Michelle's Birthday Party

My friend Michelle had a birthday party for her 5 best friends, me included. We had to come in workout clothes, because the plan was for us to go into the forest to play around. When we came back, we had some dinner and cake, where we all laughed a lot.
Later, we saw a movie and had a bunch of fun with seeing a scary movie where I got freaked out....Michelle thought that it was "oh so hilarious" (which it sort of was) and we all started cracking up. In the morning, we had breakfast and played outside. It was super fun!

Tivoli with Sole and Julle

Solveig invited Julie and I to come to Tivoli to be together and have a goodbye-Danny-thing. Her parents drove us in to Copenhagen and we all went into Tivoli together. Shortly after, we three girls went around Tivoli on our own. We hung out and walked around, went on a bunch of rides and just enjoying each others company. Later, we met up with her family and got ice cream, dinner, and cotton candy. It was a bunch of fun and a really nice thing that they did for me!

Dear Danya

Dearest Danya,

What a year we've had. It's been an absolutely amazing experience!

This year I have seen you blossom into an exquisite young woman. You have grown so much in so many ways. Physically, you are now almost as tall as I am, but mentally and emotionally you are bigger than us all. Educationally, you continue to grow and learn and you always seem to enjoy gaining new knowledge. Just within the first month of school your Danish improved immensely and you are now fluent. I feel so proud watching you read all types of Danish books on your own. I find myself having amazing conversations with you and I am always learning something new from you.
 

You have made some great new friends this year, and I know that you are very sad to leave them. They are very supportive of you and accepted you into their lives straight away. As a mother it is touching to have your friends come to me, with tears in their eyes, expressing how sad they are to see you leave. Your friends really care about you.
Leaving friends isn't easy, but taking the time to nurture a friendship is worth every ounce of effort. Don't let your location determine the strength of your bond. If your friendship is meaningful then it will keep growing even if you are an ocean apart. I know you have made a goal to stay in touch with your friends by Instagram, Snapchat and Skype. If keeping up with your friends become a routine, your friendship will continue to thrive.

As your mom I will always be there for you. You are so precious to me. Nothing compares to the joy and happiness that you spread in my life. I know you feel sad that your year here in Denmark is coming to an end, but don't worry, the best is yet to come! And I know that no matter where life’s path takes you, you will succeed. Every day I am proud of the person you are becoming and I know you will make a difference in this world.
Think of yourself as timeless, precious and priceless. Every day when you walk out into a new day remember that you are treasured beyond anything you could possibly imagine. There isn’t anything that you could ever do that would sacrifice the love that I have for you.

Danya, don't be afraid to continue to spread your wings and fly. Follow your passion as nothing will give you more pleasure and satisfaction in life than doing something that gives you happiness. Have the courage to live your dream. I think that this year has shown you that the unknown of following your dream may spark a little fear, but it is okay. Even if you do not succeed at first, you will be happy knowing the fact that at least you tried and that you gave it your best shot. When you get back home make sure to take a break from your busy life, look back and relive the many moments, here in Denmark, that gave you so much happiness.

This is a time in your life to look both inside yourself and forward to what may be. In whatever you choose I know you will do your best and will continue to grow along the way.

You are, and will continue to be, a person who will make things better and brighter and you make me very proud.

I love you!
Mor

Feelings about everything

We just have eleven more days left before our year in Denmark is all over. It’s hard to believe how 11 months have flown by so quickly and yet at the same time, it really does feel like a whole lot has happened. Our life here has become a daily routine, and I think that it will be very difficult going back to our "old life". I feel conflicted. I really cannot wait to see my family and all of my friends, but at the same time, I don't want to leave my family and friends here. It is all very difficult to take in, and I have a hard time realizing that there will be a HUGE change in our lives in less than two weeks.

I'm so glad for my year here in Denmark. At one point, I felt a bit regretful because I didn't learn quite as much in school as I had thought I would, but thinking about it, I've learned so much more than what you can learn in school. I've learned about the people here, their culture and who I am and I have had so many amazing experiences here that I wouldn't have if we hadn't taken the chance to move here. Living away from home, on the other side of the world, has impacted me in ways that will stick with me for life. Since being in Denmark I have come out of my shell, so to say, I'm much less shy! I've become more independent, and confident in myself and the choices I make, and I've learned to take in everything as it comes. Being put outside of your comfort zone is a scary thing, but I've realized now that really it is just an opportunity to try new things.

Mormor is selling her house. It will be very hard for all of us, especially Mom, to say goodbye and know that when we come back it will be to somewhere else, not the childhood home we were all use to. Who knows what will happen to it or who will move in, but the best thing to do is to put a smile on you face, your mind in positive thinking and your heart full of the great memories that have taken place while we lived in it. It has really been great that we got the chance to live here and were able to go to Lynge Skole.

Right now, everything seems like it is flying by. A week feels like a day, a day feels like an hour. We try to make the best out of our last time here, but it seems harder when you think about all of the negatives like, moving away from your family, friends and home. I know how hard it felt to move from America, but this is different because I knew the whole time that I would be moving back. Now that we will be leaving Denmark, I don't know when we will come back, and when we do, if we will be coming back to the same friends and family. I have made such good friends here, and now I am just going to leave them on short notice. All my friends here have the same reaction about me leaving, that they wouldn't let me go. They don't want it and won't allow it. I feel that when I am around my friends here, I am peaceful with myself and the world, and I am able to express myself, not through bragging or doing homework.

The tempo here is different. People are on time, and do not want to come late, but in the long run, they use their time more wisely and calmly. After school, you don't have to drive at 75 mph to get to a sport or activity, here you walk over to a club or go home to your friends and hang out, talk, and relax. At dinner, it is not about being the first done, it is about hygge and being together. I have really enjoyed that tempo, and now that I know that that tempo of life exists, I will have a hard time going back to a compacted and hectic lifestyle.

I have been very lucky to come in the class that I came in. Everyone is very grateful for each other and there are very, very rarely arguments. All of the girls are close, some closer to others. In the US, I struggled (especially in the lower classes) for finding a best friend. I knew that there were best friends in movies and books so why not one for me. I always tried so hard to be a person that everyone liked, but not the person that I am 100%. I always thought that a best friend was one that you told secrets to and who didn't judge you and that would always be your friend forever. In some ways, I was right and some ways wrong. I didn't just find my best friend, but my best friends. They are always there for me and they couldn't care less about the clothes I wear, or how good I am at sport or school. They just care that I am who I am and I am very grateful for that. I am always excited to come to school and hangout with them. I feel that leaving them will leave a huge hole in my heart, because I finally found friends who I always have fun around and who appreciate me for who I am.

All in all, I have found my brown feeling again. Yellow for the queasy feeling in your stomach when you are excited, blue for the despair of leaving the people I love.
I never want to forget this year, and I never will.

9th Graders' Last School Day

The 9th graders had their last school day today. They started the day off with spraying everyone with shaving cream in front of the school. Later they walked through the school handing/throwing out caramels and pasta in to the classrooms. At the end of the day they did a revue. In the revue, they preformed small skits, most reflecting on their teachers and everyday life, with a twist on it. They danced and joked around, at the end, saying goodbye to their teachers and the school. It was very funny.

More pictures here.

First Swim of the Year

We went to Buresø to go for our first swim of the year. It's our favorite place to swim! It was a chilly swim, but probably our last swim here in Denmark..... this time around. It was a really nice and beautiful day.

More pictures here.

Fun with Cousins

We went to my mom's cousin's house for dinner. We made up skits and laughed a lot! I really like hanging out with my cousins!

Friends!

These past weeks, I have really been together with my friends a lot! I went to the movies with Solveig, where we saw "The Other Woman". I went shopping in Lyngby with Julie, Solveig and Ellen, and to a concert at Lynge Bytorv where we saw Lucy Mardou from the Danish X Factor. After that, I went and ate dinner at Solveig's house. I feel that in Denmark, there is more freedom to go places with your friends on a daily basis, and just planning it an hour in advance. My friends and I have gotten very close, especially with the help of Klubben where we can be together for hours. I have really enjoyed it and I really enjoy and appreciate my friends!

More BFF pictures here.

Stella's Last Two Field Trips

Stella has been on so many fun field trips with her class this year. Here are the latest two trips. One to the library and one to Copenhagen where they went sailing on the canals.

More pictures from the library here.

More pictures from Copenhagen here.

Spring Party at Klubben

Mom, Stella and I went to a spring celebration over in Klubben. It was a beautiful summer evening. The sun was out and there was a nice breeze. There were tables set up out in the garden as well as a bounce house. There was a fire at the fire pit where you could make Danish pancakes and inside there was a table sat up for all the cakes in the cake competition. Everyone talked, played and just hung out and enjoyed each others company and the fact that summer has arrived. We were the first to arrive and the last to leave. We waked home at 9:30pm and the sun was still high in the sky.

Social Media

I just got Instagram and Snapchat, so that I can keep in touch with my friends, here in Denmark. Unfortunately, now I feel that I am on the computer all the time. I got to figure it out soon! I am very excited that my plan of staying in touch is all ready in action...

Jutland and Legoland

We took another trip over to Jutland. We took the bus from Copenhagen after school on Thursday, because we were off from school Friday. We had gotten some free tickets to go to Legoland, and were planning to use them when visiting Moms friend Mette. When we got to Vejle, Mette picked us up and drove us to her house. Mom was very happy to see her friend, and she was also very grateful that she got to visit her one more time before going back to America. Who knows when we will come back to Denmark!?
When we got to Mette's house, we ate varme hveder. It is a tradition in Denmark to buy and eat these white rolls the evening before Store Bededag. We hung out a bit and then went to sleep.

The next day, we toured around the area and went walking with Bob Marley and his friend. I was also showed how to make a very easy recipe for rolls.

We woke up early Saturday, Stella first because she was too excited to sleep, and ate breakfast. We were going to LEGOLAND!!!! Once everyone was up and dressed, we went and picked up Emilie, Mette's niece, so that she could come to Legoland with us. When we got to Legoland, we waited in line for getting in. Once we were in, we went straight over to the cars so that we could get a drivers license. While we were waiting for the group before us to be done, we walked around and admired the well made Legoland. We walked back over to the cars and had our turn. This was the last year for me to be able to drive the cars. You can only drive the cars until you're 13 and I'm simply getting too big. After, we went wild going throughout the whole amusement park. Emilie and I went on the big roller coasters and I went with Mom and Stella on the water ones. There were penguins in the new polar section as well as new rides. At the point when our tank needed to be filled, we ate at a buffet where our friend works. After that, we went on some more rides. It was a beautiful warm summer day and we had so much fun!!!

More picture from Legoland here.

The next day, we hung out until we had to go. Mom had a very hard time saying goodbye. It was very nice to be there and visit as well as being in Legoland.

Field Day

We had idrætsdag, which is very similar to field day. There were about twenty groups with mixed students from each class. The two groups that were next to each other (e.g. 13 & 14) would play against each other the whole day long. Usually the teams play against other teams, but it was changed this year. I was on team 13 and Stella was on team 12. We unfortunately didn't play together, but we wouldn't have anyways because the grades 0-4 play together and grades 5-9 play together. There were some things that I have tried in the US, but many things that were new. It was a bunch of fun! At the end of the day, Thomas Kirkegaard, Director, announced who won first, second, and third place and everyone got an ice cream. It was a great day!

More pictures from a fun day here.

Mor's Dag!

Mothers Day was very different this year with Mom living with her mom, she had to celebrate and be celebrated all at the same time. The day started out with Mom getting breakfast in bed. Stella and I had planed it all out and had gotten some fresh berries and juice, as well as some small gifts. After that, we just hung out, and later, I helped Mom with preparing a lunch for Mormor. We made traditional Danish smørrebrød and set the table with some beautiful with fresh flowers and cake for dessert. It was very special to spend time with Mom and Mormor on Mothers Day, and I know that they enjoyed it too!

Second to Last Riding Lesson...

Mom and I had been in a car accident, where some guy backed in to us and smashed the front of Mormor's car. So because the car was broken we had to bicycle out to riding. About half way, my back tire went completely flat. I wouldn't make it on time if we walked the rest of the way. Mom's bike is too tall for me to ride, but I found a solution by sitting on the back of Mom's bike and biked it out to riding that way, as my mom pulled my bike the whole way.
When I got out to Bente's, Sophie, Sigrid, and Sigrid's friend were almost done getting ready. I quickly, with Bente's help, got Fussie ready as well.
The lesson began, and I took a deep breath. It was my second to last time at riding and I had to make the most out of it as I could.
While we were trotting, Mom arrived and watched. It has been nice for her to come to riding with me, and for me to have her support, but also that she has made some good friends with the moms of the other riders. We then galloped, jumped and did pony training as well as riding bareback. It was so much fun and I really enjoyed myself!

More pictures here.

MGP

Solveig and I signed up to be hosts for a "talent show sort of thing" in Klubben. It is called MGP which stands for Melodi Grand Prix (Junior). We just had to introduce the performers. It turned out that we were super good at it, and we had a super fun time!

Outside of School

For PE, my class and I biked to Allerød to go to a badminton competition. Some of my friends were going to be playing, and so were some other kids from Lynge skole, as well as Lillerød skole. The rest of us watched and cheered our friends on. While we were biking back home, it started to rain. By the time we were back at school, we were all soaked to the bone.

In 6th grade, you have to get your bike checked as well as your biking knowledge. All the sixth graders, biked out to Allerød to take the cykelist prøve (bicycle test). Unfortunately, it wasn't the best weather, and we got there dripping wet. We parked our bikes and waited for the other classes to finish up their test, and when they did so, it was our turn. I was a bit nervous, but all I needed to do was my best. The bikes were checked by a policewoman and we were sent off one by one on a 5K bike route. All along the route there were people watching you from bushes, under umbrellas and in cars to check if you knew all the traffic rules. It was unfortunately still raining, but there was no way that I could get any more wet. In a way, it was a great experience. After the other classes finished, we biked back home.

Stevns Klint

My Mom wanted to show us Stevns Klint. Stevns Klint extends over approximately 15 km of coastline and is up to 41 meters in height. Its known for its white chalk cliffs, which are rare in Denmark. You can see millions of years of geology exposed by the unstoppable sea. Fossil hunters, like Stella, loves Stevns Klint. Mom also wanted to show me the annual "Gjorslev Hunt", where a lot of riders in red jackets hunt a "fox" through the forest. The hunt takes place every year in May, in the birch forest by Gjorslev Slot, in Stevns. Mom packed the car with a picnic basket, a thermos with coffee, Mormor, Moster Lone, Stella and me. We drove for over an hour through the beautiful Danish landscape and arrived at Gjorslev Slot. Gjorslev Castle is 600 years old and is build of limestone from Stevns Klint.

My mom, by accident, ran into the owner of the castle and they started talking. Before we knew it, we were following him, in our car, through his private forest, out to where the hunt was taking place. FUN! He and his friend always play classical music before the hunt starts. There were horse trailers still arriving when we got there. All of the horses were strong and very beautiful. The riders were all wearing red jackets and there were a few with fox tails pinned on to their shoulders. Everyone seemed excited, and I felt just that way. Stella went down to the beach until it started. They started off with trotting around in a big circle, then the lady in charge explained what was going to happen. The riders all had a small glass of port and then rode off. A while later, the first group came back, jumped and rode off again. The same thing happened with the second group, and the third. after that, we went on to our next adventure.

We visit the old Højerup Church, which partly collapsed from erosion in 1928. Højerup Church was built of chalk ashlar in 1250. Back then, it stood at a safe distance from the cliff. There was a beautiful view over Stevns Klint from the church. Later, we went down all the stairs to the beach to hang out and play for a bit.

We also went to Stevns two lighthouses, which are at the highest point along Stevns Klint. The first of the two lighthouses were built in 1818 to guide ships through the shallow waters, and was one of the most modern lighthouses in Europe. During the next decades there was a massive increase of traffic through the Sound. So in 1878 the second lighthouse, a 27 meter tall lighthouse, was built and it is still one of the most powerful lighthouses in Denmark today.

Our last stop was the harbor of Rødvig. The harbor has a 100 year old boat building and the landmark of Stevns - a flint oven. The kiln was used from 1870 - 1910 to produce flint powder for faience and glaze from flint stones found on the beach. We sat for a while and enjoyed the great views and talked about a wonderful day it had been before driving back home.

More pictures from a wonderful day here.

Riding Lesson without Bente

I wasn't at riding last week, because I went and saw Stella's gymnastics show. This week I was going to be back on track. Bente wasn't available to teach the lesson, so Dorte, Silke's mom, stepped up and instructed us in the lesson. Before we started, we all had to give the horses some food. We then brushed the horses and got ready. We brought all of the ready horses in and started the lesson. We worked a lot on dressage, but skipped jumping because Bente wasn't there to supervise. At the end of the lesson, we walked around bareback. It was really fun! That is what I enjoy about riding at Bente's place, it is so relaxed and there is a trust in each other that makes you feel confident and at ease and things just work out.

Ride Stævne hos Gitte

I went to Bente's sister's ranch where Gitte was holding a dressage competition for fun. I went there in the beginning of the year, where I was pulled around on Inena and got a green ribbon. This time, I was going to do it myself and on Fussie.
When we drove out there, Mormor and Moster Lone included, Fussie wasn't there. The first competitors started and then finally Fussie came. I warmed her up and we went in. I did a pretty good job, only one mistake. I was very proud for myself. I waited for the others to get done with the combination, then we all got ribbons and scores. I got 7s, 8s, and 9s out of ten. Bente said that she was very proud of me!
The next combination began and I waited for my turn. When I went in, I was a bit nervous. Everything went fine and I did my best. I just tried to have fun! Afterwards, I went outside and put Fussie in gallop, galloping quite a few rounds around in full gallop without stirrups. It was so much fun!
We got our ribbons and scores and went home. I was so proud of myself and I was very happy that I went because it was a bunch of fun!

More pictures here.