March came and went too fast. Officially hitting about halfway of this experience is crazy! I feel like I just got here but also feel like Copenhagen is my home.
The beginning of March, I took my favorite trip to date, Paris. Before going, I had no expectations. I have heard good and bad things about the city, but now I know to never listen to anyone and just experience it for yourself. There is so much to see in Paris, we didn’t even have time to hit everything in 4 days. Although it rained the whole time we were there, we still walked everywhere (30,000 steps a day kills you). Seeing the Eiffel?Tower for the fist time will forever be engrained in my memory and one of the top 5 moments of my life. Paris stole my heart and I can’t wait to go back.
Due to a canceled flight, our weekend in Berlin became a short 48-hour trip. The city was super hip with a rich history. Traveling isn’t always glamorous, my friend and I found out our flight back was canceled 12 hours before and we had no way to get home. The flights home were over $400 dollars, so we opted for a last minute overnight bus. Not one of the best experiences, but we made it home. With a 6 hour layover at home to sleep and do laundry, I was off to Ireland.
Luckily, my friend Katie had family in Cork, Ireland so we were able to stay with them. It was refreshing to spend time with family (even if it wasn’t my own) and have home-cooked meals that weren’t chicken and rice (my go-to in Copenhagen). We were able to explore Cork, the Cliffs of Moher, and experience Dublin on St. Patty’s Day!! It was an insane day and I highly recommend anyone studying abroad in the Spring to go, but book your tickets/hostel early.
After traveling for the beginning of March, I had no plans for 3 weeks and enjoyed living in Copenhagen. The weather began to warm up (no gloves/parka!!). Study Abroad is a great time to do things you wouldn’t do back home so I decided to dye my hair pink (temporarily) at the end of March. It was something I’ve always wanted to do and finally did it!
After it all calmed down in March, I hit a slight mid-semester slump. You see all the good things about study abroad on social media but I want to address that it is completely normal to have the same slumps as you would at home! It was a hard adjustment for me to have so much free time, with minimal studying and no job. I had to force myself out of bed to do things and when the sun doesn’t shine for a week, that is hard. Here are some tips for when this slump or homesickness hits.
- Reach out! You don’t realize that most likely your friends abroad have or are dealing with this. It is very common but most people don’t want to admit they are feeling this way. Having someone to talk to is helpful.
- Get a hobby! To combat all this free time, I realized I needed to fill my time. I got a gym membership and also became a regular at a coffee shop to fill time.
- Realize it is temporary. Slumps come and go and you have to realize that you are living your best life abroad! Not everyone gets this experience so you need to make the best of it. Try not to lay in bed all day and watch Netflix when there is so much to see and do!
That’s all for now! See you next month!
Rachel
P.S. if anyone is going to Copenhagen next semester feel free to reach out to me with any questions! My email is remiller09@tamu.edu