One Month to Go

It has been a very long time since my last post. In that time, I have been to Paris to visit with a friend, spent Easter Sunday wrapped in blankets battling a head cold, been to the north of England where EPIC times were had, lost a transport pass, returned to Copenhagen, and have had to deal with the onslaught of papers and projects as my semester abroad comes down to its final month (as of today 31 days until home!) I'm rather busy, but in the best way possible. I like having all of these things to do, it gives me a feeling of purpose. More than that, it helps me stay focued. In addition to the major events that I touched on in the list above, there have been several daily victories and defeats, but I have taken them in stride and adapted as the situation presents itself.

So it is down to the wire now and all the time I thought I had is flying out of the window. While there is a certain amount of insanity that I have to deal with (and part of it self induced) I have to say I do enjoy the insanity. The challenge of dealing with all of these things is something that can (at times) be exciting. It is far from my favorite feeling in the world, but when everything is finally pulled together, there is a certain feeling of satisfaction that comes with it. In the aftermath of finishing something, I generally feel a small amount of satisfaction.

With only one month in Copenhagen, you might ask if my opinion on this city has changed some or if I will be sad to leave. Now that I can actually see the sky and the sun no longer sets before my last classes, I am seeing a very different city than the one that I first arrived to. Still, Copenhagen to me is not China. The challenges of China were more different (and perhaps in some senses more difficult) than those I have faced here in Denmark. Because of the different nature of the challenges, I grew in different ways as a person. The me I am in Copenhagen is only possible because of what I went through while I was in China. Had I come here without the lens that China has given me, I am not sure what I would think.

Over all though, with only a month left here, I will not deny that I am once again craving to see the California cost line, be with my family, and be in an environment where I am familiar with the small cultural indicators. There are some things I have certainly grown to appreciate about Denmark, and while I have enjoyed some of the moments here, I would be lying if I wrote that I am already planning a trip back here. On the otherhand, there is no lie when I write that there is a very good chance that fourteen months from now, I will be on a plane to China to teach English (hopefully for a year or two).