The past week I’ve been so busy that my mom texted me and asked me if I was alive (sorry mom). I have spent the past week on a retreat with my LLC and with my core course for core course week! I’ve really gotten to explore Denmark outside of Copenhagen and now I know that Denmark is so much more than just Copenhagen! I have also gotten the chance to get to know the girls in my LLC better along with my peers in my core course. Now that I’m finally home and get to rest for a bit, here is what I have been up to for the past week:
Saturday-Sunday: Public Health LLC Retreat
Our LLC took a retreat to Tisvilde, Denmark which is at the northern shore of the island where Copenhagen resides. We took a train about an hour and a half north of Copenhagen to which seemed like the wilderness. Being directly in the city, it can be hard to remember that there is more to Denmark than just city life. After the long train ride, we arrived in a quaint little beach town with an adorable hostel. We were only in Tisvilde for a little less than 24 hours so our LLC coordinator planned us a jam-packed day while still allowing us time to relax. Shortly after we arrived in Tisvilde, we had a yoga class which was super fun! I have done yoga before, but always found it challenging and found myself unable to relax. This time was different. Our yoga instructor was very patient and slowly guided us through each of the poses. We also practiced meditation techniques. I surprisingly liked our 2 hours of yoga a lot more than I thought.
After yoga, we split off into different groups and took a half hour walk to the beach. It was refreshing to walk around a town that wasn’t a city and nice to see the different kinds of houses and shops they had around town. We also got to see the sunset which was an added plus! We arrived at the beach and I was completely taken back by it’s beauty. The beach was so clean and serene. Being from New England, I have a strong love for the beach and it was so nice to get to feel like I had a piece of home. I would love to be able to come back to this beach when it gets a bit warmer.
My LLC 
Walk to the beach 
My roommates and I
After the beach we walked back and had a yummy group dinner. We had a salad and this pasta with butternut squash that my LLC coordinator recommended- it was very good (shoutout to the dinner group)! After that we all gathered up for a bonfire! Our LLC coordinator brought some dough that Danes traditionally cook over the fire. You take a wad of dough and wrap it around your stick and cook it until golden brown. It tasted just like warm bread. It was good, but I think I prefer s’mores.
After the fire we all headed back to our rooms. My roommates for the night and I watched Taylor Swift’s new Netflix documentary (which I unfortunately found disappointing). My hostel couch bed was surprisingly comfortable and I slept like a rock after a long day of traveling and relaxation. The next morning was pretty uneventful. We ate porridge for breakfast (a common Danish meal) and then packed up and headed home so that we could rest up for core course week! On the train ride back, Maggie and I sat in the “silent section” of the train. We had a slight exchange not thinking much of it, but a woman nearby “shooshed” us. Pro tip- do not talk at all on the silent section of the train… it truly is silent.
Monday-Wednesday: Core Course Week
The next morning I woke up super early to pack my bags and trek a half hour through the city with my luggage for core course week! Core course week is a week dedicated to travel within Denmark with your core course. During the week, we have academic visits relating to the material in your class and have group bonding activities. My core course is Health Delivery and Prioritization. We headed to Odense and Horsens (both in Western Denmark).
The first stop on our trip was to Odense, Denmark. Odense is the 3rd largest city in Denmark. However, it felt much, much smaller than Copenhagen. When we arrived, we went rock climbing as a group! Our instructor taught us how to tie a certain climbing rock along with climbing techniques and how to belay. I hadn’t been rock climbing since my friends birthday party in elementary school so it was fun to get back into it! I wish we had spent more time here, it was a lot of fun!
After climbing, we checked into our hostels then headed to and HIV clinic. At the clinic we talked to a doctor who told us more about how HIV is approached in Denmark as well as how treatments go, how it is commonly contracted, and how it could be prevented in Denmark. It was a very eye-opening discussion and interesting to hear about HIV and how it is dealt with and talked about in another country.
After the clinic, I had dinner with my class. We ate dinner at a nearby brewery and the meal was DELICIOUS. I have been eating a lot of chicken and broccoli so it was nice to have a change up. We were all allowed to order a drink as well which felt super weird. In the states it is unheard of to share a drink in the company of your professors. In Denmark, it seems to be very common and almost like a celebration. At dinner I had a good time getting to know some of the girls in my core course better. It is comforting knowing that after this trip, my class and I all have a closer bond!
The next day we went to a nearby escape room. This was my favorite activity of the week. It was a great chance to think hard and really bond with the people in your escape group. I was paired with one of my roommates, Guyania, and my professor, Louise. The three of us enjoyed quite a few laughs and after 61 minutes, escaped! After the escape room we grabbed our bags and headed to our next destination- Horsens!
Horsens was very different than I expected, but in the best way. Before arriving, a group of girls and I in my core course had plans to scour the streets of Horsens after all of our activities that we had planned for the day. We quickly realized upon arriving that this would be happening. Our bus pulled up to a hostel that laid right next to the woods. After checking in, we were greeted with a delicious, vegan home-cooked meal from the hostel owner. This hostel had a very homey and comforting vibe- it appeared to be family run. Even though our imaginative elaborate plans to explore Horsens at night were “ruined”, I am so glad that they were. Our entire class (including our professor and class intern) spent the night playing cheesy bonding games. This is where I really felt like my core course got to connect. It was very refreshing to be in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to go and a wifi connection so poor that it forced everybody to “unplug” and engage. I often times find that these are my favorite times- even when back in the States. Once we concluded our games, a group of us walked up the street to a McDonalds where we sat and talked for a few more hours. I think this was my favorite night.
The next morning we all shared a home-cooked community breakfast before we departed for our last academic visit and Copenhagen. This day, we visited a municipality. Here a woman discussed how the municipality works with the government and community to promote social well-being and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It has been so interesting to learn all about the Danish Healthcare system in an up-close way the past week. If you would all like, I could potentially write a blog post on the Danish Healthcare system? Maybe I’m just a nerd for healthcare, but I find it very interesting.
And with all of that being said, that concluded my core course week. I am so so grateful to be able to study abroad in such an amazing country at such a unique program. I have left this week with a newfound appreciation for Danish Healthcare and living in the moment. I’ve also come back with some pretty awesome new friends. I’ve shot the parrot (which I also learned means “hit the jackpot”. It probably makes a lot more sense in Danish)! Thank you core course week for being the most memorable week yet! I cannot wait to travel again with my class to Finland and Estonia in just 2 short weeks!
As always, thank you so much for reading! I promise I’ll try to cut down the post length next time! Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions, or have any suggestions! Until next time!
Xoxo,
Julia
Coping in Copenhagen 
Would love to visit Denmark!
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Keep them coming! I like the length; quite descriptive-almost feel like I’m there.
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