6 Months In

I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since we moved to Denmark.  Looking back is an interesting thing.  Sometimes it seems like the time has flown by and at other times, it seems like it’s been an eternity.  In all honesty, it has been a really hard 6 months.  Maybe the hardest 6 months I’ve ever experienced.  We have come a long way and accomplished a lot during that time though.  I cringe thinking back about those first few weeks and the trials we went through trying to get settled in.  Numberless are the times I’ve wondered what in the world we are doing here and wishing we could just go back home.  But now, 6 months in, we feel much more settled and are finding that for the most part, we like Denmark.

  Chad’s schooling is going well.  The program he is in is great and the faculty he works with are wonderful.  As far as schooling goes, I don’t think he could have come across a better opportunity.  Myra is her usual cheerful self and has learned a lot of Danish.  She now tells people here not to speak to her in English anymore.  Lexi is coming out of her shell more and more.  She really likes her teachers and is starting to make some friends in her class.  She uses what Danish she knows the most out of any of us.  Noah is talking more and more, although I worry about him having a speech impediment.  He uses the Danish word for no (nej) about 99% of the time.  He loves his Nursery class.  And I’m starting to learn more and more Danish, finding that it’s already starting to come in handy.  I’ve been able to re-invent my Etsy business and once again find myself busy with work.  Although the past 6 months have been a struggle, we have been very blessed in many ways.  Although I often feel that I have a love/hate relationship with Denmark, I know that we will look back on these 3 years with much gratitude for the experience.

I thought it would be fun to post a list of things we miss from the States and a list of things we like about Denmark.  It will be interesting to see if and how much this list changes during out time here.

Things we miss:

* Our Family and Friends!  Desperately!  I’m so grateful for skyping and internet communications, but it is not the same.  I often feel quite depressed at how long it will be before we see our loved ones again. 

*Nena, our dog.  At least every couple of days, Noah will randomly blurt out, “I miss Nena.”

*A Car!  Public Transportation sucks!  Enough said!

*A garbage disposal.  We actually have to separate all of our garbage, including food garbage, and it’s just gross sometimes!

*A crockpot.  Yes, they do not make crockpots in Denmark.  I could probably make a fortune if I were able to import them.

*Walmart, yes, Walmart.  One stop shopping that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.  Here, you still end up with the crappy made in China junk, but it’ll cost a fortune.

*Some foods, like sticks of butter, cans of creamed soups, brownie/cake/muffin mixes, peanut butter cups, butterfingers, pudding, jello, chocolate chips, etc.

*American Restaurants and American Restaurant pricing!  It’s so expensive to eat out here!  The cheapest “fast food” place we’ve found still sets us back over $20 for a couple of hamburgers and fries.  Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a Taco Bell, Wingers and Café Sabor!

*Warm Weather!  Seriously, it’s July 19^th and the weather has only gotten out of the 60’s this year for about 5 days.  I have to wear my jacket whenever I leave the house. 

Unfortunately, this list could probably go on and on.  I find that I miss things, not just because I miss them, but because they were what I was used to.  I’m sure someone moving to Utah from Denmark would feel the same way.

So, here are some of the things I love about Denmark:

*The People!  We have met some really fantastic people.  Especially our ward.  They have been so kind and welcoming.  It’s been a real blessing.

*The bike paths.  They are everywhere and they often go through some really pretty areas around the city.  I have probably ridden my bike more the past 6 months than ever before in my life.

*Saft.  I’m not sure why they don’t have this in the US.  They are concentrated drinks that come in a variety of flavors.  Just add water.  It’s great.

*The Sight-Seeing!  Denmark is beautiful and so full of such rich and old history.  In 6 months, we have been to so many amazing places and I feel like we are just touching the surface.  I’m so excited to explore more of this country and Europe in general.

*Pastries.  Yum!  No, they do not make “Danishes” in Denmark, but the pastries they do have are amazing!  And you can find little bakeries all over the place.

*The Rain.  Yes, it rains a lot and often I just want it to stop, but, it makes the area so beautiful!  Everywhere we go, it’s so green and lush.  I really like that.

So, here's to another 2 1/2 years.  We are 1/6th of the way done!