Viborg Day 9 Jess

How are you feeling about being away from home?

At first, I was really homesick. Just for the first night here and a little bit the next day though. Then I came to the realization that I am going to be here for the next nine weeks, I am in Europe doing something that I am really interested in and absolutely nothing is going to change at home during the time I will be here. I also really started learning the names of everyone here and talking to them and made instant friends, so I think that really helped too.

How are you feeling about being where you are located now?

I love Viborg and the Kollegiet very much! It is really a nice town. I feel very safe here. This evening I went jogging around the lake and felt more comfortable and safe then when I am jogging around Champaign! The trip to Foulum is a little long, but by bus it is no problem at all. The bus picks you up almost at your door and literally drops you at the main door to enter the institute at Foulum.

What have you had to do to adapt to living/working there? How are you coping with those changes in your day-to-day behavior?

I had to learn how to make a dinner that is healthy for me when I got here. I never cook. Never! When I am home (at school) I eat out, at the dorms with friends, or eat a sandwich at home. Sandwiches were not cutting it for lunch and dinner here everyday, so I made some pasta and got some broccoli and tomatoes from the store. I made a weeks supply of dinner all at once. I am sure I will get tired of it by the time it is gone, but at least I have something hot to eat for dinner.

Is there any knowledge that you would like to contribute to our program’s Survival Handbook for that country.

Buy a bus ticket! Before you travel to Denmark, plan on setting aside money to take the bus to and from Foulum almost everyday…unless you feel ambitious and want to ride your bike a few days a week. It was 140 Kroner for a ten trip ticket. One trip to work, and one trip home counts as two trips. So, basically a weeks worth of rides costs 140 Kroner. I am going to check into how much a month pass is because I am pretty sure that it will be even cheaper. I really think it is something that you have to have though.

Also, make sure you either plan on spending quite a bit of money on food and going to the grocery store almost daily or take lots of boxes of pasta, pop tarts, granola bars, or other snack like foods from home because they are really expensive in Denmark. Almost everything is more expensive in Denmark. Plan on spending some money of your own just to survive by our U.S. standards.

Are there any other observations or reflections or concerns that you would like to share?

I noticed that people here are very willing to help you find whatever you need. They will be happy to give you directions, help you read something, or find you anything from DVDs to watch at night to a bike to ride around town. Even perfect strangers on the street will talk to you and ask where you are from. They are not weird at all, they truly want to know about you. I have found this to be very comforting and I have been able to learn more about the culture and how people do things here that are sometimes the exact same as in the U.S. and sometime completely different than the U.S.