Arrival

I made it to Copenhagen! The flight was a bit long and the woman in front of me decided to put her seat all the way back for the whole flight but, overall, it wasn't terrible. We were fed twice, which was great, and I slept on and off for what I think was 3-4 hours but I'm not entirely sure. The flight was through SAS and, as a result, the entire flight crew spoke Scandinavian and English. The woman sitting next to me was a bit older and definitely a Dane, which meant we didn't talk much. I will be honest: I felt totally out of place on the flight. There were business people, both American and International, there were couples (mostly older), and there were families with small children. I noticed maybe one or two other young people travelling alone but they looked so much more confident! Anyway, once we landed there was the passport check and then waiting for bags. I only had one suitcase (which was VERY stuffed) and while we all waited I met a young business woman. I confided in her and told her I had never travelled internationally by myself. We struck up a conversation and it turns out she's been travelling internationally by herself since she was 19, and that was a visit to France to see her sister. She was so friendly and gave me her business card and said I could call and she would take me to a cafe or out one night. Not only did we have a great conversation but she also helped me exchange Euros to Kroner, buy a train ticket, and get on the train! She was definitely a blessing from God and I am so glad I had the courage to ask for her help!

Once on the train it was a sit and wait. I got off at my station, called my host (I lost a bit of money using the wrong coin but it was worth it), and called home. I definitely thought the time difference was 6 hours. It's not. It's 7 to the Midwest so, as I write this, most of you aren't even awake yet. My host, Lise, picked me up and took me to the store just down the street so I could buy a little food. Good foresight since I did end up being hungry later on. Plus now I have food for today. The house is small but I like it. Lise has a beautiful garden in the back with all sorts of plants and beautiful pink roses. I put pictures up on Facebook so if you'd like to see where I'm living, check them out. Unfortunately, Lise's father passed away last week so she left for family business and I had some time to myself. I called home. I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful technology is. I was able to talk to my mom for an hour over Skype and it was just like calling home from Madison, except I'm in Denmark and she's an ocean and several countries away. After the call I chatted with the other student living in the house, Jin. We are both so glad to have each other because it is lonely here if you don't speak the language. Granted, I've only been here a day and haven't ventured outside the house yet but after the stress of the airport and Danish everywhere it was nice to have a conversation with Jin. She doesn't have any travel plans right now so I have a feeling I will be convincing her to take weekend trips with me. :-)

I also got to chat with my brother, which was great. I won't brag about him right now but most of you already know how highly I think of him.

After all the warnings about jet lag I really had no trouble staying awake. I went to bed at 11:30 pm and got up about 8:45. Considering there are only like 4 hours of darkness here (the sun set at maybe 9:30 but it was still like out at 10) I think I did pretty well. And so far today I've done basically nothing. My GH mates (especially CC) will be happy to know I did not ask permission to use dishes in the kitchen or to use the bathroom/shower. There is no shower curtain, though, which made the shower interesting to say the least. Oh! I almost forgot. I also got a bunch of warnings about nudity in Europe. Advertisements and beaches were the main ones but yesterday Jin and I happened to look out my window and two gardens over from us was a boy jumping on a trampoline--naked! Yup, welcome to Europe. We were both a little shocked and, in her words, he was "old enough to be wearing clothes!"

It's rained here today. Thunderstormed, actually. I was out in the garden reading when it started and the first thunderclap literally sounded like a gunshot. Still, I love listening to rain and it was very comforting. That's it for now. I spend way too much time on the Internet so I will try not to post more than once a day. Please be praying for me during this adjustment time. I have no real schedule until I go into work on Monday and many things are still unknown to me. Pray for courage, grace, peace and patience. I am so grateful to everyone who was praying for me as I travelled. Even though I was anxious I know God was with me every step of the way.
Bekah