In This Post I… Spend 24 hours in Aarhus

IKEA: Sweden’s Gift to Expats Everywhere.

I arrive at my house by taxi (there was absolutely no chance I was lugging my suitcases up any more hills). The house is adorable, situated in a residential neighborhood of Aarhus called Åbyhøj. It’s roughly a 15-minute bike ride from the University and close to a shopping center and Brabrand Sø, a lake. 

When I walk through the door, one of the “M&Ms” (what my landlords Maja and Marnie like to refer to themselves as), is there to greet me. He’s wearing paint splattered clothing and touching up some of the walls in the rooms. He gives me a full tour of the property, which includes a greenhouse lounge space, apple trees in the backyard, a fully equipped kitchen, and his Belgian Shepherd. 

I then head to my room and begin the long process of unpacking. Or, at least, that’s what I plan on doing before the bed becomes too tempting and I fall asleep for a short nap. When I wake up, one of my roommates, Emma from Austin, TX, has arrived. I head to the common space and greet her. Turns out, we were both on the same flight from Montreal and took the same train from Copenhagen… crazy! 

After getting a bit more packing done and doing some work on my computer, I decide to have a late-night snack before bed. With my phone flashlight, I head out into the yard to pick apples! There are a few jump scares—Denmark is home to a surprising number of bugs—but I successfully pick a few tasty apples. After that, I’m ready for bed, excited for a proper night’s sleep after a long day of travel!

Morning brings an early grocery run to “365,” a nearby grocery store. Shopping in Denmark is a simpler affair with fewer brands, mostly Økologisk (organic) or national labels. This makes shopping a bit easier and cheaper as there are fewer decisions to be made and less competition. I stock up on Danish favorites: dark rye bread, Lurpak butter, and banana & pear yogurt. 

When I get back home, Carissa, who is another Fulbright Student in Aarhus, texts to see if I want to head over to IKEA. It’s a bit of a trek for both of us, but with company it goes by quickly. Transit in Aarhus is not as comprehensive as it is in Copenhagen, and it’s run by a different company. I’m still getting used to the sparse bus routes, and am all the more eager to purchase a bike!

We demonstrate our commitment to serious IKEA shopping, skipping the showroom and heading straight to the warehouse. We wander through the aisles, each collecting items for our respective homes and consulting the other on color schemes for bedding and bathroom linens. I go with a bright and cheery blue duvet cover that I think would add some color to my room during the dreary winter months.

We then stop by Lidl, a German grocery store very similar to Aldi, and I make my most important purchase of the day… an ice cube tray! I’m too American to survive on room-temperature water alone! 

Back at my house, some of my roommates have begun moving in! I meet Pietro from Italy and then head into my room to set up my new purchases. Soon the voices coming from the common room grow louder, and I step out to find that my roommate count has doubled! I meet Jess from Ireland, Jordan from New Mexico, and Matthieu from France. They’re a friendly bunch, and we chat for several hours, getting to know each other and sharing our reasons for coming to Denmark to study. Mostly, we compare our favorite foods from home. Matthieu convinces us that escargot really isn’t that bad (or that slimy), and Pietro respects and agrees with my love of porchetta.

Not a bad 24 hours – new friends, shopping adventures, public transit exploration, and setting up my home for the next 10 months. Bring on the weekend adventures!