Thursday, December 25, 2008

more traveling

So I am currently in Amsterdam with Raphy. We were in Belgium at the beginning of the week. Not my favorite country but I'm glad I went there. We went to Brussels, Bruge, and Antwerp. Bruge was beautiful and Brussels was boring. But the waffels and beer were awesome. Amsterdam is great. Not in love with it, but I could definitley spend some time here...Since its christmas, we went to the only things open today-museums. Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. Last night we went on a walking tour of the Red Light District which was really interesting and somewhat startling, but enjoyable. Tomorrow we will go to the Rembrandt museum and see where that takes us. I want to walk over to the old Sephardic Synagogue.

I'm really excited to go back to Denmark on Saturday, it feels like going home. I know how it works there and how the people are and I know enough of the language so feel comfortable.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

oh.my.god

I won a free roundtrip ticket back to Denmark from DIS!!!

sidste ugen

I can't leave, I just can't. Yes I know I said that I hated it here, that I didn't fit in, have friends, and wanted to come home. But you know what, as usual I jumped to conclusions. I have a life here, have friends, and I just DON'T WANT TO LEAVE. I now know why people stay for a whole year...or just move here. We got an email saying, you may experience reverse-culture shock. I expect it. I have changed while living here and I don't know yet how exactly I'll fit into my old life.

Tonight was the first of my goodbyes. It really sucks. That is all I have to say about that.

I leave for Belgium on Friday, then to Amsterdam on Monday, and then I will be home in Newton on the 29th. yuck. home.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

two weeks left

I have 2.5 weeks until DIS ends, though I will have 10 extra days in Europe traveling. I realize that about two months ago I wrote that I had accepted that I was not happy here. I had come to terms with my disappointment and that it was ok to me. Well, lets just say I have been proven wrong. I have created a strong base of friends and always have something to do now. Sadly, it is so late in the semester that there just isn't enough time for everything. I have a routine, places to go, people to talk with, and I genuily enjoy being here. I am definitely sick of DIS and my classes. The program was definitely not up to par with my standards and I wish it had been better. I also realize that I do not 100% love copenhagen and Denmark, but fortunately it is not because I didn't have friends, so I don't feel guilty for not enjoying myself because I actually dont like the city for the city, not for the lack of friends. Hopefully that made sense.

This summer, I remember remarking to a friend that despite the fact that I am 20, I did not feel like an adult. I felt like a kid inside in many ways. I know feel like I have slowly grown up and become an adult while living here. I have a new sense of maturity and independence that I don;t think you can have without living on your own and trying a new experience as challenging and risky as moving to a foreign country and making a life. I am almost 75% done with college and I finally feel like I can go that last year and be in medical school.