first week complete!

Can't believe it's been almost a week and a half since I've arrived in København. It's beautiful, quiet, and FREEZING! It's supposed to go up to 30 degrees today, and the high's for this weekend are in the low 20's... yikes! I've heard it's going to be the coldest weather Denmark has seen in over 25 years (and spring is coming when?!)
Classes started on Thursday, and it doesn't even feel like it! On Mondays and Thursdays, I have one 3 hour class, Tuesday and Fridays, class from 10 to 5, and Wednesdays are free! Although most times, classes schedule field trips. So now that it's Tuesday, I have had one day of each class, and they are starting off really easy, which I expected. The most challenging one for me will, of course, be Design, but I'm starting to see that my Watercolor class is going to be difficult too. I took the class but watercolor painting is the one thing that I have never been able to understand or do well, partly because I don't have nearly enough patience for it. So I decided to take the class to stretch myself a bit and try to learn something new. But, the first day proved to be a challenge and I know I'll have to push myself more to keep up with everyone else.
This past weekend was my first trip out of the city of København. We took a tour of Fredericksborg Castle which is located about 45 minutes outside of the capital city. It is the largest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia, and the Danish royalty used to live there. A lot of the PhilaU girls signed up for the trip, so it was fun to spend some time together! It is a very large and very beautiful castle! We spent some time in the gardens, but it was really cold, so we'll have to back in the Spring when it's warmer :)

                                               

                                                                         PhilaU girls :)

WOO!

This past Sunday was my first time going to church for the semester. I've been in contact with some girls, including my roommate from home Laurel, from DIS over the past few weeks, and we all decided to go to the International Church of Copenhagen. It's a Lutheran church, with a service entirely in English. They have about 60 people on a Sunday but it seems to be a strong community there. Afterwards, they have coffee and snacks so we joined them for that and were introduced to some of the members. Then, a group of us joined with a few members of the church who are in charge of their young people's bible study group, and we ate lunch at a local cafe. It was a great time of making new friends and enjoying more of this delicious Danish food :) 

feeling really oriented

Orientation is over! It's been a lot of information to take in, a lot of sites to see, and a lot of new faces. All in all, I've enjoyed getting to know this beautiful city I get to live in. The first day we had the opening ceremony, where the director of DIS spoke about the importance of the program and some of the new things we'll experience throughout the semester. I got to talk to some other people who are living with host families like I am. Although none of us live near each other, it was nice to figure out how other families are and talk about my family and some of the great and not so great things I'm going through. Tuesday, we had an 'Amazing Race' where we were given different locations around Copenhagen, and once we visited each place, someone would be there to give a brief history about the location. Here are some pictures of places I got to see!

                                          House of Parliament

                                          New Harbor (Nyhavn)

                                          Royal Palace - Got to see the Royal Guard Procession!

After, we met with our whole program, which includes Architecture, Urban Design, and Interior Architecture. They gave a brief history of Copenhagen, then showed some examples of work from each program and some expectations. Then today I had a session on Cultural Diversity, something that has had a great impact on me even on day 4 of this crazy time. This evening there was an activity fair where all the clubs and organizations gave information about their groups. I'm looking into the choir, but that won't start for a few weeks, so I'll see how much time I have.
Later, a bunch of the PhilaU girls went out to a local cafe, where we drank tea and coffee and caught up with each other! One thing I didn't expect is that since I live on the outskirts of the city, I'm not near most of my friends who live on the other side of Copenhagen. It'll make visiting them a little difficult, but we should be able to meet up in the city.
Tomorrow is my first class, and after is a social with the rest of the Architecture Department. I'll update again soon!

not in Kansas anymore!

Goddag! I'm finally here! Hard to believe, and still trying to really get my head around what's happened in the last 24 hours. I arrived in Copenhagen (or Kobenhavn as I should start calling it) at 6:30 AM this morning. For future reference, Denmark is 6 hours ahead of the U.S. The plane was an hour delayed because it was snowing and the winds were bad. However, the flight was 2 hours shorter than expected, so we ended up arriving an hour early anyway! After baggage, the couple of us who are staying with host families took a shuttle to a nearby hotel, where we checked in and our host families picked us up. My host mom, brother, and sister were there right away to greet me which was wonderful! We packed my large suitcases into their tiny car and headed off. On the way to their house, we stopped at a local supermarket and picked up fresh bread and pastries. Yes, that's right, my first food in Denmark was a Danish :) After the market, we arrived at their house. The biggest house on the block, and one of the prettiest too! There are 3 supermarkets and 2 gas stations within walking distance, and the 2 buses into the city stop right around the corner. Being told I have to be at school at 8:45 tomorrow morning was a little nerve wracking, but Karin (my host mom) walked me through the schedule, the stops, the names of those stops (which I might never be able to pronounce), and using my bus pass.
I've clicked with host family very well. I have to admit, there has been a lot of information thrown my way, along with a lot of Danish, but it's beginning to sink in. My host mom is named Karin, and she speaks English VERY well, which is such a great blessing. Her son Gustav is 11, and daughter Ida is 8. They speak English as well, but talk in Danish 95% of the time. But Karin translates for me, and has made me feel very at home. Peter, my host dad, was on a business trip this past week so he was not here to greet me this morning, but is supposed to arrive in the next hour or so.
As soon as I walked in the door, Gustav played me a song on the piano (he's REALLY good by the way). Both the kids are taking lessons, and both are brilliant. Ida showed me some of her toys, and her dance skills :) After we had breakfast, I got a tour of the house, which is 3 floors and very old, but lovely. I then took a 3 hour nap, because I didn't sleep at all on the plane. When I woke up, Karin had made lunch. Ida had one of her friends over, so I met her. Karin and I then went back to the supermarket to pick up some bread and lunch meat for me to make a sandwich tomorrow. In Denmark, it is expected that you pack a lunch. The peanut butter was too expensive, so we have to wait til that goes on sale. Peanut butter is rare and expensive in Denmark, but I told Karin how important it is to me, so we're figuring it out :) We then went to Karin's favorite cafe and had cappucino's (delicious!) and then came back to the house. I walked through my schedule for the week and she talked to me about all the transportation things. Dinner was chicken sandwiches. Surprisingly enough, the Kristensen's have chicken for almost every meal, so I feel RIGHT at home!!!
Tomorrow begins 3 days of orientation. It will be a TON of info, as it should be, so hopefully I won't get too overwhelmed. My class schedule is really nice, so I'm anxious to start on Thursday. Getting used the house today has been good, but I'm excited to be with my friends again tomorrow. It was great flying with people I know, and I'm glad we're all here to keep each other company :)
Farvel (Bye) for now!

night before life goes on

The time is finally here! Tomorrow afternoon I head to New York, where I'll fly straight to Copenhagen. The plan is to get there at around 7 AM Sunday morning, which will be about 1:30 AM U.S. time. Hearing about the snow that is coming tomorrow makes me a little nervous, especially for the drive to the airport, but I know that God's in control of everything, and that if I'm meant to board the plane, I will! I'm so grateful for everyone who has wished me well, and I know this will be the best experience of my life.
I have been in touch with my host family, and they seem wonderful! They live 5 minutes from the airport, so transitioning to my new home Sunday afternoon should be fairly easy. I'm hoping that as the semester goes on, our schedules will mix well and I'll find a new home with the Kristensen's :)
Looking at the suitcases that are currently scattered around the first floor of my house, it is becoming more and more real that this will definitely be an adventure. Trying to not overpack has been a challenge (and I'm not sure if I've succeeded...) but I'm hoping to leave some things in Denmark and bring some European treasures back in exchange!
Now it's time to get some rest (at least try to!) in preparation for what tomorrow will bring. But, as I keep telling myself, I can't plan for tomorrow, but only for the present day God has given me. Thank you for the prayers and please keep them coming, as the next few days will be full of radical change (and a nervous stomach). Luckily, I'm traveling with 9 other girls from PhilaU, most of whom are some of my closest friends. Can I ask for anything more?!
Next time I write on here, I'll be in Denmark. CAN'T WAIT!!!

so this is a blog?!

My name is Ashley, and I created this blog to keep my family and friends up to date on my semester in Copenhagen, Denmark! At this moment, I'm a Junior at Philadelphia University, studying Interior Design, but soon, I'll be a Junior at DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad) located in the center of Copenhagen. I don't leave for another 16 days, but I know the 21st is going to get here before I know it. I'm very excited and I appreciate the support and prayers that I know have already been headed my way. Can't wait to keep you updated on life with the Danes! :)