Every day, a new experience

For as much as this feels like home, it amazes me how foreign Copenhagen can feel every now and then. The whole city has been a little out of whack lately, due to the COP15 Climate Conference that conveniently ends at the same time as our program. Every now and then, I'll hop on a bus and it will just decide to change its route or something. Love it when that happens. But yeah... the climate thing is a really big deal over here, and it's actually been really cool to be right in the center of it. Radhuspladsen (the main square) has a stage for concerts, etc. and a giant globe thing. There's a melting "ice bear" in Gammeltorv... all kinds of crazy stuff. Protests tend to happen right under my classrooms on Vestergade. Makes taking finals interesting for sure.

Unfortnately, I haven't had much of an opportunity to experience the climate hype, due to all the work I've had this week. Between Thursday & Friday alone I had a project, a paper, 3 finals, and my final Visual Journal to be turned in. STRESS. I mean, that might be an exaggeration since we all know how little I like to stress about anything, but it was tiring to say the least.

So we chose to celebrate the end of the week with something familiar: The Nutcracker. That's about as familiar as it gets, right? Like, how many times have I seen the Nutcracker? WELL. You haven't had the full experience until you've seen the Danish Nutcracker.... or should I say nøddeknækkeren? THIS version of the Nutcracker would have been better appreciated on some form of drugs. There was surprisingly little dancing, but don't worry, this was compensated by the inclusion of monkeys, bikes, and a giant Easter bunny looking thing. That's the Danish sense of humor for ya. Usually, I can appreciate this.... but you don't mess with the Nutcracker. I was pissed.

What does not belong here?!?!!

Afterwards, despite our exhaustion, we rallied for our last Friday at Kulør. It was ......... typical. Hahah um except for the part where I made the poor choice of wearing heels. Given my size, and my coordination skills, I am just simply not meant to wear heels. ESPECIALLY on cobblestone. I have no idea how the Danes do it. Let's just say that I have multiple bruises. Actually, I have a confession. I took them off for a little while on the way home. I know that's gross, and it was FREEZING, and it's going to be a miracle if I don't catch some form of the plague, but better that than a broken ankle. Seriously. Those shoes have been retired.

This morning, the host fam went "into the forest" to get their Christmas tree. AND THEY DIDN'T WAKE ME UP. I mean, I guess they figured a normal American college student wouldn't be too thrilled about being woken up after a late night to go drive 45 min. into the middle of nowhere in pursuit of a tree. But I'm secretly very bummed out. Christmas trees are my favorite :) Hygge, in a nutshell.

Okay, I promise I'll write at least once more before this blog comes to a close. In the meantime, I'll be writing one more paper, experiencing as much as I can in my last week, and continuing to kid myself into thinking that I'm ready to get out of here.