2014: A Summary

I've had an incomplete post sitting in my drafts for a couple months now, one that I just ctrl+A and deleted. It's not that I couldn't be bothered to finish it, it's that life got so busy and I forgot about it until now, when I was thinking about writing my summary of 2014 post. My thoughts from that entry will be included in this one, as they are all part of the big picture of 2014.

 I returned from Denmark just under three months ago, and my aforementioned blog post talked about my transition back to life in the US, which was difficult for me. It took me just as long, if not longer, to re-adjust to my "normal" life as it was in the US than it did for me to get used to my life in Denmark. Life back in the States felt mundane and boring (and still does, to some extent). The analytical comparisons I was making while in Denmark turned into, well, comparative comparisons. I would think things like: "Well Denmark does_______better" not "Denmark is different because..." Three months later I still occasionally make those comparisons, but they've dwindled into the things that are more thought than said. That being said, I think it was last week I said as I was falling asleep at my desk: "Well I wish I had my standing desk from Denmark. I never once felt tired at 3 in the afternoon!" I've also changed, and not just my perspective. My friends would tell you I'm much different than I used to be. I'm far more open (blunt, perhaps?) and without a filter. I'm more confident, and perhaps more anxious. I have a wanderlust now, and I'm trying very hard to satisfy that need. But, in introspect, I also think these changes in me have pushed people away...but it is hard for me to pinpoint exactly when these rifts started forming, if they are there at all. For all I know, these so-called "rifts" could just be the illusions of getting older and forming different lives and taking different paths. Regardless...

 I think 2014 was my best year so far, and the most challenging. So let's start at the beginning.

January 2014 began with the largest artistic undertaking of my life: My thesis project. It frustrated me sometimes; it made me want to yell, to cry, to stop and give up. But I prevailed, and wound up with an end product I am almost entirely satisfied with. In the coming year, I will try to continue adding to my book of churches, and even harder to make this tour something my city wants. It is applicable to life and tourism in my beautiful city, and although it may be arrogant of me to say, this is something my city needs.

The rest of my final semester brought about some great memories and people: I took a creative writing class in which I produced a short story, a story I consider to be one of my best written pieces (and one my professor thinks I could get published...but I've yet to attempt doing so. Perhaps that'll be a 2015 goal). I attended the Albany ADDY Awards with my team from Overit and proudly took a silver student award home for Point-of-Purchase design.

I took an Intro to Marketing class. My professor was enthusiastic, intelligent, experienced (to my delight, a former LEGO employee!), and just overall an amazing individual; he is one of the driving forces that encouraged me to go to Denmark. John, if you're reading this, thank you for all of your support (and cover letter proof-reading!). Although I only took one class with you, you inspired me into having the most life-changing experience. I don't think I could ever thank you enough.

In May, I finally graduated college. Five years, two schools, countless hours of work, drops of blood, towels of sweat, tissues of tears, and mountains of debt later, I finally did it. There are moments during the day when I surprise myself and think I'd rather be in class, but the moment is gone as it came, and I'm back to not missing academia much at all.

After May, much of my summer "events" and happenings occurred simultaneously:

In the absence of classes (because I simply do not know how not to learn), my friend and I took up learning languages. I am refreshing my Spanish, dabbling in Danish, plowing through German, and attempting the conlang (constructed language, aka it's not a "real" language) of my friend's invention. Learning these languages helps me not just learn how to speak them, but more about English, which is really great.  Do you know what a pragmatic particle is?

In late spring, I became an active, open (read: out-of-the-closet) member of a fandom I had previously just been lurking in for the past ten years. I wound up drawing a lot as a result of being inspired, and became part of a group of artists like me. These people very quickly became my close friends, inspirations, heroes, and collaborators. I am proud to be one of you, and glad y'all welcomed me with open arms, and look forward to the day I get to meet you all. I enjoy talking with you every day, and it is nice to know that there is usually a friend online somewhere if I need one to be. To my friends (even the ones not in the art group), you help me understand cultures, new languages, and the lore of our unifying franchise. Big shout out to Corv, who deservingly won his dream job as a LEGO product designer and starts next week. You'll be awesome. Unity, duty, destiny!

Over the summer I became great friends with two amazing Danish girls who came and visited. In the US we had a lot of fun together (caving, hanging out, and getting really drunk (wait, that was just me, wasn't it?)). Although we were all NGE  our exchanges were different, we shared the experiences of being in other's countries and out of each other's comfort zones. Well, at least I was out of my comfort zone by a leap, a bound, and a transatlantic flight. As mentioned in my previous blog entries, I loved getting to spend time with you in your cities and learning about your culture.

Also over the summer, I visited Iceland and Denmark. They were my first independent trips abroad (as in, not having anyone I knew with me). I'll just say another quick thank you to the people who made this possible and amazing. Mom & Dad, John, The Delmar Rotary Club, the Vejlefjord Rotary Club, The Pedersen Family, The Sigvert Family, Lars & the Uhrenholt team, Christina, Arense, and anyone else I could possibly be forgetting. I also got to meet my oldest internet friend, Giada, while abroad (from the fandom mentioned above too, how about that!?) Thank you all for making the experience what it was. It was incredible. I won't describe my trip, but go back and read the previous blog entries ;)

Upon my return from abroad (within a week!), I found out I was the recipient of two American Graphic Design & Advertising awards, and I was on a plane bound for Texas to see my cousin Emily as a beautiful bride, which really didn't help the jetlag. While my time in Texas was short, I really enjoyed getting to see the family I haven't seen in a very long time, and see a part of the country I'd never been before.

In the past month, I have gotten my first full-time job (and in my field!). I'm around cars, looking at cars, and talking about cars all day long, and that makes the gear-head in me happy. It can be repetitive, but I cannot really complain about the work. I'm hardly bored, and I'm kept busy. Except right now. I'm not busy right now. End-of-the-month lull. I'm writing this at work... shhhhh. But I do miss the view from my desk at Uhrenholt. Tacking a photo of the view through the window up on my cubicle wall is not the same. And it doesn't smell like the ocean either. Maybe it's a scratch and sniff... Nope. Well it was worth a shot.

This year was a mixed bag of emotions. It brought agonizing heartache, but it also brought exhilaration and days of happiness. I lost friends, but it gave me amazing new friends and brought me closer to some of the ones I already have. I made the right choice wearing silver and gold today.

The new year is bound to bring new and exciting things (hopefully). September will hopefully bring me to Iceland again, and then England with one of my best friends, where we will [hopefully] visit my friend Tom. But other than the new goal to publish my short story and travel abroad once more, I have no idea what the year has in store for me.

Well, I guess I better "get back to work." Those Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram banner ad templates aren't going to make themselves.

Godt nytår, mine venner.

Until next time,

E

To Denmark, With Love: A Reflection

Dear Denmark,

I say this time and time again, if six months ago you had asked me if I thought I would be here, if I could do this, I would have instantly told you no. But now it feels like just yesterday I stepped off that plane, shaking and sick to my stomach. My two months flew by, and I have grown so much and understand so much more about myself: my flaws, my skills, my confidences, my abilities, are are much clearer now. I now know that I can be okay, that I can feel at home in a place that isn't my home. I want to do this again.

Denmark, you and I have shared a very important chapter of our lives together. Thanks to the Vejlefiord Rotary Club, I was blessed with the most incredible family, the thing I will miss the most. My family understood I was a introverted recluse from the beginning, and they understood it seems. I battled with this for eight weeks.

This is probably the biggest thing I would do differently. I, much like the rest of my generation, view my technologies and devices as extensions of myself, and I'm addicted to them. Most often, I did as Christina had done in our house (and also as my father had instructed), sitting in public places when on my laptop or phone like the living room. My friends and I sit on our laptops and phones and talk and show things to each other, so I never really considered how doing this would hinder accessibility, and in retrospect I definitely would change that. I feel bad about that, actually. I struggle with making conversation in general, and I know Sophie and Christian suffered from both my reclusive personality, the computer, my flawed ability to converse, and my uncertainty on what to say/do with kids their age. I'm truly sorry if I did not live up to your expectations, but you were two of the sweetest and most amazing kids I've met and you will grow up to be so smart, so funny, so talented, and wonderful people just like your parents.

I will miss you all terribly, the way you made me laugh, and made fun of me trying to say Danish words. I am ever grateful for the experience you have given me. You showed me so much of Denmark, from its family life, to the countryside, to the cuisine, to even a little bit of Deutschland! You told me, that at the rate I was finishing the manual, I'd be staying until Christmas. The fact that you made my last supper a Christmas dinner is a symbol I'll never forget. I look forward to the day we meet again.

I will miss Arense and Christina, my Danish sisters. It is tough knowing that our friendship happened so quickly, shared between experiences and two countries, and although this friendship is far from over, it is anything but over, it will require more effort to maintain. I loved the cities you showed me; you gave me the [real] interaction with  college-age individuals I needed, and if I were to repeat this experience, I would have loved to live in Aarhus to experience that social aspect that I generally lacked in Middelfart. We shall see each other again soon, whether in Denmark or in the US.

I will miss my team at Uhrenholt. Truth be told, I was scared to be working in a corporate setting. But you all showed me that a thick style guide doesn't mean one can't have fun with rules. Løne, thank you for providing me with a 104-page project that encouraged me to think outside the box within the box. I am proud of my involvment in it, and I hope that everyone else likes it too.

To the marketing department, I did have a blast working with each and every one of you, even if we sometimes disagreed about English syntax, diction, and grammar. Lars, you in particular are one of the greatest superiors I could have asked for. I'll miss seeing your goofy, charming grin every day. You were/are a great friend with whom conversation is easy; talking about music with you was great. Actually, not just music, everything we talked about was amazing. You accepted my dorkiness for who I was, partially because you're a dork yourself (go buy that LEGO set, already! Who cares if you're 33?) I'll miss you, and blame the volcano on everything that goes wrong, just as we promised.

To Carsten Sigvert and Family, I had a wonderful time spending time with your crew of boys. Victor, Lasse, and Jon are quite the entertaining trio, especially when they/we started making low blows at each other, and I've never felt so equally amused and offended to be an American in their company...that's a good thing. You showed me the lovely vistas of the Vejle area, and the picturesque  town of Skagen. I'll have to return someday in the sunlight to see the magical light that all those artists got to experience.

To everyone else who helped me experience the amazement here in Denmark. Carsten F., neighbor Carsten, Ella's parents, Henriette, Giada, Egon, and anyone else who I am forgetting off of the top of my head.

A shout out to the Art Squad, especially those in Europe (Tom, Corvin, Demi, Ruben). You guys provided me with the college-age interaction I needed when I wasn't with Christina, Arense, and the Sigvert clan. The talent in Art Squad is inspiring and extraordinary, and I'm proud to call myself part of the crew. I'll miss our nighttime Skype calls; they're going to be more difficult now.  Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. Andreas, I'm sad we didn't get acquainted sooner. Would have been great to hang with you in Aarhus during the days I was there. Yet another reason to visit Denmark again, my friend.

Moving on, Arense provided me with a series of questions that she ponders after a trip. After much thinking, these are the responses I came up with.

The best thing: My family, my friends, and my personal growth. The existential moment I experienced during The Little Mermaid ---That moment defined my time here in Denmark; I was surrounded by Danes, in Denmark, watching a famous Danish story told in Danish. It was surreal, and may have been my favorite moment, even if I looked foolish crying during "Part of Your World."

I would also like to cite my first time in Copenhagen as a defining moment. It was the first time that I truly stopped to think in a stressful situation like the one I had been in, and not panic. It proved that I could be okay.

The worst: The street party. It was a lovely setting with lots of nice people, but I didn't entirely get to experience that. It was the most isolating and the time I was most frustrated with not knowing how to speak Danish. It is hard to enter a conversation when you don't know what is being said.

The thing I would do again: I would return to Skagen in a heartbeat to experience that place in the sunlight. I want to see the difference in the waters in color, not just the difference in texture. I would also return again to Copenhagen and do some more of the touristy things as opposed to just wandering around.

What I wouldn't do again: It's not that I wouldn't live there again, because I loved Middelfart...The sights, the harbor, the quaint town, but I wouldn't live in Middelfart. Having no one my age is tough for two months. That contributed to the isolation, and certainly aided me in seeking out the company of the Art Squad a lot. I would try to live in Vejle, Aarhus or Odense. (I don't think I could do Copenhagen well, it's too big.)

The thing I am not going to miss: Huge spiders, not having ice in drinks, Danish Kroner (sorry, too many coins...I can't do it), bicycling everywhere (especially in the rain...I didn't dislike biking, I just love my car). I'll miss taking the train, but not the cost of taking it.

Things I am going to miss: My host family, my friends, my job and coworkers, the wind turbines everywhere, the architecture, the view overlooking Middelfart and Lillebælt on my way home from work, Bettanus the cat noisily climbing through the skylight in the wee hours of the morning when it's raining (and when it's not), sharing music and laughs with Lars, lunchtime walks by the marina with my team, and the salty smell of the ocean wafting through the windows by my desk.

I learned so much in Denmark, but I cannot list it all. I could write you a novel, Denmark, but instead you have 11 other blog entries you can read instead that tell you all of my thoughts, feelings, and analyses.

I think it is time I close this document, Denmark. I think it is safe to say I love you. I didn't fall head over heels for you, but our relationship slowly flourished into something that is definitely love. I'm ready to go home, but I'm not quite ready to leave you. My two months were gone in a flash. In reality, two months isn't really a long time, but as I know all too well, two months is just enough time to fall in love; it just is long enough time for me to put my life in New York on hold and start a new one elsewhere. I developed a new life here, a new routine; an everyday life with friends and family and even myself and growth. But now I must once again leave this life I created in a different land just to unpause the one I suspended in the States. It's sad, and even a little scary to resume the quiet one I led.

Denmark, you have taught me so much about myself, I am sad to see you go. This relationship, although short term, was amazing. Breaking up is always hard to do, but I think we'll both be okay.

All my love, tak for alt.

Until next time,

Elissa

Denmark Diaries: The Last Week

Hello all,

Thus begins one of the last entries from this trip, much to my sadness. I'll begin with Monday, where the moment I walked into the office Lars said, "It's your last week!" I laughed and told him to not remind me, but it ate away at me all week. I'll get back to that in a minute.

Saturday the 27th was tough. It was the street party, and frankly I'm trying to find a way to be diplomatic in my approach to my analysis of it. In theory, the street party is a splendid idea. Block parties are great ideas if you have the enthusiasm for them. And the table we set was beautiful and the food was great, and even the company was great...if you spoke Danish. It was full of songs and conversation. But it was also full of people who were not my age, with the exception of one lovely girl who left shortly after dinner. I hardly talked to anyone, and the one person who did talk to me after the girl my age left (besides my family) happened to be very drunk and kinda touchy, which made me a little uncomfortable. It was a long night, and while it was a nice time, I found myself bored and sketching on my phone. It was probably the least interesting thing I've experienced in my two months. I was super exhausted by the end of the night, and I'll blame my introversion here, because I just wanted to crawl up into my bed for the next three days by myself I was so people-tired.

Sunday the 28th was much better. I went with Ella, Marcus and Sophie to look at efterskolen. The efterskole is a type of boarding house that students can choose to do for a couple years in High School/Gymnasium age. She is interested in Design (I'm not really quite sure what that meant, even after looking at the schools...the "design" that I know is not what these schools were teaching. Looked more like the obvious industrial/furniture design and fashion design than graphic design as I know it.) But it was cool to see a very traditional Danish experience and shop for it with Sophie. Brought me back to my own college-shopping days. The first place reminded me a lot of Purchase College and I wasn't too crazy about it, but it offered more options. The second one was more my speed, but offered less. That was only two schools though, she may explore more options. I think she will do great no matter which place she chooses.

On Monday night I went up the Vejle to essentially present what I experienced and learned during my time in Denmark, while also getting to see the similar presentations that Arense and Christina gave. Following dinner we took some goofy pictures. I was sad after the meeting, realizing that this was the last time I was going to see my friends for a very long time.  I'm not ashamed to admit I shed some tears on the train home. It was a very emotional experience for me, and I definitely have a weight in my chest knowing that I can't just hop a train or in the car to see these friends. They both tell me they will be back in the states, and I hope that I will get to visit them in DK again sometime too.

On Wednesday I went with Ella to the Trapholt Museum. It was a small art museum, mostly contemporary, but with some exhibitions on Danish furniture design and photography. They had an expansive exhibition on Børge Mogensen, the famous furniture designer whose work I have definitely seen before, whether in a house or otherwise. I also got to see the very famous Red and Blue Chair by Rietveld, inspired by Mondrian. It was very cool to see this piece in person, as it was very talked about in my modern art classes.

The museum also had a really cool exhibit called "10,000 Hours: What Is Talent?" which was a, discussion of sorts, of the cultivation of artistic "talent" from a young age. Each artist had (at least) two pieces of art on display. One from their younger years and a recent work, and there was a description of how these Danish artists were encouraged, schooled, etc. into becoming the artists they are today. It made me think about my origins as an artist, and "what is talent" is a question I often think about.

My favorite gallery was the photography one, showing the words of two very famous Danish photographers known for their photographs of musicians. The two artists were Photographers Bent Rej (1940) and Søren Solkær (1969). You could tell that Rej was very big on photographing the Rolling Stones in particular (or they liked him) but I much preferred Solkær's aesthetic more. His were more intriguing photographs with more personality, whereas Rej's were more portrait-like in nature.

Teglgårdsparken 106, Middelfart
on my last morning. 

Now to revisit work life. On Tuesday morning I was riding my bicycle in the rain on the way to work. The bike's brakes aren't the greatest in the first place, but in the rain they are even worse. I came down the big hill to fall behind a young girl, maybe 10, on her way to school. I was about to pass her, but couldn't because there was a car behind me. For no reason, she suddenly slams on her brakes. Unable to stop in time, I plowed right into her. And naturally, she wasn't wearing a helmet, even in a country of bicycles. She was crying and cradling her cheek (thankfully, she didn't hit her head), but otherwise seemed alright. I didn't have a phone with me, she didn't have a phone with her, and apparently schools don't have nurses to provide ice packs. I felt terrible, but after making sure she was alright and could bike onwards, I continued towards Uhrenholt.

The rest of my week was spent finishing projects and reviewing them, so my coworkers would have everything organized, prepared, etc. in case they needed them in my absence. Friday (today) was tough. I was up early, before the sun was up, so I could drop by the bakery for the Thank You cake I ordered and have a breakfast with my team. At breakfast, they presented me with a lovely card and a beautiful scarf gift (and later a Danish design key...thing). The rest of the day was spent printing my own copies of the works I designed, making sure I got copies, and changing parts of the confidential text of the manual into Monty Python and Star Wars lorem ipsem text. A little fun for whoever decides to read them when looking at my portfolio is in for a surprise.

At the end of the day, we took a group picture, minus one person, and sat around the table eating the cake. I expressed my gratitude for the hundredth time that day, but no less sincere. I had an amazing time working for Uhrenholt and had a great team to guide me and help me grow. I'll especially miss Lars, my charming superior and coworker who I distracted and who distracted me with great conversations, laughs, design talk, and nonsense. I'll miss seeing your goofy grin every day, and talking about the Spooky Scary Spider that hung out outside our window. Keep sending me new tunes to listen to, Lars!

On Saturday the 5th of October, the family and I drove down to Flensburg, Germany. I didn't see a whole lot of the city, merely the gåsgade (pedestrian street) that walked through the old city. It was very interesting. Ten minutes from the border, and you could already see and feel the difference in culture. The architecture was different, the people were different, and obviously the language. There were so much more smokers, people were a little colder (at least that was how it seemed), there were more cars and hardly any bicycles. They had gorgeous churches towering over the walks. Buildings had beautiful facades, the harbor was lined with old wooden schooners, and all the grocery stores were cheaper... It was very entertaining to go shopping with my family in there. They bought 3000g of nutella, 8 containers of butter, a LOT of candy, and who knows how much cream cheese. I got to eat a currywurst (or sausage, because my friend Ruben says I should never ever try to say German words with my sloppy English) for lunch....that was quite delicious. Overall, the city was nice and I'm glad I got to experience it.

I don't think I have anything else to write from this week.

Until next time!

Søren Solkær

Søren Solkær

An interesting set of sculptures in the 10,000 Hours Exhibition

The canteen.

This woman made our breakfast and lunch every day. 

My first day, Lars had it flipped. I'm sad too!

Uhrenholt was a food provider for
Sochi 2012. There's a torch in the lobby.

The showroom

Marketing and Design Department!

Collection of the Emborg Brand products

Collection of the Emborg Brand products

The view I'll miss.

Marsvine, LEGO, and HC Andersen...Oh my!

So...I've been quite busy running around Denmark these past couple weeks. I've had lots to do, and have been kept very busy.

Two Fridays ago, on the 12th, I went to go see Christian and Sophie in a school production of Odysseus Rejse. Contrary to the sweltering heat from being packed into small unventilated rooms with lots of people, and the school putting the entire show together in two weeks...they did a great job! The kids looked like they were having a blast singing altered modern songs such as "What Does the Fox Say" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and screaming out "Odysseus!" when the time came. The sets were fun, the costumes were great, and overall it was a nice, although warm, evening.

On Sunday the 14th I spent the better part of the afternoon with another Rotarian named Egon. On this rainy day, he and his wife took me down to the harbor where we went on a "whale watch" to see if we could spot some of the marsvine. Unfortunately, the only porpoise I saw that day was the stuffed whale on the boat, and I can't say I learned anything because the entire thing was in Danish. As always, however, I found a lot of peace being on the water, even though I was quite cold, and getting to see Middelfart from a boat. It's also not every day you get to go underneath a suspension bridge, so that was pretty cool too.

After the whale watch, I went back to  Egon's house and drank some tea, played his piano for a while (singing out all my favorites for the first time in a little under two months), and had lengthy discussions about art history and architecture. It was really nice to have educated discussions with someone who not only knows what I'm talking about, but knows more about it so I can learn. We talked about Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, and Norman Foster (whose work I am much more familiar with now, and I'm a fan of...except for his design of One World Trade Center). I had a really lovely evening with great conversation (and traditional Danish dishes!)

My week was generally pretty quiet at work, and otherwise. Jeg endelig spiste rød grød med fløde! (Or, for those who don't know what that says, "I finally ate red porridge with cream!") Rød grød med fløde is the phrase that is impossible for foreigners to say (although I'd say I've gotten very close), but also a very delicious, very Danish dessert made with berries and cream.





On Thursday, Lars let me bounce from work early so I could go see the Psykiatrisk Samling at the Middlefart Museum here in the corporate campus. Because Uhrenholt is housed in a former mental hospital from the 19th Century, there is a lot of history here and that's what I went to see. It was very interesting to see all the old tools, photos, furniture, and instruments that looked like the belonged (or arguably were) in a torture chamber. PS Krøyer, famous Danish painter who I talk a little about in the last entry, was the hospital's most famous patient and was admitted three times in 1900, 1903, and 1907.According to the information pamphlet, he had previously received treatment for syphilis and was afraid that the disease would return. Because of this, he was treated with quicksilver (mercury). However, a closer examination of his pattern of illness suggests that was a manic depressive, and his exposure to mercury only made his condition worse. They had some of Krøyer's drawings on the wall in his room, and stills from a recent movie made about him. I still often wonder why insanity is linked to some of the most amazing art.

I probably shouldn't really write this, but I thought it was funny. Having forgot my camera the day I went to the museum, Lars let me borrow the company camera, and told me to return it the next day. After I went to the museum, I went down to Middelfart Strand (the beach) out by the marina to take pictures. I was standing on the pier, with the camera around my neck. I fiddled with the lens cap and ploop! into the water it went. I laughed because I would do something like that. I removed all electronics, and into the water I went. Thankfully the water was relatively shallow, and only went up to my mid-thigh, and I was able to grab the lens cap with my toes so my upper half remained mostly dry. But it was a less-than-fun ride home on the bicycle.

On Saturday September 20th, the family and myself piled into their Mazda and headed off to one of the places I was most excited to see...LEGOLAND! The morning was grey and misty, and there wasn't a lot to see as we drove through the fog towards Billund. But it lifted shortly after we entered the park, and the day was amazing! The lines were short, and I got to go on pretty much everything twice. The best one was the Ice Pilots School (or called something like that...I only know it as the BIONICLE ride, and that's what it looked like. The mechanical ride arms resembled the body components of the Toa Nuva sets). This was my favorite ride, where you basically  made your own ride. You set the intensity (I went with the most intense of course) and choose the motions. I felt like I was getting whipped around like a slingshot. It was awesome. But Miniland. OOOOOOOHHH Miniland. I will forever be impressed by the complexity of the models built. Mount Rushmore, The Capital, Düsseldorf, Kennedy Space Center, Skagen, Billund Airport (with moving planes), Amsterdam, the Dong Energy Oil Rig and Wind Field (with surfacing, breathing whales) among my favorites. It was all amazing and I had a blast hanging out with the family and bonding with the kids that day.

Immediately after LEGOLAND, I hopped a train to Århus to visit Arense again. This time her friend joined us. We started evening with board games, delicious pad Thai, and Irish coffees, then we went out into the night. After being unimpressed with a few places, we settled on a bar. Arense treated me to a couple of fitting beers: One called Albani and the other called Thor, and a third one was her favorite, but I can't remember the name of that one. After those beers, a group of seven handsome Danish men found our table of three women, and they joined us at a dice game, and buying us licorice-flavored shots (which were quite delicious). Arense also discovered her brother had moved to the city, and so we met him at another bar which was famous for its cocktails. Arense picked a drink for the both of us, yet another licorice-flavored mixed drink (quite delicious), but the 20-dollar cocktail was thankfully on the house. Contrary to me saying I only wanted to be out until two, we ended up getting home closer to four...but it was a fun night.

The next morning, Arense and I ventured out into the Old City, a historic part of Århus preserved to look like it had been during the 17th century. Some of the shops had "actors" in period clothes, and some places, like the bakery, cooked goods using old-style recipes. The Old City was very very cute, and we killed a couple hours wandering about the cobblestone streets. Also part of the Old City was a 70s exhibit, still under construction. Similar to the Old City in its setup, but a couple of centuries newer, the 70s exhibit featured homes and businesses from the 70s. This included an old communal living space, another bakery, a bookstore (this included old copies of Danish books, comic books  (Batman & Robin in Danish!), and yes, porn magazines), and a gynecologist office. One of the coolest parts was that they included a functional rotary phone that could call between the rooms in the exhibit.

After visiting the Old City, Arense took me to her favorite ice cream spot (really gelato) and I had a nice chocolate-chili & coconut cone. And then we proceeded a little farther to see the church, which we couldn't go inside, but then onto ARoS, the museum of art with the famous rainbow walk on top. ARoS, according to the Wikipedia entry, is one of the largest art museums in Northern Europe. It opened in 2004. It was designed by architect Schmidt Hammer Lassen, who won the design competition in 1997. Its name is a the Old Danish name of the city, but also its capitalization is a reference the Latin word for art. Due to our time constraint, we didn't get to see a whole lot of the museum itself. I'm not usually a fan of contemporary art, but most of what I saw I rather enjoyed. We saw an exhibition based on Dante's Divine Comedy and the 9 Circles of Hell called "The 9 Spaces," and saw some other rather, eh, suffocating exhibits that I don't remember who the artists were. I also got to see the famous piece "Boy" by Australian artist Ron Mueck. I'd seen his works, including this one, on the internet but it was cool to finally experience his larger-than-life piece in person. But the work was really cool, and we took a couple of laps around the Rainbow, and boy was it amazing. The Your Rainbow Panorama was added to the building in 2011. It was designed by Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson.

I was sad to get on the train at the end of that Sunday. It wouldn't be the last time I saw her on this trip, but it was a realization that I wouldn't get another day with my friend like this for a long time. Same thing for Christina, who I would be visiting a few days later....which brings me to:

Wednesday, Sept. 24. I took the day off of work to go visit Christina in Odense, and this was one of the only few days off she had. I had a lovely day with my friend. She first took me to HC Andersen Hus, or the house where Hans Christian Andersen was born. There was a lot of overwhelming information here, but what I found the most interesting was that his books are the ones that have been translated into the most languages, and that his grandmother did a stint in prison because she had children out of wedlock. I loved his paper cutouts and drawings, seeing all the pieces that I didn't realize were his (like The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes), but one of the things I liked the most of this museum was actually one quote from a diary entry they had on display. It read, "Dust and ashes he is, dead, burnt-out like the candle, there is nothing left! Oh Lord may you let us disappear completely! I have a dread for it and am now too wise-- and unhappy." I thought that was really beautiful, and just the poetry of that one excerpt alone proves the talent this man was.

For the remainder of the day we walked around Odense, visiting a number of places on the Andersen tour like the cathedral where he was confirmed (absolutely stunning piece of architecture, but the back half was hidden by scaffolding since the organ was being renovated it seemed). We saw the very exciting (sarcasm) location where his mother washed clothes, and just wandered around the city through parks looking in shops. Christina took me to her favorite sandwich shop, a cute part of town with quaint houses, and even nowhere in particular. We stopped to watch some swans, who came and posed for me before baring their scary "teeth," hissing at me, and practically chasing me backwards. It was a lovely day (experiencing the same bittersweet emotions as I did with Arense), and the rain managed to mostly stay away until I was riding my bicycle back home.



Thursday the 25th was another really exciting day. Hans, our neighbor, was taking me back to Billund to see the LEGO Idea House, the exclusive employee-only museum. Inside, I marveled at the history of LEGO, LEGO's creations, and the wonderful interior and graphic design of the museum. I am forever grateful to Henriette, our "guide" and connection into the museum, for letting me in, letting me geek out (like a LOT), and answering my questions all while evading them. Also, a mega thanks to Henriette for taking my resumes and business cards, and attempting to put me in contact with someone who could maybe put me in a job not too far from where I live. We shall see, fingers crossed, but no hopes.

I had an amazing couple of weeks that were super busy, super fun, and very exciting. Now, onto the final one.

More observations:

• Less smokers
• More little dogs than I see in the US
• Treated as equal, not intern, in the office. My opinion matters.
• Commercials on TV. They (almost) don't exist.
• An observation about LEGOLAND was the difference to the Six Flags parks I've been to in the US. There wasn't any security, and you were allowed to bring in and eat your own food and drink. 

I feel like there's more, but once again I can't remember. So...
Until next time!

E

Düsseldorf, Germany

Royal Houses in Copenhagen

Romance is totally canon, Greg.

Skagen, Denmark

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Billund Airport

A 70s Grocery Store in the Old City

A 70s Book Store in the Old City, with comics!

Edvard Munch's sketch

The suffocating exhibit

HC Andersen

The Memorial Hall

A quiet Odense street, with HC Andersen's House at the end.

This one snapped at me.

Good old Tahu Mata

Brick mold

<3

Giant bricks in front of the LEGO headquarters.