The Final Weeks

It seems surreal that my exchange journey is coming to an end and that it was a whole year ago that I first moved to Denmark. 

 

 

On the 31st of December, the New Years Eve celebrations in Denmark begin with almost every family sitting around the tv to watch the Queen's speech. Dronning Margrethe (Queen Margrethe) reflects upon the past year for Denmark and also discusses the future in a very patriotic and inspirational way.

  

After this I went and ate dinner together with my class, then spent the night celebrating 2013 and welcoming 2014 with them.

  

In the last 10 seconds of 2013, we counted down to the New Year. It is tradition and good luck to be standing somewhere high, so we stood on a lounge chair and then at midnight you jump down into the New Year.

  

At midnight, the entire town lit up and came alive with fireworks. They are legal in Denmark, so most people have their own fireworks that they set off themselves. We were in an apartment up high so had a good view over the town to see all of the fireworks popping up from the streets of the town.

I was lucky enough to win a private party at the club in my town, Crazy Daisy, so I was able to hold a going away party for me and all of my Danish friends. It was a great night and felt like more of a celebration of my year together with all of the friends that I had made rather than a farewell thing.

 

 

After my going away party, I had one week left in Denmark. On the Monday night I had my final Rotary meeting, where I said farewell to the Club that had been so good to me over the past year. I played a short movie that I had made to them about my year in Denmark which they enjoyed.

Here is the link to watch my video:

My Exchange Year in Denmark 2013

I spent some time with the other exchange students from my school. We went to a cafe in Viborg for afternoon tea and then they all came to my house and went through all of the clothes and things that I wanted to get rid of. They all took whatever they wanted from the pile.

On Tuesday, I went to Copenhagen to see the city for one last time before I leave (who knows when I will get to see it next!). I spent the day with Sarah (another Australian exchange student), we went and saw all of the touristy places again, tried to track the Queen down as she went from one castle to another- we missed her by a few minutes but did see her guard and all of the horses, ate lunch in our favourite place at Nyhavn and spent some time to just hygge. Copenhagen really is one of the nicest European cities, with under 2 million people (yes, smaller than Brisbane) it doesn't feel too busy and is very clean.

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday night I went and had dinner with my third host family. It was nice to see them and my host grandparents once again before leaving. Saying goodbye to them and my two younger host brothers wasn't easy. But in 2015 they plan to come and visit me in Australia which I am very much looking forward to.


I went to school on the Thursday and Friday. On Friday I made my class Lamingtons to eat in our last lesson together and gave them all a little koala and an Australian shot glass. They surprised me with a present and card that everyone had signed. It was a beautiful Marguerite bracelet that matches the earrings that I got for Christmas, very Danish. Plus some of my favourite flavoured flødeboller and some other chocolates from Frellsens (Danish confectionary shop). We took a class photo and spent some time to just hygge and chat before hugging and saying 'vi ses' (see you) to each member of my class. Each person in my class had been a special part of my exchange year and memories. I am so grateful that I had such a great class while in Denmark.

 

  

I had actually began packing about 1.5 weeks before I was due to leave, and finalised it on the Wednesday so when it came to the night before leaving I didn't have that much to do.

  

So much has happened since I hopped on the plane 357 days ago in Brisbane by myself with only my 20kg suitcase and hand luggage, leaving everything and everyone that I knew in Australia to travel to the other side of the world to the unknown to live in Denmark where I knew no one and couldn't speak the language. I have learnt so much about myself, life and the world, learnt and become fluent in Danish, made so many great memories, met so many great people, travelled Europe and overall had an incredible and unforgettable experience.

I am so grateful to everyone that made my year possible and as amazing as it was; my parents and family, friends, host families, Danish friends, other exchange students, staff and volunteers, everyone else that I met along the way and of course Rotary who it would not have been possible without- a huge thank you to both Viborg-Asmild Rotary Club for hosting me in District 1440 and to the Caboolture Rotary Club in District 9600 for sponsoring me.

If anyone is considering exchange, I would highly recommend it! I would also definitely recommend the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, I am so happy that I decided to go through Rotary.

- This is not my last blog entry!