I often get these two questions.
1) What is it you two like so much about Denmark?
2) Is there anything you don't like about Denmark?
And I am sure you all are curious too :)
1) What is it you two like so much about Denmark?
sigh, so much. It's very broad but the way of life here.
Life seems so much more laid back and easy going. I like that on weekends you see families out and about enjoying each others company. This doesn't mean shopping together, because just about every store is closed after 2-4pm on Saturday for the rest of the weekend, but genuinely spending time together.
I love the freedom of not having a car. We don't have to worry about maintenance, car washes, registration/inspection stickers, lack of car payment, insurance payment and filling up with gas.
We have always had a healthy wine budget and it's a nice change that we can get excellent French wines for so much cheaper then we can in the states. (YES, something IS cheaper here then in the states)
I love that we are a hop skip and a jump away from places like Germany, Sweden, France, Italy, Estonia, England, Russia...etc.
I love that we have more friends in Denmark that we see on a regular basis then in Dallas.
I like summertime here much better then in hot Texas.
Michael loves his small office here. The difference between 15,000 people and 25 people is incredible
Of course, there are two sides to everything!
2) Is there anything you don't like about Denmark?
It gets tiring sometimes to not have shops open on the weekend. Especially if Michael needs something, for example, a new shirt, we can't go on weekdays because he works and we hit the gym immediately after that. And on Saturdays, since the gym is always #1 we have to get up early to go to the gym so we can come back home and shower to go out and get whatever it is he needs. Kinda gets to be a pain....because the gym also closes early on Saturdays! (Thankfully our gym is open on Sundays)
I miss the freedom of having a car. Sometimes it would be nice not to have to wait for the train/bus and not worrying about having to leave somewhere in time so we don't miss the last train.
I miss good Australian, Chilean and California wines. Even the labels we have always enjoyed, seem to really suck here.
It can get hard to not be a hop skip and a jump away from El Paso, Lubbock, St. Louis, and Austin. In less then 1 year, we have missed 3weddings, 2 bar mitzvahs, 1 store opening of our best friend's own Starbucks store, 1 baby and are about to miss 4 more, and and 1 funeral.
I miss having our few very close very special best friends close by.
I don't like the dark cold winter. (But Christmas time is LOVELY and my favorite time of the year in Denmark....so really, I don't like dark/cold November and January)
Michael misses being in the middle of excitement of the main TI branch.
But the two bigggest hugest things that neither of us enjoy here are:
1. The taxes! BLEH!!!! I will never in a million years miss Danish Taxes.
2. How expensive everything is. Michael gets paid in Danish Kroner so we don't have to do the exchange rate in our heads but sometimes its hard not too, and then, we become very depressed when we realize we just spent $50 dollars for two sandwhiches and 2 cups of coffee.
I think I am posting this because these two questions came up recently and while answering I realized that a lot of the things I (and we) love most about being here, seem to also be the things we like least. Funny how that works huh?
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5 comments:
Ugh. Wes is already lamenting the taxes we are going to have to pay when we head out that way. But he did tell me how magical Christmas is! Are you staying for Christmas this year?
Oh my goodness $50. It's like eating at Disney every day! I imagine everything is kind of like that. There's a good and bad side! I'd love to be there for Christmas!
the positive thing is that each thing on your "not so good list" are the SAME things that Mads has warned me about... :o) So I am prepared!!
The one thing I was afraid I would have to adapt to is NO DRYER for the clothes...but he promised to buy one before I get there!!
the one thing I CANNOT WAIT TO GET USED TO IS: the WATER !!! It does incredible things to my hair...and I don't have to use product when I am there!! WOO HOO!!
as another American living overseas, I think the questions are odd. I get them also and I don't know quite how to answer them. No one asks similar questions about why you like living in your home country. And it's intangibles that make living abroad so incredible, e.g., you grow a lot as a person because you're forced every day to understand there are a lot of ways to do things in the world; from my brief visit, Denmark is clean, calm and filled w/ good beer, bread and wine. what's not to like about that?
I also have those ambivalent feelings about not having a car!
You eat really expensive sandwiches and drink expensive coffee!! :)
No - I know that everything is more expensive in Copenhagen than the rest of the country.
It's true that many things are less expensive here in the States but, at least as a tourist in New York, we are being asked for tips all the time or expensive "voluntary" contributions to museums and sights. (We like to contribute but $20 for entrance to a small museum is a little much, I think.) It adds up.
I can't wait to see pictures from your Halloween party. Did you have it already or is it this weekend?
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