On my final night in Copenhagen, I sat at our kitchen tables with the sniffles. My dad texted me, saying, “Hope leaving is not sad but happy,” and his simple message quickly sent me into tears. I’ve been fighting against the melancholy with frantic packing and loud music and an entire season of The Good Place. But a quick, honest message from Dad is enough sometimes to break the silence.
To end the semester strong, my roommates and I created a bucket list for the final week, struggling to find time to accomplish everything. We traveled in a large pack, just like at the beginning of the semester. The first item was hide and seek in IKEA, which was difficult on a Saturday. Dozens upon dozens of families perused the showrooms, uttering shocked gasps after seeing us hiding behind a couch or shower curtain. Surprisingly, we were not kicked out! However, the atmosphere of IKEA can be dizzying, so we were happy to leave after a few rounds.
For our last nights together, we planned a gift exchange, group dinner, and presentation night. The last supper was at our favorite gimmicky restaurant, Pincho Nation. They call themselves “the app restaurant,” as they serve only appetizers that can only be ordered on the Pincho Nation app. The restaurant is circus themed, with the servers wearing gold-trimmed jackets, handing out bags of popcorn, and occasionally doing handstands and cartwheels. During dinner, we handed out gifts and shared sentimental speeches. For presentations, a few people collected images, characters, or objects that reminded them of each of us. By the end, I knew which One Direction song, famous cocktail, Barbie movie, and Littlest Pet Shop animal I was.
“If you cry, I’m gonna cry”
“No, I swear I won’t cry.”
“You’re totally crying.”
In my second blog post, after only knowing my roommates for a few weeks, I declared that “we found something special,” and I was absolutely right. Since then, I’ve grown to appreciate Graham’s commitment to including everyone, Bitta’s generosity and listening skills, Emma’s soft silliness and kind gestures, Mia’s loyalty and endless creativity, Spencer’s spirit and authenticity, Lauren’s intelligence and delicious baking, and Adam’s dedication to making us laugh.
Before coming to Copenhagen, I was incredibly anxious about meeting people and making genuine friends. I think it was sheer luck that we were all placed together. But how lucky were we! All in all, I’m so grateful I pushed through the fear and decided to come abroad anyway. Take the leap, I promise it’s worth it.
Exploring with Ellie 
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