Thursday, June 13, 2013

Graduated...now what? Denmark & so much more.

So... I am now a Brandeis graduate (what?!?!?!$*#*^*) and I shall do some traveling - with musings - putting my introspection into some form of blog (with photos I promise). With that...

Welcome to the Liminal Phase Blog! 
My attempt to keep in touch, record my thoughts, and update loved ones on my travel and life adventures in post-grad life: aka my liminal phase between college and adulthood. [[See: Victor Turner for great rhetoric on liminal phase in rites of passage]] The blogs will follow my five trips in the upcoming months (Denmark has ended). Denmark, Northampton, Ghana  & Kenya  - and then Thailand for a year. Big travels. Big adventures. 

Happy Blog Reading & Following! Now here are my thoughts on København - which was my first trip of the post-grad life.

It's so GREEN: and other important observations on DENMARK 


Canal Tour 

2 days after graduation (May 21st), I packed an overly large suitcase and flew to Denmark for 9 days to see my dear friend Anna Trier Bjerring; a friend I met in Ghana on my first trip in 2009. Since she came to see me in the US a few years ago, it was definitely my turn.

me and the vikings
me & anna outside Christiania


Things I noticed:

  • It was SO green. Everything was beautifully in bloom and green and fresh. The air was fresh. Trees, bushes, grass - everything - GREEN. 
  • Europe does things better. Well, at least Denmark does. It is cleaner. People are less invasive. Kinder. So many nifty inventions to keep things running smoothly. Recycling is in check. There are taxes on food that is bad for you. Everyone is healthier. College is free! It's SOCIALIST - (what could be better?).
  • The architecture was stunning - I took hundreds of pictures of statues and buildings and other gorgeous areas that I could not get enough of - especially near the water. I wanted to move there. Instantly. Minus the fact that I would be broke in days and jobless. 
  • Bottle & can collecting is a legitimate (small) source of income (you could make 30-50$ a day) in Denmark.
  • Culture shock does not just happen in Africa.
  • Two odd tattoo shops: Pure Pain Tattoo Shop and the Meatshop Tattoo Parlor - really not sure why they were named that way...why why WHY. 
canal tour 

canal tour as well...

See? GREEN!


Some highlights of the glorious trip:
  • Walking Anna's miniature ponies in the forest in the Danish countryside
  • Getting lost on an afternoon adventure on my own & then reading in the hammock while drinking German wine
  • Riding on a bike around København, pretending to fit into the City of Bikes
  • Visiting Christiania - a small anarchist society, known particularly for cannabis sale and usage - but was really just a fascinating little society of its own. There was so much art and beauty. There were three rules in the green light district: have fun, no photos and don't run, it causes panic. I liked the last rule best. Great vegetarian cafe in Christiania if you get a chance to visit. 
  • Danish pastries
  • When someone asked if I was Swedish
  • Tivoli - the second oldest theme park in the world & where Walt Disney got his inspiration. (Rides were fun, but it was honestly just mesmerizing how gorgeous it was!)
  • Swedish Anna! My roommate from Kenya, who is Swedish, flew down to see me. :) Such a treat. We had an awesome time together.
  • Distortion street festival :) 
The Rules 


Low lights:
a) Anna's evil cat
b) jet lag
c) salty licorice

(this is what annas cat did to my hand - I am now afraid of cats..)



Good friends. Good food. Good fun. All around Denmark was exactly what I needed. It was wonderful to catch up with Danish Anna & Swedish Anna. I had missed them both so much! I needed to get out of the country to calm down from graduation. It was a perfect get away. 
Stay tuned for more blogs. :-) 

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