living in denmark for the past 4 months has been an eye-opening experience in so many ways. these are some of the things that i've come to appreciate from the danish culture and want to bring back to my own life.

• hygge: candles, comfort, coziness
• tea: there's nothing more relaxing than a hot cup of tea after dinner
• alcohol: 4 months ago i made a promise to my liver to give it a break from alcohol. 4 months later i'm leaving denmark an alcoholic. in a good way :)
• speakers: this one's kind of silly, but in most homes i've visited in denmark they all had speakers in the kitchen or near the kitchen which made cooking so much more fun.
• appreciation for travel: every single dane that i've met and talked to seems to have done some serious traveling in their life. and after traveling on my own for a few weeks i've come to really enjoy traveling and the perspective that it can give you on your own life.
• home cooking: i've cooked two meals for my host family - a korean dinner and thanksgiving dinner. both were really fun to cook and turned out pretty good considering i've never really cooked a full meal before. it's nice to create something from scratch and share it with others. it's also nice to eat all together at a table, something i now really wish my family had done.
• openness: maybe it's because i come from an asian family but it amazes me how open danish people are about drinking, sex, politics, race, etc. it's refreshing.
• sweet stuff: i've always enjoyed savory foods and meals much much more than sweets and snacks, but there are several things i've tried here that have made that less true: powdered truffles, toast+butter+jam (yum), chocolate croissants, cookies with tea, homemade desserts..
• different people: i think having grown up in such an isolated culture (i mean hawaii is at least 2500 miles away from the coast of the US and Japan) my perception of people was isolated to only the types that make up the majority of people in hawaii. going to college in minnesota has kind of helped to widen this perception, but living in denmark and traveling around europe has smashed open a can of worms of different lifestyles and types of people in the world. it's reassuring and at the same time a little dizzying to know that so many types of people exist.
• music: i definitely don't think i will ever like techno/house music outside of the club/bar atmosphere, but being in denmark and in europe has made me curious about european music and as a result i've found some pretty different, pretty good songs and artists.
• culture: before visiting europe, i think my perception of culture and especially european culture was that it was elitist and something only hoighty-toighty rich people enjoyed (think british tea parties and pinkies in the air). but after visiting some historical places and cities in europe, i realize that i didn't really have any real exposure to it and that there is actually a lot more to culture than i thought and made me wish i had paid more attention in history.
• traditions: i really liked learning about my host families traditions that were passed down from their parents and ancestors and it makes me want to learn more about my own family's history and traditions.
• diy: when my host brother's friend had a baby (which along with seeing people from high school with babies freaks me out a little), my host mom knitted cute little socks and a hat. i like how gifts and things that you make yourself have a lot more meaning and significance than something you just buy in a store.
• winter: it might seem weird to talk about winter, but coming from hawaii winter is a big deal. i remember during my first year at carleton i thought i loved winter. when people would ask what my favorite season was, i would say, as they looked at me strangely, winter. but i've come to realize that there are only a handful of things that make winter nice: snow, fireplaces and bundling up with hot drinks, an excuse to take a nice long hot shower or bath, and christmas. everything else about it is miserable.
• butter: i think i've eaten more butter here in denmark than i have in my whole life. this is probably a habit that i shouldn't bring back with me.
• sandwiches and cheese: considering that europeans like their bread, i've had to eat many many sandwiches for lunch. i've never really liked sandwiches for some reason, but seeing how convenient they are and after trying various combos and toppings, they've grown on me. as for cheese, thank god for being one of the few non lactose intolerant asians.
• procrastination: i don't know if it's being away from the suffocating, narrow life at Carleton or if it's being in a new country and new enviornment with lots to do and see, but this term i've taken procrastination to a whole new level. like ridiculous procrastination. while i know i'm gonna need to buckle down when i get back to school i've actually come to understand and value procrastination. school isn't everything, sorry mom and dad.
• cars: whew, i've always liked driving but having to take a sometimes unreliable bus and 30 minute train ride to copenhagen almost everyday has made me love driving. i cannot wait to get back home and DRIVE. of course, not having my license (damn you madrid theives) and having to beg&blackmail my sister into letting me borrow her car will stink. well at least i've built up a tolerance to bus rides and walking.
• down time: while it was sometimes frustrating to have such a long commute, it was also nice to have time to relax and reflect in the mornings and evenings on the way from and to Om (the town i live in). will it work as well when it's not necessary? i sure hope so.