My last post. That’s right. I am back in the US! My family
greeted me excitedly at the airport with arms wide open and welcome home signs. It felt so good to be
home.
But I must admit, I miss my host family, my schoolmates,
and, of course, the lovely Danes. I had a wonderful experience in Denmark and would not trade it for the world. For the most part, I did not realize how obvious the differences between Denmark and the US would be to me when I came home. Nevertheless, little by little, I noticed them. For instance, the food. My host family always used organic food in their cooking. Now that I'm back in the US, I feel like I can actually taste the preservatives in food haha. The biggest difference though is language. In Denmark, I only understood the conversations that occurred on DIS campus, aka those of the American students. I was rather overwhelmed by Danish. In the US, I understand every conversation taking place around me. I find I have been much more wiling to communicate with strangers now that I know their first language is the same as mine.
I wouldn't say I went through culture shock when I came back to the US. I just better understood the aspects of each country that I love the most. In Denmark, the food, the family-centered traditions, and the overwhelming honesty and bluntness. In America, my crazy family, my ridiculous friends, the English language, and a strong sense of comfort with others. Overall, I would definitely say that coming home was great. It was about time for me to see all of my friends and family. Needless to say, though, I will be back in Denmark one day!
Advice for other travelers: take nothing for granted, say yes to amazing experiences, travel EVERYWHERE, try new foods (almost always delicious!), and push yourself out of your comfort zone. For goodness sake, you are abroad. Come home with memories, not regrets!
Signing off,
Emily