I first got the travel bug the summer after my freshmen year of college in 2018. Back then I still had the notion that I was going to be a successful film musician and was pursuing a music major, and while that didn't pan out, luckily for me it provided me the amazing opportunity to travel abroad for the first time and play music with my friends in some of the most famous and beautiful music halls in Europe. I've even seen the birthplace of Mozart in Salzburg, Austria!
Since then, I've traveled to seven countries outside of the U.S., but Denmark will always have my heart. I was able to live there for a while with my cousin, a resident of the country for the past ten years, working and integrating myself into a completely different culture while getting to know family. While it was an amazing experience, I found it very hard and even isolating at times being in a place where I didn't know the language or customs. Unlike a lot of expats, I was lucky enough to be staying with family who could teach me the ropes and made the transition a little easier.
My journey there started with a Facebook post. My cousin ran a successful cleaning company in her town and had published a post saying she was seeking employees to join her crew. Mostly as a joke, I commented, "You should hire me so I can move there!" She responded with, "OK." Three months later she, her Danish husband, and five-year-old son came to visit her family in the states, and a few weeks after that I was getting on a plane with them headed to Copenhagen, Denmark. After a nine-and-a-half hour, very uncomfortable plane ride, a four-hour bus ride, and a thirty-minute car ride (during all this time I was lugging around two VERY heavy and full suitcases), we arrived at her beautiful home in a suburb called LΓΈstrup...and that was the beginning.
This blog is not only going to be about my experiences in Denmark; I have many stories to tell from my other foreign adventures, but Denmark is where I truly lived locally and will be the center piece of this account. One of my fondest memories is of visiting Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, the inspiration behind Disney World. My experiences there in particular made me become a more conscientious tourist, and I feel some of my stories could really help other visitors or expats of foreign countries. Come along with me as I provide budgets, itineraries, and advice on how to be a respectful tourist wherever you go!
