very interesting adventure since I have never in my life worn hockey skates - not that I can remember anyway. There are no toe picks and no back edge, you're stuck in the middle of the blade. I met three other figure skaters also there to experience their love of skating in another country, and we all agreed this was very strange. We skated for an hour going around and around. We could have stayed all night. One plus of hockey skates - your toes never get cold because the front of the skate is square and doesn't cut off your circulation! That's always a good thing...

Me and my fabulous rental hockey skates.

The rink... it was interesting.

Overall I had an amazing time skating in Copenhagen. It was something I had hoped to get into all semester and it never worked out. To be able to skate made me so happy. In high school I would always say if I had a bad day at school, I'd have a good day at the rink, and vice versa. If I'm feeling down it always cheers me up, and if I'm in a good mood, I set the bar high and just keep pushing it higher. Sorry if this post was a little personal and confusing, but for me it was an amazing experience and I wanted to remember it well. And document the day I wore hockey skates, because that's not happening again any time soon!

- Devon

PS - the picture at the very top is me in first grade wearing my highly desired and begged for purple and green snow suit. Snow pants were so kindergarten. I'm on the pond across from my house growing up, where I learned how to skate. My front tooth was missing for about a year, I didn't loose a tooth until first grade and was desperate to loose another, so I yanked it out. Bad idea.

The Beginning of the End

For me it definitely doesn't feel like the end! I still have five finals to take and a week before I'm back in the US. But it definitely is the beginning of the end. My classes wrapped up this past week with pastries and cookies, my professors wished us good luck with whatever we may do next, and my classmates and I scrambled to make study groups for our finals.

I also know it's the beginning of the end because I went to the DIS blogger appreciation dinner. I've said this before and I'll say it again: DIS hosts the best dinners I've ever been to. Food in Copenhagen is amazing and this was no exception. It was really great to be able to talk to students who had been doing the same thing as me all semester! We mostly all agreed we'd be back at the computer blogging in one form or another after we return to the States. We talked about our writing styles, what we liked the most, if we were excited to return home - everything! I also spoke with representatives of DIS from the North American offices in Minnesota who were visiting for the week. It was great to connect with people who helped me out back in the summer, and talk about future projects back in the States. In all it was such a fun night!

Our dinner was paired with beers for each course. This was for the main course - it had orange to pair with our duck entree. 

Cherry beer went with dessert, it was very good but also really sweet!

I'm also noticing my planner is surprisingly full... which tells me it's time to go home! Between fitting in tourist attractions (still on the list: Tivoli, Christiania Christmas Market, canal tour...) and creating study guides and summaries of my courses in preparation of finals, I hardly have time to grocery shop! Or breathe - I guess that's where I'm supposed to say breathe. I am so looking forward to seeing my family again and going home, but I kind of want to take a minute and do NOTHING. According to my calendar this time should arrive a week from Sunday when all my friends have already left. Unfortunately in Denmark nothing is open on Sundays, so I have reserved that day for serious packing. In August it took me about three hours to fully pack everything and make sure I hadn't forgotten something, and I don't expect this to take much longer. Maybe I'll go for a walk...

In other news I only have 65 kroner on my grocery store card as of this morning. This is the equivalent of $12. It looks like I will be living off peanut butter and jelly for the next week, as well as buying sandwiches for lunch... Yep, it feels like the beginning of the end.

Example #1: I bought a turkey sandwich from Sandwich Pigeon 

today because I ran out of peanut butter. It was so good.

I can't say I'm ecstatic to leave, I'm not. I have a lot of friends here I probably won't see again for a long time, and I will miss my wonderful professors and everyone at DIS who has been so helpful. But I am so excited to go home and see my mom and have my own room and bathroom, a kitchen I don't have to share with thirty people and four weeks of no classes! All I have left are exams, and then I'm home bound. So yes, it definitely the beginning (if not the middle) of the end, and that's ok.

My Visiting Family

I haven't talked about my visiting family a lot, have I? Well that's a bummer because they are some of the most amazing people I have met. To break it down there is Hanne and Jacob, the parents, and they have three children: Karen, 12, Emil, 10, and Johannes, 8. They live south of Copenhagen in a neighborhood with lots of kids and young families and there are always kids playing at the house. I share my family with Katherine, a junior at Trinity College in Connecticut, who is studying child development and wants to be a speech therapist!

What makes my family so wonderful is how close they are. Hanne and Jacob are both teachers, and they met when Hanne noticed Jacob at a party and worked up the courage to call him! I was very impressed by this because I have never done that. The kids are all really close in age, and the other families in the neighborhood also have kids that old, so everyone plays together at each others houses and in the street. But what makes the family unique is their youngest son, Johannes. Johannes makes me smile every time I see him. Although he has Downs Syndrome and is nonverbal, he says so much! My favorite day was when he played outside with paper towels to see them blow in the wind. He is very particular about textures and love to crawl in your lap.

Learning about how their family works with having a child with disabilities has been eye-opening. I learn a lot through my medical classes about the disorders and how they happen, but there is also the community aspect to health, and the ability to understand families and how they function. To be able to see this through my visiting family has given me an experience I could never even have imagined. I am so sad to be leaving them on the 19th, they have been fabulous.

My advice to someone thinking about signing up for a visiting family is to go for it! You get paired based on interests and they do a great job. Katherine and I both love kids, and this has been a wonderful experience. And beyond just having a family, you get to go places you probably wouldn't go otherwise. I went to Dyrehaven for a picnic (read about it here), Tivoli for Halloween, the DIS Christmas Lunch, as well as many dinners at their house and a trip to the ice cream shop! It was so much fun to get a break from my student life and enjoy being with other people. I will miss my family so much, but thankfully they are driving me to the airport, so I'll get to say a proper goodbye! I know my experience at DIS is unique because of them, and I am so grateful!

This is the one picture I have of my family! I took it on our trip to Dyrehaven, they were searching for geckos!

- Devon

A Package!

Parents: listen up! When your son or daughter is away at college, and especially when they are across the world studying abroad for the semester (or year!), what will make you number one on the best parents ever list is quite simple - send them a package! Honestly nothing cheers me up more than getting a package from my mom. It doesn't even have to be a huge box with tons of things. Even something as simple as a note and some snacks will do!

Today I got an email from the DIS front desk saying I had a package. My mom had told me she was mailing some things, but I thought it would take a week or two for it to arrive. It took four days! She mailed it on Thursday and today is Monday and I'm halfway around the world! Trust me, she sent it the cheapest way possible too. Inside was a stuffed animal for my visiting family, and ten of the most amazing snacks in the entire world. Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bars. I'm not sure why I have such an obsession with these, but I do. I eat them every morning for breakfast at school and have really missed them this semester. My mom has made sure to mail me some and brought some with her in October, but I've had to resort to eating cereal some mornings...

They're just so good, I have to ration them!

To keep this short, this package made my Monday SO much better. It's a little sad knowing I only have four more days of school. As much as I'd love to go home right this second, I know I'll also truly miss so many things about Denmark. Thinking about this makes me sad... time for a Luna bar!

- Devon

A Trip to Louisiana

If only I was in New Orleans right now! It would be a bit warmer I think, but sadly is very far away. No today I went to Louisiana Modern Art Museum in Humlebæk, which is north of Copenhagen on the coast! They had some fabulous art pieces and amazing views of Sweden. 

My love for art, especially beginning in the 18th center and forward, began in high school during my final trimester senior year. I was required to take five classes, and needed one more to meet the requirement (read between the lines: serious senioritis). The academic dean gave me two options: biochemistry and art history. Not wanting to work hard, even as a lover of science, I chose art history. I honestly believe this was the best decision of my high school career. I learned so much from that class and gained a huge appreciation for visual art (I have always been a fan of theater). Some of the pieces below are by artists I studied that trimester. So thank you to Mrs. Wheelden, my teacher, who taught me to love the arts! 

Pieces by Giacometti - known for his lengthy sculptures

The museum was designed, I'm assuming, in the sixties as it has a very unique shape. Most of it is underground to allow space outside for sculptures. I especially liked the special exhibit, but unfortunately that was the only one you couldn't take pictures in. It was about Cobra, an artist group established in Denmark in the 1940's that focuses on the innocence of children and how they struggle to achieve power and independence in our society. It was interesting. Most of the art looked like children's pieces, but had something else to them that made them look angry. I had never thought about the concept before nor had I seen anything like it, so it was worthwhile. 

Kandinsky - my high school art teacher's favorite expressionist painter.

Outside the museum you can see Sweden across the water! I wish I had been able to go earlier in the semester as the trees would have been gorgeous. Now they are without leaves and kind of sad, but it was still a great view! I liked that the museum wasn't all pictures and paintings, but many sculptures too. That's one thing I like about modern art museums compared to traditional art galleries, there's a 3D aspect to the visit. My favorite was a glass sculpture that looked similar to a Christmas Tree. It was so sparkly in the sun (yes, we had sun today!) and made me happy for the holidays. 

Very Danish - an entire sculpture of bicycles!

Besides checking something off my list I haven't done yet, this visit also means the start to the end. I planned a bunch of trips and activities for myself during the last two weeks I'm here to keep my busy and make sure I go out and do things and not just sit in my room studying. So far it's working. Later today I am going to visit my friend Scarlett who is playing piano at the mall here in Copenhagen. And of course I'll take pictures!

Make sure to keep checking for new posts, I will of course talk about everything I do here!

- Devon

Julehygge!

'Tis the season at DIS for group projects and papers, tests and all around academia. I can't lie and say I've been doing fabulous, exciting, and touristy things this past week, because I definitely have not. Instead I took my final test before exams, presented a group project in my medical ethics class, turned in my journal entries and planned out my last two group presentations due next week. So much work!

But I also took time this week to make a list of things I want to do before I leave Copenhagen (in 18 days!). Here's what I came up with:

• Christiania Christmas Market
• Carlsberg Factory
• Louisiana Modern Art Museum
• The Little Mermaid
• A canal tour
• Tivoli at Christmas

Before I go on, I know, it's pathetic I haven't been to the little mermaid yet, but if you knew how hard it was to get to her, you'd understand! She's all the way out by the water, not close to where I live or DIS at all. But I promise to go see her (and I guess say goodbye!). Hopefully this Saturday I will be able to go up the coast to Louisiana. I've heard it's a fantastic art museum and the featured exhibit looks fabulous. I was never into art until I had to take art history the spring trimester of my senior year of high school. We looked at the late 1700's to the early 2000's and it was the best class I ever took (until college). I now have a huge appreciation for modern and contemporary art and will be really sad if I don't make it there by the time I leave.

I have some of the others planned (around all my group projects, of course) and will hopefully be able to cross everything off the list by the time I board the plane to America on the 19th. Some of my friends are leaving earlier than me, but I'm glad I'm staying here for one final weekend after exams to make sure I do everything I want to! 

And to go with the title, here's a peak at what Christmas is like in Copenhagen. 

The streets are lined with lights, garland and hearts...

And the stores start selling Scandinavian Snuggies. 

Wish me luck with my list!

- Devon

Medical Practice and Policy: Everything You Want to Know!

... And possibly some things you don't. No, don't worry, at DIS you practice your clinical skills on your classmates, so it's all incredibly safe!

This Tuesday marked the final day of class for my core course, Human Health and Disease: A Clinical Approach. To date this is the best class I have taken on medical science. Maybe it's because I've taken anatomy and physiology twice now and can go past the basic concepts into the diagnostics of diseases and conditions, but I believe it's due to the fantastic program here at DIS.

Preparing for a day of clinicals - Amy, me and Josie

To start, your professors are actually doctors. If you ask them a hypothetical question, chances are they have a real story to answer with. When my class asked if there was a way we could discuss emergency medicine, my professor rearranged the schedule and brought her husband, a physician specializing in trauma, to give us a lecture on emergency protocol. I learned so much that day!

We also had the chance to practice our skills with our clinical classes. First we learned proper CPR (something my mom taught me in middle school but I haven't used since) and practiced a complete scenario with the correct protocol, and then were taught how to start an IV in someone's arm. We used fake arms with red-colored fluid, which was probably a good thing since the first time I did it, I pulled the tube out too quickly and forgot to cap the port... and my patient practically bled out. Thankfully the second try went well and I redeemed myself!

Amy practicing CPR

Leila learning how to suture

Recently we returned to the clinical center to perform ultrasounds and learn suturing. I got to see my liver and my descending aorta! It was really interesting and kind of crazy to see my own organs on the screen. My classmate Dhilhan got to see his heart! We learned to suture properly as well as remove the stitches, as the wound must remain sterile! That wasn't so easy...

Johannes, our TA, performing an ultrasound of Dhilhan's heart

Dhilhan's heart - you can see the four chambers and the valve opening on the lower right!

On top of the clinical practice we had, the class also includes taking patient history reports from admitted Danes at the hospital your class is located in. I spoke with two wonderful patients with very different illnesses and realized it's definitely not as easy as it looks on Grey's Anatomy. But I still loved it.
Along with all of this, we got to go on our two study tours as a class and speak with doctors and hospital staff in Western Denmark (read about it here) as well as in  Berlin, Germany and Poznan, Poland (read here). It was extremely helpful to learn how different healthcare can be in Europe even though the countries are all part of the European Union, which has it's own standards on health care. It also gave us a unique perspective on American healthcare and what we can do to use the system to it's maximum potential. I have thoroughly enjoyed my two professors, Josephine and Louise, and our TA, Johannes and everything they have taught us. They are so understanding and patient. It's really sad to leave them all!

About to enter the ICU in Berlin

If you are debating whether to go to DIS and take this class, I say go for it. If you want to be a doctor, PA, or nurse, this is the class for you. I chose DIS because of this program and I don't regret my decision at all. In fact, it's one of the best I've made in a long time.

- Devon

Lübeck Christmas Market

Saying I went to Germany on Sunday to shop at the Christmas markets would be a serious understatement. I should have known things were headed south on Friday when I received an email from DIS saying Denmark was bracing for a storm over the weekend with rain and high winds. But of course my brain told me everything would be fine, since I would be going to Germany.

The day started at 4am when the fire alarm went off in my residence hall. Don't worry, it was a false alarm. Then I woke up at 6:30 to make the bus for the trip, so I think it's easy to say I had an early morning! To get to Germany from Denmark you have to take a ferry (to get there quickly). I was so seasick on the ferry, I couldn't wait to be off and onto the bus again! The ocean was really rocky and the boat kept swaying, I've never been seasick before that and I hope I never am again.

Once we were off the ferry we had another hour on the bus, so we watched Love Actually (quite possibly the best Christmas movie ever) until we arrived! I'm really glad the market had enough to entertain us for a while, because the weather on Sunday made me want to run back to the bus and sit there until it was time to go. But my friends and I explored the stands filled with ornaments, food and mittens. We ate way more than we thought we could. Every time it started raining again we'd buy something else to keep us warm and happy! I ate so much traditional German food because of this!

After we bought what we wanted and ate one last thing (doughnut poppers with confectioner's sugar on top - delicious), we piled back on the bus and started to head home. The only problem was the wind was so strong the bridge leading to the ferry dock had been shut down, and our bus driver had to cross it illegally to catch our ferry. On the other side we were in a huge traffic jam and missed our boat. Because of this, we waited for an extra hour at the ferry dock. I didn't mind this so much because we were watching Slumdog Millionaire (another one of my favorite movies) and that passed the time! Thankfully my friend had dramamine with her and I took it before we got on the ferry. That was probably the best decision of my day - the water was so choppy everyone was swaying and stumbling around the boat and one older woman fell! Definitely not a fun way to spend my evening, but it was an experience.

Scarlett about to eat her pile of doughnuts... so delicious.

On the last part of our trip home we passed a car fire, just to top off our evening I guess! Thankfully it looked like everyone was safe and not hurt. On my bike ride home from DIS I was sweating and could barely catch my breath because the wind was so strong I had to peddle in the lowest gear and only went about two miles per hour. But after all that food I guess I needed a workout... Needless to say I was very thankful to arrive home safe and sound with my purchases unharmed! I had such a fun and interesting day in Germany, and am definitely now in the Christmas spirit!

I can't believe I only have three more weeks left here in Denmark (20 days - yikes!). I have so much I want to do and see while at the same time I can't wait to start packing and head home (mostly because I love the challenge of packing). This week I'm catching up on work and prepping for finals, but this weekend I have some great trips planned! 

- Devon

"The Thanksgiving Post"

There's always a Thanksgiving post. Whether you're thankful or not, ever since the addition of social media to our lives, everyone must have a post or tweet about Thanksgiving. I guess it's like that for Christmas, too, but somehow that's more acceptable. I can't say this week has been easy for me, although it's not the first year I've been abroad for the holiday, it is the first I'm not with friends and family. And the first year I have classes on the last Thursday in November. I have less than one month left here in Denmark, and I really do have mixed feelings about everything. So this week, as I mss my friends from home and worry about never seeing my new friends I made here again, I, too, created a list of what I'm thankful for.

I am thankful for my family, young and old. I am thankful we are so close and have stuck together through it all. I am thankful for my friends. For my oldest, closest friends to the ones I've made abroad, each one of you makes me happy. I am thankful for this wonderful opportunity to go abroad and experience a different culture and fabulous classes. I am thankful for the encouragement and support I have received from those around me. I am thankful for having confidence to be myself, and to encourage those around me to do the same.

I'm thankful for two-for-ten chocolate croissants at 7/11 (believe me, they are amazing). I am thankful for going home and having someone else bag my groceries. I am thankful for the spontaneity of shopping at Netto. I am thankful for expensive coffee, as it seems to help friendships more than the cheap version. I am thankful for my laptop, as it has kept me sane this semester and allowed me to blog!

I would keep going but you know I don't like long blogs. That and I'm in class, so I shouldn't really even be blogging right now! I hope you all have a wonderful day and weekend with your families and friends. I do miss everyone back home, but know I will see everyone soon enough. For me Thanksgiving will be on Saturday evening when my friends and I will make a dinner together. So for today I am sitting in class, prepping for my group presentation and being thankful for all that I have!

Take a Break, Make a List

My top five this week (I know, I haven't done one in so long!) is about what has been keeping me busy. This might turn into a top six or seven, but I think that's ok, right?

To begin:

1. Group projects. Danes love group projects because they teach you life skills. I have a friend who stand firmly by the belief that they teach you to trust nobody, but I like to take a more positive look on the situation. Right now I'm in various stages of four group projects. They all include a paper and a presentation, and enough organization to keep five people focused for three weeks. I don't mind them, I think you do learn valuable skills out of it, but they can be crazy to manage!

2. Thanksgiving is two days away! I have finally figured out what I'm doing for Thanksgiving, and I'm really excited. I was invited today (after mentioning I wasn't able to plan anything) to a dinner on Saturday evening at my friend Scarlett's house. I'm planning on making a chocolate-something for dessert, too! Unfortunately I have classes on Thursday, but I have Friday off to relax, so I'm still looking forward to the weekend.

3. I am beginning to transition back into American life. I know, it's only November, but I leave Denmark in less than a month and I have responsibilities at my school and at home that need to be worked out before I return. This includes (but's not limited to) my parking permit, apartment lease contract, flight home, how I'm getting to the airport, my job over winter break and when/where I'm seeing my extended family! It's hard to think about things when I'm in a different country, but I know in the long run it will be worth it!

4. Internships are going to be the death of me. I just know it. Right now I'm searching the DC area for a health-related internship that is preferably paid (having an internship means I can't work as many hours and I need the income) and has a hands-on aspect. At this point though, I'd take anything! We'll see how my applications go...

5. Actually I'm fairly certain this will be a five-point list! Lastly what is keeping me going right now is the fact that I simply do not have time to stop. Honestly whenever I sit down I remember to email someone or add to a paper I'm working on. I'm really glad I have planned events in the next few weeks to make sure I don't work too hard. 

And of course I'll have more on those fabulous events in my upcoming blogs!

Devon.

Plain Jane.

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to say hello and tell you to enjoy this little piece from my archives! I meant to post this in early November and simply forgot. I hope you enjoy! - Devon

You might have wondered at this point, "why doesn't Agnes have vanilla flavors?!" Well to answer your question, they do. Remember milk chocolate? That was a vanilla cake with chocolate chips and a chocolate core. But for you people who don't like chocolate (personally I don't understand you, but anyway) I have the Agnes Vanilla: tahitian bourbon vanilla cupcake with cream cheese frosting infused with vanilla beans. Can't get more vanilla than that!

I'm not a huge fan of plain cupcakes, I like there to be something extra like sprinkles or shavings or... chocolate at least. But knowing not everyone is a chocoholic (mental note for you: never go to Belgium) I decided to test this one out. And it was surprisingly good. Not my favorite, but you could have guessed that. I ate it the day I packed for my travel break, and it had the quantity of sugar I needed to get through the night. Definitely very vanilla, I can't argue with that. I'd say this is a safe choice for the less adventurous cupcake lovers out there. Good for kids too, not that strong!

Sorry for the short post - it was a while ago and the vanilla didn't really stick with my memory! I do remember being pleasantly surprised by the taste though.

So Limited They're Already Gone!

Halloween was what, three... four weeks ago!? The travel break makes everything smush together, so all I remember is that I tasted this cupcake flavor before I left for my trip, and forgot to post it before Halloween. As the limited edition pumpkin spice flavor, I do have to say sorry for all you readers in Copenhagen who could have tried it before November. But as it's already gone, I'll do a simple review and keep you from your misery.

First, it was like Halloween explosion: orange frosting, orange cake and a black fondant star on top. Fabulous! The pumpkin was perfect, tons of flavor but not overpowered by the cinnamon spice. There were also raisins in the cake. I was surprised but in a good way - they broke up the typical cake-frosting texture. The cream cheese frosting was sweet and balanced the cupcake so well. And as always, there was enough frosting for every bite. I wish I could have eaten another, but that's just crazy talk! I really do enjoy the fruit and spice flavors at Agnes (apple and carrot are regulars on the menu) and this did not disappoint. And as far as I know the orange frosting didn't tint my mouth! Doesn't it look good?

It was so good, even it falling over didn't kill it for me.