I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark without a home. For the typical adventurer this would undoubtedly provide a feeling of excitement. But for the chronic planner, scheduler and detail-oriented individual such as myself, this idea of excitement quickly fizzled away and re-emerged as a frightening disaster.
I had heard many warnings about the difficulties of finding housing, but until I was thrown into the lion’s pit of the Danish housing market I could not fully understand its severity. In August, housing ads in Denmark receive 300-600 replies in a matter of days, meaning that most people do not even have the time to read your housing request, let alone respond to it. So after staring at empty inboxes on multiple housing platforms for what felt like an eternity, and soaked in my own self-pity, all I wanted to do was go home. Perhaps it was an overreaction, but at the time, all I could think about was that I had come all this way just to turn right back around.
After pulling myself together, and guiding myself with the notions, “This too shall pass,” and, “You’ll laugh about this later,” I was able to connect with a Canadian investment banker from Montreal, who was looking to sublease his beautiful apartment in Østerbro, Copenhagen. This apartment has now become my home for the rest of my exchange semester.
Now that I am settled in, every moment here will be an incredible adventure that I welcome whole-heartedly!
Denmark is an incredible place to live. Its culture is remarkably different than that of Canada’s. The country is a social welfare state. Citizens pay anywhere between 40-60% income tax, but due to this, the standard of living is much higher for the majority, and consequently the society has fewer outliers. When you spend time here, there is this collective ‘we’ mentality embedded within Danish culture that gently hugs you everywhere you go. The most important value in Denmark is called “hyggelige” (pronounced Hyoo-guh). The closest English word is cozy. It is about spending time with family, or wrapping yourself in a blanket and having tea, or lighting candles and sitting with friends. I definitely appreciate hyggelige, and will actively make time for it in my stressful Canadian life when I return.
I kicked off my travel experiences with a 3-day long bicycle tour to M∅ns Klint, a section of 120m tall chalk cliffs on the island of M∅ns, south of Copenhagen, and boy, did it ever rain! Coming from Vancouver though, this was nothing new. So we carried on, cycling through rolling fields and tiny towns, sleeping in an old Danish man’s backyard, pushing our bikes through herds of cows, and filling the air with laughter along the way. It was the perfect beginning to what has been blissful happiness ever since. With plans in place to explore the island of B∅rnholm in the Baltic Sea, to see the fjords of the western coast of Norway, and to hike glaciers in Iceland, I can hardly wait for the experiences that are yet to come.
While on exchange, I believe that it is important to have a general idea of what you would like to gain from your experience. For myself, I want to challenge myself academically, and to be active in the outdoors. If you like nightlife, do that, if you like arts, do that. But have a general idea. Once you arrive, you are faced with many choices and some of us have enough money, but none of us have enough time to do it all. Determining some guiding principles allows you to decide what is important, and allows you to have the most personally satisfying experience.
And for those students who are contemplating international exchange, the question is not if you will go on exchange, but rather, when you will go on exchange. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to see the world from a new perspective.
Madeline is in her third year at Beedie and is currently on international exchange at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. Her love for the outdoors and passion for sustainability are what drive her involvement within the community. She recently completed her year-long term as Enactus SFU’s Education Manager for Banner Bags and also represented the organization as a Presenter at the 2014 Enactus Canada National Exposition. In addition, she founded YoutHatch, a program that encourages student involvement at her local salmon hatchery. When not buried in her textbooks, you can find her instructing kayaking, running, cycling, wilderness camping, and hiking.