Tak for Familie!

All I can say is THANK YOU Mom and Dad for teaching me how to ride a bike.  I am forever in debt for the countless hours it must have taken, finagling and encouraging.  I biked to my practicum for the first time yesterday and I can’t tell you how empowering and energizing it was to use my own legs to propel myself to my destination.  Walking is wonderful too but this is so much faster and a realistic alternative to a car! I had one of those experiences where you wonder how you could have gone so long without living your life this way.  I might wait a while before taking my bike the whole way to school (45 minute bike ride) but once the weather warms up a little bit, I am so excited to try it.  I’m still not playing soccer so this is a nice way to weave a little exercise into my day.  I also just acquired a helmet from my host family so that makes me feel a lot more comfortable branching farther out with my biking excursions.

In terms of soccer, I am very excited to see some Denmark professional league games while I’m here.  Their season starts in March so I am looking forward to that.  It is my hope that I will be back on the turf by then too.  There is a DIS club team that I can play on and my host brother and Dad are very competitive as well.  I am definitely planning on easing myself back into it slowly…My host dad Jesper and I have agreed to a 1v1 play-off later in the spring where the loser pays for dinner.  He is extremely competitive (but also old!) so I am hopeful that I have a chance.  At the very least it will be great motivation to get back on the turf…not that I need any!! All I want to do is be back out there.  In the mean time, I am making the most of the free time I have by exploring the city on foot with friends.  Not a rigorous workout, but very enjoyable.   Some of the conversations I have walking randomly through the city are some of the most memorable moments I have had so far.

Last Sunday, we had an amazing brunch for Andreas’ 14^th birthday.  It was so nice to meet Jespers’ brother Lars and his husband of five years.  I also got to meet Karina’s mother and spend more time with their close family friends.  The food was so good, although I probably would have been able to appreciate it more if I hadn’t been sick. After a couple rounds of leftovers, coffee, wine, and shots of hard alcohol (at one in the afternoon) I took some time to do homework and the kids ran off to play.  The adults proceeded to spend the entire afternoon chatting.  I came and went – vacillating between fascination at listening to conversations in another language and taking breaks to read up on interesting positive psychology studies.  It was such a cozy way to spend the afternoon and I felt like I got such a good look into a Danish birthday tradition.  I can't tell you how lucky I feel to be living with this family.  I feel so included in everything they do.  I feel especially close to Jesper for his sarcastic sense of humor and honesty. I have been able to talk openly with both Karina and Jesper and I really feel like they are a great support system for me right now.  I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but I certainly got more than I ever bargained for.