For anyone who wants some extra information about me, my studies, and my travels…

BIO & PLACE

Hey, I’m Kendra! I study at Dickinson College where I am now a first-semester Junior. I have declared a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Political Science, and I am pumped to be furthering my studies in Copenhagen, Denmark this Fall 2018 semester! I am studying with an abroad institution called DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad), based right in the capital of Denmark, one of the biggest hubs in Europe and Scandinavia!

I must admit that I wasn’t even sure where Denmark was in Europe before looking it up, so just in case you’re in the same boat, here’s Denmark in relation to Europe/Scandinavia:

And here’s Copenhagen in Denmark:

CLASSES

This semester, I will be taking 5 courses, 4 of which are related to my major, and 1 of which, Danish Language and Culture, is required by Dickinson and will help me get a better understanding of where I am studying. The other four classes I’m taking are (click on them for links to my syllabi, trips, and other info):
– Renewable Energy Systems
– Waste Management Systems in Europe
– Biological Conservation and Biodiversity
– and my Core Course (more about that below), which fits into my Program of Environmental Science of the Arctic: Glaciers and Human Impact: An Icelandic Climate Change Case Study

CORE COURSE TRIP: ICELAND

Everyone at DIS takes a “Core Course” that they choose from many options in many fields of study. DIS students also have a Core Course Week; “During Core Course Week, [students] will go on a faculty-led three-day Study Tour in Denmark, and partake in a two-day seminar in Copenhagen integrated into [their] Core Course curriculum” (citation). My 3-day Study Tour will take place in Odsherred.

Every DIS student will also participate in a week-long study trip to a pre-chosen destination with their classmates and Professor. My week-long study trip will take place in the beautiful country of Iceland during mid-October! Fingers crossed I’ll be able to see the Northern Lights!

 

HOUSING SITUATION: HOMESTAY FAMILY

I have the pleasure of living with a homestay family during my time in Copenhagen! I’m excited to have a place and group to call home and another family while I’m away, and I can’t wait to learn a ton about where I live with them and share my own knowledge with them! My host family is THE best. I ended up with the perfect people who fit my interests/habits so well. I have really bonded with the two kids, and really enjoy spending time with the adults too!

TRAVEL

I plan on traveling, both in and out of Copenhagen, as much as I can this semester. I’ve never been outside of North America, so there is so much for me to see!

I was cautioned by a DIS staff member that when many people go abroad, they travel so frequently that they leave their home country almost as unfamiliar with it as when they came. I want to be able to come back to Copenhagen and show people around and be comfortable in the city, so I plan to explore it thoroughly, by myself, with my homestay family, and with my friends, to ensure I can do that! I have a whole list of places I want to go (more than 30 just in the city area!), and I’ll post on this blog whenever I go to them.

However, having a mother whose family lived in Milan, Italy for 6 years; a father who studied abroad during his time at SUNY ESF in Spain and loved it; friends from Dickinson who will be in Italy and England; and more reasons, including my own desire to travel as much as I can, I plan on visiting other European countries too! I have a long list of those… Basically, I want to go to as many countries as I can given my time and financial constraints and the fact that I still need time to do school work, bond with my host family, spend time with friends, keep in touch with everyone, and explore Denmark! My absolute definites are England, Italy, and France (I want this to be my independent travel destination where I can enjoy the country whose language I spent 8 years learning [gotta refresh a bit though…] and because I want to visit Disneyland Paris). But I would love to go to Germany (right below me), Sweden (right next to me), Spain, and Ireland if I can too. And those are just my list of priorities! Keep in mind I would go almost anywhere I feasibly could. Wish me safe travels, and shoot me any travel advice if you’ve got it! I’ll be sure to keep this blog updated with all of that fun!

THANK YOU

Lastly (saving the best for last), I want to extend a warm and ever-grateful thank you to everyone, friends and family, who has helped me along this journey to study abroad in SO many ways and who will continue to do so while I’m in Europe and well afterwards. (Plus, thanks for reading this far!) I could not imagine getting to this point in my life without you, and I will miss you all very much while I’m gone, but I hope that this blog will be a great resource to keep in touch with each other and stay updated on what’s going on. This is for you! ❤ Never hesitate to contact me in any of the ways I have written on this blog (see the Contact tab above) for anything. I’ll be about 6 hours ahead of you all in the States, but it will always be lovely to hear from you. Thank you all for being a part of my journey! I look forward to what comes next.

“The journey not the arrival matters.” – T. S. Eliot