the beginning of the end

So I literally have 1 week left until a leave the place I have called home for the last 4 months. It's unreal, and I had to keep myself from crying when I thought about it today in the car ride home. Copenhagen has truly become my home. 4 months may not sound like a long time, but I did so much more than study here, I really did live here, which made my 4 months seem so much longer. I feel like I have kind of settled here. And now its time to pack up everything and leave.

How do you say goodbye to someone you know you will never see again? It's a strange feeling, really. This past Thursday was my last day at my practicum, and it was really hard to find the right words to say goodbye, because I knew, and they knew, that I would never see them again. I was saying goodbye to Lila, and she actually said to me "so, I'm never going to see you again". It's hurtful in a way that makes you want to apologize for leaving. One little girl, my favorite girl Mathilde, cried when she realized I was leaving. That was really touching. I am going to miss her so much. She is the cutest girl I have ever seen, the epitome of Danish: blond hair, big beautiful blue eyes, and so cute and small (she's about 2 1/2). Every Thursday her face would light up and she would grin as I walked into the classroom. She would immediately put out her small hand for me to take and would say "come. come here!" I wish I could take her with me.

My host family has by far been my greatest experience here in Denmark. Without them, I would have been much more homesick, and I don't think I would've liked it here as much. The Danes are really reserved, so having a close-knit family to come home to at the end of the day instead of going back to a quiet 5 x 9 dorm room, was wonderful. I've learned so much about Danish culture through them, and I really really feel like I am part of their family. Without getting sappy, words really can't explain how much they mean to me, and I know that they will forever be in my heart.

Some things that I am going to miss about Denmark:
1. My host family DUHHHH! :-D
2. Mathilde and Assia at my practicum site. Cutest girls ever!
3. Danish pastries and cakes, aka the bane of my existence and the explanation for my food baby
4. Fløbeller. As Michael says, "what they eat in heaven".
5. Helle, my CMC instructor and one of the most amazing people I have ever met
6. The refugee school in Holland: such an inspiration
7. St. Peter's Bakery and their 12kr special aka the only thing in CPH that I could afford
8.Things being made from scratch: homemade sushi and thai food? That'll never happen again :(
9. The generosity of Danes: they always helped me when I got lost. Some would even come with me to show me the way! In NYC, it would take you 10 mins before you could even stop someone to ask for directions
10. The parks
11. hygge
12. My host parent's cooking esp. their thai dishes! DELICIOUS!
13. The trampoline in our backyard
14. Tea. Though my host parents gave me a teapot and tea for my bday so I'm bringin that back to the States!
15. The colorful buildings
16. The city's european feel, how old it is
17. Cobblestone streets. Though I may not miss this since walking on cobblestone starts to become painful after 2 mins
18. The narrow streets
19. The bike culture, and looking out for bikes instead of cars when crossing the street
20. How proper Danes look while riding a bike (think the 101 Dalmatians)
21. Nyhavn
22. The jam and butter. Though it's clear this is a good thing we don't have this at home, since bread, butter, jam, and cheese are also the cause of my food baby.
23. Room service
24. The misuse of "fun" and "funny" and using a "w" sound when it should be a "v"
25. Being in Europe
26. The long walk from my house to the train station. Okay, sometimes this was a pleasant walk.
27. the Roskilde fjord
28. Istanbul Pizza. Yes, I know I'm from NYC, but this stuff is delicious!!

I could go on but I'll stop here for now.