Elissa Goes Abroad

An Albany-based Designer/Photographer/Writer who sometimes finds herself in the midst of an adventure. With a never-satiated wanderlust, traveling is more than just the sights you see; it's the emotions we feel, the senses we engage, the friends we make, the laughs we have, the cultures we experience, the ways we change, and the stories we want to tell the world. Each adventure shapes the way I see the world, and inspires me to show the world how I see it in return.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

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

Saturday, October 4, 2014

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!