RE-Posted from my inaugural update, via email:
Hey USA!
Friends, family, people who may or may not care how I'm doing...
I figure it's time for a brief update of my travels thus far.
So I left LA with waaaaaay too much luggage last Wednesday -making my way through airport security was undoubtedly an adventure of its own, not because I got stopped for looking suspect, but because it just took me way too much time to unload and sprawl out all of my possessions.
The plane ride was posh!
I'm used to American flights with no pillow, no blanket, no meal. But AirBerlin did it right. Freshly laundered and packaged pillow and blanket, a little travel toothbrush, toothpaste, eyemask (which came in handy when the light over my seat wouldn't turn off), and with my meal? "Would you like red or white wine with that?"
Hahaha yessssss. And then coffee and dessert liqueur to follow. Not that I'm a big drinker (achemmm), but it definitely made the flight a bit more tolerable.
It was also, to be certain, the whitest flight I had ever been on. Seriously, I have never seen so many blond people in my life as I have the past 5 days.
I had a layover in Dusseldorf Germany where I read a book, took a nap, had a beer, and took photos of a kinky sex toy dispenser in the airport bathroom. I mean, seriously, who needs a painful looking "Lustfinger" before their outbound flight? Apparently the rumors about Germany are true...
My first two nights in Copenhagen, I stayed with Mimi and Bent, a New York-born artist and her Danish husband, who live in a house just outside of the city, on the beach, in a house they designed and built together years ago. Their house is filled with awesome flea-market acquisitions, old funky art, and floor to ceiling book shelves, not a computer or internet signal in sight. Mimi and Bent describe themselves as "chachki people". I'd agree, but it was really a warm place. And waking up in the morning to fresh beach air (not to sound all poetic and touchy-feely), delicious Danish cheese slathered over fresh bread, a cute little kitty cuddled up in little-spoon position next to me, Bent sitting on the back porch, poured over a book -it just felt really nice. I wouldn't mind living the way they do someday...
The day after getting there, I went into the city and met my new roommates. They instantly invited me to go to a bbq at their friends' place. And while I spent a good amount of time staring off into space completely out of the conversation (dear god, Danish is going to be impossible to pick up!), they did a really good job of making me feel instantly welcome. It's amazing how much Danish nuances in language feel like English. And everyone sasses each other. So much sarcasm, so much shit-giving. And everyone speaks a good amount of English, so if everyone started speaking Danish, usually someone would turn to me and translate.
The next night, everyone made it their mission to make me feel welcome in Denmark by introducing me to a wide range of Danish liquors. Apparently Danes are big drinkers. Who knew! I think we ended up going out to a club of sorts and I'm sure I made I big fool of myself on and off the dance floor. oops! That's what happens when you're force-fed "Gammel Dansk" - a traditional and thoroughly nauseating Danish liquor.
I spent all day Sunday in bed. Yikes. I may never drink again...
Today I had my first day of work. Henning Larsen has a really nice office in the city center of Copenhagen. I sit right across from one of the principles (seriously, the equivalent of the CEO sits right next to an intern), and I sit right next to a giant window, so even in the winter, I'll catch every minute of daylight Denmark has to offer! Score!
I think that's enough for now. If you don't want updates, just let me know and I'll take you off of this makeshift listserv I created. Ma, Pa -if you want to forward this to any interested friends and family, I think I'm missing a lot of necessary emails.
I'll try and send out another update soon.
Love and miss everyone!
How's home?
Ciao ciao!
love,
Nat
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