Medieval Mud and Games

Yesterday, Sunday, I went with a group of DIS students to Esrum Abbey. Called Spears, Arrows, and Abbey Ale, there was plenty of all three, and mud aplenty to go around. At Esrum Abbey we were divided into teams for playing medieval fighting games. From a lettuce throwing Trebuchet, to throwing spears at scarecrows, lifting rocks, balancing on a log over a ditch, fighting a knight, and shooting a medieval long bow, none of the challenges ever seemed the least bit easier. Add it the rain and you have a new level of Medieval challenges. Instead of balancing on the log for fear of falling in the dirt, you have to balance on the log or fall into the creek which suddenly appeared in the rain. I actually think that the rain made the games more authentic. Particularly since I am sure medieval knights could not balance an umbrella while swinging a sword, though the image would be quite amusing.


Out of all the activities, my two favorite were probably the trebuchet (who doesn’t want to see lettuce launched across a field) and the sword fighting.

When we walked up to the sword fighting activities, we quickly realized that this was going to be an embarrassing experience for all of us. None the less, we all took our turn in facing the “Sword Master” at the abbey. By the time it was my turn the ground was extremely muddy. Being so slippery extremely quick footwork was a definite no go. Shortly I was done with my turn in the square of competition, and left to watch the sword matches morph into wrestling in the mud.

At the end of the day outside playing in the rain, we were all wet, and tired. We were led back inside the Abbey where there was Ale, and Snacks available for us. Overall it was a fun day, a great experience, and another thing that shall stand in my head as unique to Denmark. There are not too many abbeys made in 1150!

Hvad er Klokken? (What time is it?)

When you head overseas it is not the time alone that changes. From the way that a stall door in a typical bathroom opens, to the general atmosphere, language, and everything else that makes a place just that, one can not expect things to be the same as home. I have now been in Copenhagen for three full days, and it really is great! I have spent the better part of those two days wandering around the city for Orientation. The first day I and whoever I was with at the time would wander with our noses in maps. By the third day it was a little bit better. (Given I still got lost once in 8 hours) Believe it or not I am learning how to use a map fairly well.

This week has mainly been orientation, learning how to survive in a different culture, which includes not getting run over by bikes, and not getting lost. The school sent us twice on scavenger hunts around the city, which has been extremely useful in learning how to get around and understand the history of the City where I am now living. For those of you who like google maps, the main street I am using on a daily basis is Nørregade.

Classes started on Thursday without a hitch. There are two things I will have to get used to from classes in Copenhagen. First, the morning commute which makes your 8:30 class seem earlier since you have to leave by 7 to make it there. Near the end of September this should get better as the construction on the S train near where I am living finishes. The second thing is that professors are quite informal, every one of my teachers asked us to call him/her by their first name.

This semester and next semester should be really great! Tomorrow I will be going to Esrum Abbey with DIS, which I am extremely excited for. I will definitely make sure to take lots of pictures.

Hej Hej!

All Packed Up and Ready to Go!

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Copenhagen. I am pretty sure that I am ready, since I have double and triple checked my bags making sure I have everything. After having gone to weigh my luggage twice, I know that I most definitely meet weight requirements. (The first time one bag was at the maximum weight so it had to be reduced) It was a bit bizarre to put a year worth of stuff in two suitcases when you are used to filling the back of a mini van, but it was accomplished nevertheless. I actually am not brining the maximum amount of luggage so I will be able to bring back more than I came with, which I plan on doing.


I am so excited to meet my host family :) , take my classes which are different than anything at Richmond, and experience Copenhagen ! There are so many things that I am looking forward to, it would be too wordy to list, but I am definitely excited for these new elements that will soon be added into my life.


Wish me Luck with Jetlag!! :)
Happy Travels!

How do you pack for a Year abroad?

The question of the year, that I hopefully will be able to answer sooner rather than later is "How do you pack for a year abroad?". As I am getting ready to go to Denmark I keep trying to anticipate what I might need, however that task is probably impossible. I know I will not be prepared for every situation and will definitely need to pick up some things once I am there. Regardless of my knowing there is no way to be totally prepared, if you know me, you know I have a packing list. :)

I am so excited for the year abroad! I know it will be filled with new beginnings, new adventures, different types of classes, new people to meet, and a myriad of other "new" experiences. I know that it will be a great period of growth and personal development. I feel that I am up to the new challenges ahead, despite my fear of getting lost on Public Transportation. With my complete and utter lack of a sense of direction (ask any family member for stories if you don't believe me) it is something that seems a little daunting. As a result, a personal expectation of mine, which I hope won't happen, is that I will most likely get lost on the bus or metro system at least once. Thus I will be carrying a map of Copenhagen at all times!

I guess the best way to prepare for study abroad is expect to be surprised and to be open to new experiences. As my friends from U of R start to disperse themselves all over the world for study abroad, I hope that everyone stays safe, and learns to embrace the new culture with open arms!

Cheers to that which is new!!

Mid summer

So I've almost reached the middle of my summer, and I still have only one blog post. I'm assuming that is a sure sign that I should update you all on what's going on.

My Dad and I have been working out at Gold's Gym pretty much everyday. Its really great to be able to work out with someone, it definitely helps to have someone encouraging you while working out at the gym!

As of tomorrow, Friday, I will have exactly 2 weeks left of my internship at Community Youth Development. Those two weeks will be sure to speed by since I will be going out and about to promote TheLookUp941.org. This has been my primary project this summer at CYD. It is a Free online database of positive activities for youth in Sarasota. It really is a great resource for Sarasota to have, and I am proud to go around promoting it. I will be sad leaving my internship, but I will definitely be dropping in on the CYD gang from time to time so it makes it easier. =)  I hope that I have made a difference with my internship and I hope TheLookUp941.org continues to grow.

After my internship I plan to spend time with family and friends before heading to Denmark. I am so very excited for Denmark!! I have been reading traveling books and looking at maps for months. Though it won't improve my deficit in the directional department (I get lost anywhere and everywhere) I just want to get a taste for the culture, the history, the people, and everything else under the Danish sun! Needless to say I'm a bit enthusiastic about my study abroad experience. The only thing I am slightly nervous about is that I won't know for certain whether or not I have been placed with a Host Family until 10 days before I leave (which would be Aug.10). I am hoping and counting down to the day I found out about a Host Family almost as much as I am anticipating the whole experience.

Anyways, that is all that is going on right at this moment, so I hope everyone feels updated on my life! I shall try to post more in the remainder of the summer than I did in the first part of the summer. =D