Hygge

One of my great goals in life was to follow in the steps of Princess Mary and become the next Danish princess. Not even kidding, it’s on my personal agenda. Nicolai informed me that the only single Danish prince is now only 10, and that perhaps I should tempt him into a van with some candy, in hopes of securing a marriage proposal in 10 or so years. I’ll think on it.

This is the Danish castle Kronberg that Nicolai drove us out to. It has a something important to do with Hamlet, and conquering the Swedish in the middle ages, but I forgot. Here's a map though, showing where it is in Denmark, a fair way north from Copenhagen;

For fighting off the Swedes

Me with a funny crown being a trickster

Nicolai and I got lost in the catacombs under the castle 

Life has become so comfy, that I’m highly considering moving to Denmark. I always said that Boston was a little Copenhagen, considering how many Danish students we had there, and in Copenhagen, the small little social community seems to have continued. Everyone has been so kind, and people are really bending over backwards to accommodate me and spend time with me…during the day I always have company with one or more Danish kids from  college, and during the night I am shipped about here and there and everywhere for dinners, drinks and the nights at different people’s places. Life has been super cosy or ‘hygge’ as the Great Danes say, they’ve all sort of formulated these plans for me, and I just merely am in existence, having a jolly good time. For example, one night, I was invited to Nicolai’s parent’s house for dinner, and they spent hours cooking and preparing for me, and then we had a fantastic meal and I met his whole family. His dad told stories, his younger sisters showed me snippets of their lives and Nicolai showed me around his home town. His mother spoke to me about Australia, and his dad told stories about his rampant youth, whilst I explained the rules of AFL and cricket, whilst they eagerly listened. I was told a lot of stories about Nicolai growing up, to my delight, and to Nicolai’s (disappointment?) I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him. All I can say is it was a super fun night.

One night I was invited by Emilie and her boyfriend for dinner, and we had a delicious meal they had cooked and wine, whilst the conversation flowed and I slept on a mattress on their floor in the living room. With my backpack in tow I was welcomed at different people’s houses, and I floated around Copenhagen, in a trance of happiness. Except maybe for when I had to make my way to Emilie’s via public transport…and her directions included, and yes I quote;

“Get off at stop Aegirsgade and walk back a bit to the blue sign”

“Walk back a bit”

As I’m sure you can imagine, there I was, lost in Copenhagen with no means of communication, backpack in tow, in a strange student-housing area, in the dark, with the simple directions that I was to “walk back a bit”.

Let’s just say I arrived late for dinner that night.

Simplicity in Denmark

But I’ve found it so easy to feel at home here, and after two nights at Heidi’s, Andreas was over for dinner, just like old times in Boston. Heidi will cook, we’ll play music, Andreas will complain about the song choice and then we’ll do the dishes. At one point he took something out of the fridge and I said; “what did you take out of our fridge?”

And then slapped my hand across my mouth whilst Heidi giggled.

“Our fridge”

I had literally just invited myself into her home and claimed it as my own. Maybe I had overstayed my welcome. But, lucky for me, Heidi lives alone and had nothing but kind things to say about my presence, saying how she enjoyed having a roommate who made her tea and was able to stay up late chatting. And me, I couldn’t have been happier in our tiny Denmark community, perfectly at home, with prolonged episodes of hygge.

With Nicolai. Lol at his face.

Nothing but blue skies in Denmark

Kronberg

Hygge