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New Beginnings: Thoughts and Feelings

On By eliserussoLeave a comment

Hi friends! I’m currently at home in Ellicott City, Maryland and reflecting on what is about to be quite probably the craziest journey of my life. In just four short days, I will be boarding a plane to Copenhagen, Denmark to spend the next six months of my life there. I am feeling all kinds of emotions: nervous, terrified, and anxious, but also excited and ready for this new journey to start. I’ve always found something so special and refreshing at the thought of a clean slate, and this is one new beginning that I have never experienced before– new place, new people, new culture; all while leaving all of the old and everything I have come to know behind. Despite the blinding panic I’ve had this past week (what will I eat? how am I supposed to make it to an 8AM finance class on time? oh my god, this was a horrible idea I’m just going to sit in my room and never come out again), I know deep down that this is going to be such a good experience for me not only academically, but personally. During these next six months away, there are a few goals that I hope to accomplish, and I’m hoping that by putting them in writing I will maybe be motivated to make them a reality. So, here it goes:

  1. Make new friends: I’ve never been the best at putting myself out there in unfamiliar social situations, but I’m hoping to push myself out of my comfort zone and ummm do something besides sit in my room alone all day
  2. Visit (at least) five new countries: By some miracle, I’ve managed to have all of my Fridays off and a three week spring break. I want to travel to new places and experience different cultures to expand my world view. There are so many beautiful places I’ve been dreaming about, and the fact that I will finally be able to see them in person makes me excited beyond words!
  3. “Just Do It”: Although those of you who know me know that I am not at all athletic, Nike’s signature phrase is a motto that we can all take into our own lives. Instead of hesitating or being nervous at new experiences, I want to just do it and look back on this experience with no regrets.

Thank you for reading this post, and thank you for following along with me on this brand new experience. I have no idea what it will hold, but I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

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Living Alone in a New Country

On By eliserussoLeave a comment

So far I have been in Copenhagen, Denmark for about two weeks, and out of those two weeks have spent about a week on my own. After arriving in Copenhagen with my parents, meeting up with my brother, staying in a quirky airbnb, and sightseeing the city, it felt like a vacation. Even taking three and a half hour long Danish classes in the morning, I felt like this was a short-term, temporary trip. It wasn’t until I was by myself that I truly started to realize that I would be living here, completely alone, for the next six months. Despite having a few panics about that, I’ve found that taking it one day at a time is absolutely essential. To step back and realize, despite how scary all of this is, it is also an incredibly cool and exciting opportunity. I knew that there would be good days and bad days and a general rollercoaster of emotions, especially since I have absolutely nothing to do before classes start. There have been many highs and lows that I have realized and experienced in the past couple weeks that I thought I would share:

Pro: getting to cook myself whatever I want and not having to endure the god-awful food at UMD

Con: doing dishes everyday and grocery shopping (especially when someone takes your full cart of food mistaking it for their own, you spill strawberries all over the floor, the labels are all in Danish, and your card gets declined)

Pro: getting to meet incredibly sweet people from Denmark and from all over the world (Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia so far)

Con: realizing how far away you are from your besties and missing them with all of your heart

Pro: being a short bike ride from the city meaning endless possibilities of things to do, and also meaning that I don’t have to drive or deal with the DC metro

Con: having to re-learn how to bike while getting yelled at by the “professionals” (aka: the people of Denmark who have been biking since before they could walk)

Pro: the ability to travel to a multitude of different countries for a relatively low cost

Con: Not being able to resist booking a spontaneous trip to London when Ed Sheeran announces a small charity gig (but honestly, is anyone surprised??)

Despite all of the ups and downs, I’m truly starting to love this city even more than I thought I would. Although classes start soon and having an 8 AM will be incredibly rough, having a routine to follow will really help me settle into the city and into a good rhythm. I can’t wait to see what classes are like here and to get to know Copenhagen better. Thank you to all of my family and friends who have already been so incredibly supportive of me, it means so much (and I miss you all!!)