As I’ve now been in the happiest city in the second happiest country for one month, I thought I’d put together a little review to reflect on my time here and think about my favorite things I’ve done so far!
So, without further ado, here are my favorite memories, moments, and meals from my first month abroad.
My Favorite Danish Foods
- Danish Dill Potatoes – potatoes are a side for EVERY meal here, and the Danes have a lot of great ways of making them. In this dish, boiled potatoes are served with a cold and creamy dill dip that’s so refreshing and takes away the the bland starchiness of the potatoes. The dip is also delicious with bread!
- Ristet Hotdogs – the Danish way of eating a hotdog: mayo, mustard, ketchup, remoulade, raw onions, fried onions, and pickled cucumbers.
- Rye bread with pålægschokolade – This is a classic danish snack consisting of dark rye bread covered in butter and thin bars of chocolate.
My Favorite Dessert
Winner: The Pain Suisse from Jumbo – it’s a flaky pastry filled with vanilla cream and chocolate!
Hon Mention: Cardamom Bread (also from Jumbo). This Swedish take on a cinnamon rolls has become increasingly popular in Denmark, and it’s a staple in most bakeries now.
My Craziest Memory
Winner: Jumping into the Aarhus Bay while sailing with Marnie and my roommates!
Hon. Mention: Whatever the H*LL was happening with the dancing tomato man.
My Favorite Museum
Winner: Den Gamle By – this one took me by surprise a bit as it’s more of an experience than a museum. Den Gamle By (The Old City) is an open air museum that consists of different “sections” representing historical eras of Denmark. There’s 2014, the 1970s, WWII, and the late 1800s. Each section has a few fully decorated houses (seriously, even the kitchen drawers have historically accurate appliances), some shops selling gift items such as pastries or books, and of course some fun interactive experiences! In the WWII era you can ride a vintage car, and in the 1800’s you can play children’s circus games. I was there for an afternoon and there’s still so much I didn’t see. I’ll definitely be going back!
Hon. Mention: Aros, of course.
My Most Used Danish Word
Winner: Åbyhøj (The neighborhood I live in). Everyone always asks me where I live, and it took WEEKS to perfect my pronunciation of this place (Uh-buh-hoy).
Hon. Mention: Prosit (Bless you!). This time of year, many people are starting to get colds as the weather fluctuates between hot and cold. This word has been used a lot in my lab as people spend the day at their desk sneezing!
My Favorite Place in Aarhus
Winner: The Latin Quarter – home to lots of shops, cafes, and parks, there’s always something fun happening here! It’s a great place to walk around, take in some old Aarhus architecture, and make a few purchases!
Hon. Mention: The Harbor – Although I don’t think it’s the best place in the city to go swimming, there are cute bars nearby and it’s fun to watch others attempt wakeboarding or dive into the sea at public harbor bath.
Biggest Culture Shock
Winner: The academic environment! People take breaks ALL the time. In lab, we have 10AM coffee, lunch around 12:30, and then another coffee around 2PM. All of these breaks consist of leaving your desk and joining your colleagues in the kitchen–a true break! The same goes for class. If class is longer than an hour, there will definitely be a fifteen minute break. There is also an emphasis on participation in class. At Columbia, most of my classes were lecture based and maybe had a weekly discussion course that accompanied the class. Here, the classes are structured like conversations, and students are regularly asked to present the material or prepare group activities. I gave a 40-minute presentation last week on high vs low-intensity strength training. The craziest part? It wasn’t. even. graded. It was just part of my normal participation in class!
Hon. Mention: Grocery Shopping. Items here are sold in very small packages, and grocery stores are much smaller than they are in America. As a result, Danes often go to the grocery store every few days to buy essentials. I think the idea of Costco might send some Danes into a coma! I’ve also found that there are many “convenience” items I would buy in America that aren’t available here. Frozen and boxed meals aren’t very popular, and mixes for baking and specialized ingredients are hard to come by. A few examples of baking supplies that are hard to find here: butterscotch, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
Something I’m Glad I Tried
Winner: Ballet! After showing up to my first class a bit…overdressed, I’ve now fully embraced my studios “hyggelig” (cozy) vibe! It’s so different from any American ballet class I’ve ever taken–or even heard of, but I love that my teacher prioritizes finding joy in ballet and combines ballet with some funky and contemporary techniques.
My Favorite Trip Outside of Aarhus
Winner: Vejle – Even though Carissa and I did no planning prior to arriving in Vejle, we had a really fun day and there was so much to see and do there!
Hon. Mention: Copenhagen – I had a great time meeting the other Fulbright Grantees in Copenhagen in August and it was so much fun being back in the city! I’m definitely excited to go back for a weekend trip and maybe even see some places in the city I didn’t get around to visiting last year.
Looking Ahead…
October will bring many more memories and adventures, I’m sure of it! I’ll be hosting two very special guests, celebrating my favorite holiday, diving into my experiments, and going on some fun adventures within and outside of Denmark! Thanks for sticking with me through this journey so far!
-Kate
3 responses to “In This Post I… Reflect on One Month in Aarhus”
Great idea for a post! It was so fun to read about5 your favorites. Love you 💜
Hopefully you’re up for re-living some of these experiences when we come for a visit, particularly the hotdogs and the Latin Quarter.
So… have I met these two visitors you are expecting? A fun summary post. I encountered that constant “breaks” thing when Mom and I were visiting relatives in Norway. They seemed to barely get dishes done from breakfast… time for coffee and snacks… then lunch… soon time for afternoon coffee… and then dinner… and mid-evening snacks. And they were all slim. It was summer cherry and strawberry season with LOTs of whipped cream at every meal and snack.