Pre-Departure Ponderings

Hej!

Welcome to my first blog post! My name is Abby and I am a junior at the University of New Hampshire. In just a few weeks, I will be flying from Boston to Copenhagen and starting my study abroad journey with DIS!

"Why Denmark?"

The skeptical question that is more often than not paired with a confused eye brow raise following the initial excitement of telling someone I'll be studying abroad. Apparently Denmark isn't the first place most people think of when the words "study abroad" leave your mouth.

My curiosity for Scandinavian culture began during my freshman year of college. I was introduced to the idea of pediatric nature-based occupational therapy, a practice setting that would allow me to incorporate my love for the outdoors into my dream profession. Instead of using indoor jungle gyms and plastic balance beams, I would be encouraging my clients to climb trees and jump from tree stump to tree stump. Instead of making sensory bins with Orbeez, shaving cream, and glitter, we would be playing in puddles and making concoctions of mud, leaves, and sticks. What could possibly be more fun?

As I continued learning about nature-based OT, I began to understand the importance of unstructured outdoor play for children's development. As I dove into exploring available research, I became more aware of the decline of outdoor play in American culture. Thinking back to my own childhood, I pondered the hours that were spent exploring the woods behind my house and creating imaginary worlds with my siblings. It amazed me that these experiences that ignited my soul with curiosity, creativity, and confidence were no longer a priority of many US communities.

The book, There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Åkeson McGurk introduced me to Swedish philosophies and parenting styles that prioritized outdoor play. I quickly developed a sense of awe for the Scandinavian lifestyle and revisited my study abroad options. When I found out that the course Child Development and Education in Scandinavia was offered in Denmark, I scrapped my initial plans of studying abroad in New Zealand. The opportunity to learn hands on from a culture that cares so deeply about their children, emphasizes the importance of outdoor play, and is consistently ranked one of the happiest countries in the world seemed too perfect to pass on.

With only 2.5 weeks until I arrive in Copenhagen, I am beyond excited to explore Danish culture. As someone who loves the comfort of spending time with friends in conversation, reading a good book with a cup of hot chocolate, and playing board games with family, I may be most excited to spend time with my host family and embrace and experience hygge!

Goals

My biggest goal for my study abroad journey is to prioritize opportunities that allow me to deeply understand Danish culture and get to know Copenhagen as a local. I hope to have conversations with people from all different walks of life and reserve time on my weekends for exploring local places that aren't common tourist destinations. While there are many places in Europe I would love to see, I would much rather come home with memories of meaningful conversations and slow, intentional travel than check marks on an arbitrary list.

Some other goals that I hope to reflect on when my time abroad concludes:

• Be patient with myself. Give myself grace and time to adapt to an unfamiliar place.

• Spend time getting to know my host family and doing things locally with them!

• Get involved! Join clubs, engage in volunteer opportunities, find a rock climbing gym!

• Gain a deeper understanding of Danish parenting styles and how outdoor play is prioritized.

• Slow down to notice and appreciate the small joys and differences of living in another culture.

See you soon, Copenhagen!