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My last day in Europe/Copenhagen was last Sunday. My bags were all packed and the only thing left to do was walk around the entire city with my friend and say goodbye to Denmark. After a long journey home, I arrived in my beloved West Coast, Matt picked me up, and I got that burrito I've been talking about since July. First day back in Santa Cruz, and I'm amazed by the sun and of seeing my friends for real. It's good to be home.

Godt Jul

Danes are obsessed with Christmas. The streets were decorated in November, Christmas foods were in the stores in November. There's even a special Christmas beer (Jule Brygg) and a special day when it comes out (October 30... that was a fantastic night). Other Christmas specialties include the new love of my life, æbleskiver, which are like round cupcakes except more amazing, and gløgg, or mulled wine.
The fact that I don't celebrate Christmas made my life easier this year, meaning, there's nowhere I had to be, so I was able to travel again and spend these last few days packing up and cleaning. I of course found some friends to have Christmas meals with, because I like celebrating hygge (Danish for coziness) including pizza handmade by attractive Italian men :-)
Sadly, Christmas means most of my friends have left Copenhagen. And when wandering, the city streets feel so empty after the excitement of the conference, and with everyone in their homes for the holiday.
For those who celebrate, I hope it was hyggelit.

Barcelona

After spending way too long agonizing over what to do with my life, I finished my paper, ran around CPH on Thursday saying goodbye to important people, and hopped on a plane to Barcelona Friday morning, to visit my friend Pau, an exchange student at Santa Cruz last year. I stayed with him and his parents in a little town outside Barcelona, and it was wonderful to relax and be somewhere copmletely different before my life begins again.

Barcelona is the complete opposite of Copenhagen. There was sun, people are more open, the attitude is relaxed, the food was amazing (Pau's mother cooked for me!, and I discovered a new love of patatas bravas). I spent my days wandering the city, enchanted by the narrow paths and the tall buildings, the roman ruins. Those who ask me about the Jewish history there, well, there wasn't. I looked for it, and only found some plaques throughout the Medieval quarter stating "this is where the synagogue was" or "this is where the main square was". Pau showed me a monastery hidding in the city center that was very awesome (I'm enchanted by Medieval churches, monateries, cloisters) and Barcelona Cathedral was almost as beautiful as Notre Dame (things in Paris set the standard for everything I've seen since. Hence, if something is almost as awesome as Paris, believe me it was pretty cool). As always, got lost looking for places, but getting lost in strange European cities is my "thing" along with going to outdoor markets and eating streetfoods.

We visited Montserrat, a monastery in the moutains, and while the monastery itself wasn't what I was expecting (it Renaissance, not medeival) taking the train through the mountains covered in snow was enchanting, even more so that I wasn't afraid (something which I always am).

The last day I visited Park de Guell, designed by Gaudi. The feeling I had while visiting it reminded me of Versailles, because it was so enchanting and peaceful and beautiful and awesome. Even in the pouring rain. From there I visited La Sagrada de la Familia, a cathedral designed by Gaudi which has been being built for the past 100 years and is not complete. Going inside it, despite the construction, was amazing, and so I will return so that I can view the completed building.

I don't know else to explain how enchanting and lovely this trip was. I was relaxed, not stressed out, had a chance to explore another part of Europe that was completely different and which I had not seen, meanwhile immensely enjoying visting my good friend and spending time with his family. A perfect ending to an epic European adventure.

COP 15 pt 2

Amidst the insanity that is my personality, this big deal climate conference is happening in my backyard. This is what I'm thinking....

Monday night after our verbal Danish exam, I wandered around the city with friends from my class. This city has turned into a walking exhibit on climate change. In Radhusplasden, this campaign set up by the city called Hopenhagen has set up a giant globe, and is sponsoring concerts every night (heard a cool Danish band Nephew with Vesela). In one of the plazas in the city center WWF set up an exhibit on climate change in the Arctic, complete with a tent for speakers, and a polar bear made of ice that once it melts is just a skeleton. Kongens Nytorv has the photo exhibit of 100 places to remember (places that are effected by climate change), and a display on Climate Change from Space, where someone (forget who) is going to release a satellite that will measure climate change effects. Near the Central Train Station in a conference center is KlimaForum, which is a conference for the people, by the people, complete with lectures, discussions, concerts, films so that everyone who came for COP15 has something to distract ourselves with while we wait for a verdict next Friday.

Saturday there was a big demonstration, starting at Christiansbourg slot, where my friends and I hung out for a couple hours listening to speakers and seeing everyone who showed up to pressure their leaders to make stringent policy for climate change. We bailed because we were cold, but everyone else marched all the way to Bella Center on the island of Amagar where COP15 is actually taking place.

Once again, it is very weird to have lived in Copenhagen for the past few months, consider it my home, having a life and wandering around the city or chilling in bars with my friends like normal, and then seeing all these travelers and officials here just for the conference. I haven't seen the city this crowded since Christmas Beer Day. This is one of the most bizarrest moments of my living in Europe.

COP15!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is the first day of the 15th annual climate conference in Copenhagen and the city is going insane! Where am I? In my room sick writing a paper of course. BUT if I stop wasting time and work on that paper, I can spend all day tomorrow running around the city checking everything out!

What exactly is COP15 and what are the stakes? Grist as usual makes my life and has an article that explains what is going on in a fairly humorous way: How to Explain Copenhagen to a Comedian.

Until my next procrastination break...

Fear

I am scared of everything right now.

I'm scared of the darkness that is living in Northern Europe in winter. I'm scared of saying good bye to my friends. I'm scared of making new friends and thus having MORE people to say goodbye to. I'm scared of finishing that paper for Nordic mythology (well, not really. I'm super into this research actually). I'm scared of making a decision about where I want to travel next. I'm scared of getting on the plane that's going to get me there. (this might be where I mention that in all of the traveling I have done in the past few years, I've never been scared of traveling by myself or of the place I'm going. It's the DAMN PLANE that always freaks me out. alwaysalwaysalwaysalways) I could go to Oslo, but taking a ship across the sea is scary. i could go to Helsinki, but it's going to be darker than cph and i'm afraid of flying in Northern Europe in Winter. I could take the train to Stockholm, but Sweden will be boring. I could fly to Southern Europe where it's sunny, but that's a longer plane ride right before I take the epic air ship that will take me home to my beloved Pacific. I need to stop letting fear get in the way of things, but I made it this far, right? It's ok that I've gotten this far... I mean, I got on that plane to Tel Aviv, I got on that plane to Paris, and to Russia, and to everywhere else I've been. Why am I freaking out now especially?!

I'm scared of going home. I'm scared of all the changes that will be there when I'm home. I'm scared of what if I never come back to Europe? I'm scared of being by myself my last week here. I'm scared of finding a job when I graduate. I'm scared of what on earth is going to happen to me in my life? I'm scared of what if there's a terrorist attack while I'm in Copenhagen during Cop15? (I hate you U.S. government for sending me that "precautionary" email that while hilarious holds a grain of neurotic truth...)

so...... any advice?

Last Day of Class

Yesterday was my last class in Denmark (I dropped out of the biological pest control class). I listened to one more lecture on Nordic Mythology, and took my written test for Danish language.

So, what do I do with myself for a month? THAT is a fantastic question. I would love to leave Denmark again and travel more while I still can. On the other hand, I am trapped in old libraries for the next 3 weeks writing an intensive paper on the role of women in Nordic Mythology and Viking Culture (research is REALLY HARD when the libraries are in Danish! Even with English books to read!) And in case you haven't heard, there's this big deal climate conference happening in my backyard for the next two weeks, that the entire world has been talking about. I also have a slew of friends I need to spend time with before I fly across the pond. And of course, I have gotten sick yet again. As much as I want to free myself more (there is something wonderfully refreshing about seeing new places and opening yourself up to new things) looks like I'm going to kick back and enjoy my life here. Don't know why I was thinking of leaving again. With the whole world watching, it seems that right now, Copenhagen is the place to be.

Check this out! The Angry Mermaid