I was intending to write a post about my top favorite places in Copenhagen post but then I realized there was a recurring theme: all of them were food related.  A quick summary will include Copenhagen Street Food, Med Og Kaffe, Grillen, The Grod,  and I could really go on for a while.

So instead, for greater variety and insight, I will detail a list of things I’ve learned since leaving home for my first time:

• It’s ok to be homesick. I confess after the excitement of being an independent big girl wore off, there were times where I desperately wanted my mommy. The feeling eventually fade with time and there is nothing wrong with missing home, which brings me to my second point.
• Don’t compare yourself to others. I consistently wondered why I seemed to be the only one having a hard time adjusting. Yes, everyone has their own pace but there’s usually also a backstory- some people have experienced exchange before, they left home at an early age, they moved around a lot, etc.
• Don’t forget to spend time experiencing your exchange city. I was so excited at the cheap flights available throughout Europe that I was often on the go. I’ll probably have the opportunity to travel around Europe again, but less likely to experience Copenhagen as a temporary resident. Remember to balance it out.
• Cheap flights can come with costly fees. Ryanair is not afraid to fine you for everything that you have if you don’t follow their rules very carefully. Remember to check in online, print out the boarding passes, get them stamped if you aren’t an EU citizen, and make your carry on follows the airline regulations.
• Public transportation is really costly and confusing.
• Most of Europe will charge to use public bathrooms- even McDonald’s.
• Learn how to cook- eating out in Copenhagen is seriously expensive.
• Screw ups are inevitable. Learn to forgive yourself and don’t repeat the mistake. My best ones include smashing my laptop, missing a bus to Berlin, and having to spend a night on the streets of Stockholm with my roommate.

And so ends my reign as a Copenhagen exchange student. Hej hej!