The friendliest

Went Christmas caroling with friends the night I got back... We only go to houses with elaborate Christmas displays and only ding religious songs to overtly religious nativity-scene status homes.... The ostentatious homes are surprisingly easy to find!

A little comparison between cph and Seattle decorations... Ill let you guess which is which:

The American friendly factor is extremely apparent to me. Even in the customs line people made a lot more eye contact, smiled, small talked. Wooooah. I also was way attuned to the required biometrics after doing my semester project on them! Anyone not American or Canadian has to submit face scans and digital finger prints left, right and both thumbs... I wanted to take photos but also didn't fancy having my iPhone smashed.

Now I'm back in Washington!!!! So beautiful.

Washington bound!!!

At cph airport and people are queuing their asses off.... The boarding time was about two minutes ago but they have been lining up like its their JOB for twenty minutes... It's like that want me to get one good, hard look at Scandinavian culture before I head home. I half expected to see a little queuing number machine like they have at the DMV in the US and everywhere conceivable in Denmark.

See you soon Denmark! Here's a photo of the lake on my way outta town - it's melting now, will probably freeze up again soon.... And one if me and Rasmus Christmas shopping. Clutch shopping partners I tell you... And then some pretty cph.

Looking forward to seeing a bunch if you soon!

Done with project work!!!

The past days have been pretty insane... But my partner and I managed to turn in a project that we're quite proud of. I then went ahead and edited my friend Rasmus' thesis.... My brain is dooooone with papers for now.

Dear dear lotta helped me packs whole place up and move. It's nice to cleanse every once in a while! I have a bit if stuff as you can see in the photos... But it feels good that I really have everything I need in one place- not so spread out as in college. I'm now happily in my new apartment listening to a Danish football podcast with my new roommate :D

Back to the states soon!!!!! Woooooooah.

Confused about America

I really didn't think I'd want to write something about the massacre in Newtown, CT. After what seems like a particularly horrific year of unnecessary deaths in the US, there aren't many words to express my frustration and sadness. A Danish friend of mine texted me to ask if I was okay. Another asked me if anything would ever change, clearly confused. A Norwegian friend sent me her thoughts and love to the US. Yet another wondered out loud if it was really true that it's easier to legally get a gun than it is to get mental health care in America. (I've heard it is... I won't claim to know the subtleties of gun control laws as compared to mental health access everywhere in the states but YES, this is by and large true.)  I don't know what to say to my European friends about America and guns.

Rachel Maddow highlighted a report put together by policy analyst Ezra Klein on her show Friday. One of the findings:

ELEVEN of the 20 most deadly mass shootings in the world over the past 50 years took place in the United States. Five of those have happened since 2007.

So it's not my emotional response or limited political memory - five of the most deadly mass shootings to occur in the world over the past fifty years have happened in my country since I graduated from high school. I'm 24.

To my more conservative friends and family - and random people who disagree with me and happen upon this blog. I challenge you to read this column: 12 facts about guns and mass shootings in the US.

And if you want to do something apart from updating your facebook or blog, here's a petition:
White house petition: stricter gun control.

Rundtårn

My project partner and I tools little break this morning to go up the rundtårn in the old town. Such amazing views for it. It was very nice of her to join... She said she just thought it would be dumb for me to stare blankly at old rooftops and towers without any explanation.

Soooo much work to do..., but I'll be homefree soon!

Can't stop loving that snow

That sne cray

(Inspiration obviously = Jay, Kanye, and dancing crab)

Ungodly amounts of snow to be biking in! Whatever... I'm trying to suck if up and be a Dane about it.  These are the lakes in snow though!!! Wow. I cannot play it cool about how beautiful this is, I refuse.

ALSO, notice all the babies that are still out and about. When I've seen babies crying as they're being pushed around in sub-zero temperatures, swaddled to the limit, their parents don't seem to consider that perhaps the cold is a wee bit upsetting. Tough it out, baby.

The snow was cute and pretty for a while but then it went a bit wild a couple days ago. Yesterday I woke up to legit snow... I spent all morning working on my project in my room. But then I remembered what my friend Rasmus once told me... ALWAYS go outside in the winter. Don't let the daylight go without being in it. You will become depressed. This is a fact.  He maybe didn't say it that many ways, but that was his general point. So I biked to my friend's house. Normally about a 25-30 minute ride.... that took easily 75 minutes. I was taking it eeeeassyyyy. And with good reason. I had to walk my bike for the first bit because it was through residential streets that aren't as well used. I tried to bike a bit but it wasn't pretty. Frankly, biking in the snow feels like an amusement park ride. It was pretty scary! I ended up spending the night at my friend's place because I didn't want to bike in the dark. The streets were much more clear today. And don't worry, parents, I have a super good helmet, reflectors, three lights, and the patience to move slowly. I made a no passing people in the snow rule for myself because odds are if a Copenhageners doesn't want to go faster, I probably shouldn't either.

I did have a little spill today but I was totally ok. Just slipped and fell pretty gently. After biking to my neighborhood I took the opportunity to make a snow angel since I was already covered in snow on one side. My neighborhood feels even more markedly different from deeper in the city with the snow - very quiet, cosy.

I'm off to work on my project now....oy!