Hello Again - I have not quite figured out how to do paragraph breaks on this thing... they show up in the draft but not when I post it - so my apologies for now! These last few days I have been having quite the cycling experience!

Copenhagen is an insanely good place to bike. It's SO so flat, there bike lanes absolutely everywhere, and it's just how most people get around. Still... Thomas was quite nervous about me being on a bike. He went over the hand signing and traffic rules with incredible urgency. As much as I can obviously ride a bike, Copenhagen biking is NOT for the faint of heart. On the one hand cars respect bikes… but bikes don’t always respect each other. As the program director of HIA put it to me this afternoon, "Bikers in Copenhagen don't necessarily tolerate - well, they don't tolerate it if you don't know the rules". Danes are big on "tolerance" so that's saying something. The art of turning left in Copenhagen is my next hurdle. You have to cross the street and pull over and then turn with the other lane... all very interesting to read about, I'm sure. Seriously though, learning to bike in Copenhagen is, in my opinion, the absolute best way to see the place and get attuned to the 'beat' of it. I already feel much more centered and comfortable after just a couple days of exploring. I notice myself fading in between tourist and worker. When I have somewhere to be by a certain time I feel much more in synch with the flow of traffic and the city generally.

Because let's face it, Copenhageners don't head to the palace and little mermaid every day. Then when I don't have anything specifically to do - like the later afternoon today - I find myself meandering, checking the map more often. That's also nice. I toodled around the Marble Church, Amalienborg Castle courtyard, and the King's Garden. Still, I'm looking forward to getting more and more into the rhythm of living here. Anyhow! I've been having some meetings with the HIA staff and also had a chance to meet with the senior fellows network. I think I might run to be on the Senior Fellows Board next year! Great way to keep in touch with people, integrate into the senior fellows network, and of course practice my Danish.

Major Danish successes today = buying a transit card for logistics over the next couple of days all in Danish and carrying on enough of a conversation with an old man today in a church courtyard that he didn't realize I don't speak Danish. But who knows how deaf he is so I'm not giving myself a standing ovation on that one. Thomas and Sarah continue to be SO so kind to me. They want me to have “real Danish rye bread” so started making it on Monday – it’s a process.... SO GOOD. Really hard on the outside and moist/amazing on the inside. I will definitely be trying to recreate it with their guidance. 

Looking very much forward to the summer program... the final schedule is all printed and ready to go! It's a bit of a strange, amorphous role I play - I'm on staff but also the go between between participants and staff. A challenge to balance but it's going to be just great. Kærlighed til jer alle, Alice