Golly goodness; it’s really kickin’ in. The bags under my eyes have certainly put on some weight in the past few weeks. Sometimes it’s because of all the fun I’m having. Sometimes it’s because of all the reading and writing I’m doing.

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Speaking of which, I’m doing NaNoWriMo! Or I’m trying to, at least. NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, and the idea is to write a 50,000 word novel, or the first 50,000 words of a larger novel, during the thirty days of November. It’s pure evil. I’ve tried it several times and failed miserably over and over again. But I don’t know. This time could be different. I certainly have lots of stuff to write about! So far, I’ve started a little study-abroad novel. Original, I know. However, to do a little twist on it, I’m doing it from the perspective of my younger sister (sort of) as she journeys through her own study abroad two years after me. Funny thing that she ends up doing the same program. (Convenient, eh?) So yeah. I’ve got… a bit over 3,500 words now, so I’m actually behind schedule already. *sigh. Wish me luck!

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Okay. What fun things have I been up to since my grand return from the Great Beyond (AKA: Iceland)? I honestly don’t remember too well. I’ve been pretty wrapped up in school work the past ten days, and I get to go to the opera tomorrow, so that’s all I’ve been able to think about. My very first opera! Eep!

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Oh yes! Last Wednesday, I got to visit Fredericksborg Castle again, this time with my Creative Travel Writing class. The sun was shining, the wind was punishing, and the guide was adorable. He also looked pretty much exactly like Jackson, but with hipster glasses and a mustache. Very strange… But the castle was definitely better with a guide. I learned so much that I had just glanced over the last time!

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Isn’t it pretty?! They actually had the fountain on this time! The first time I visited, the fountain was shut down for maintenance and the water was covered in a thick layer of green algae and muck. It was disgusting. I think they were still running tests, though, because the water kept turning on and off. It caught a little girl by surprise and soaked her through. Tehe.

The Jackson look-alike pointing out the shields lining much of the castle walls- The shields represent the “orders” awarded to various people (kind of like a knighting, if that’s the term?). Fun tidbit: a person can only keep their… award? badge? medal? (I was unclear about that) until they pass away, because the state only has so many. When they die, the order is returned to Denmark. Therefore, in order to ensure that the order will be returned, an order/ knighthood must be given to Denmark as well, and they’ll do a bit of trade-sies. Because of this, Americans can’t receive Danish orders because they have nothing to exchange. The only American exception is Eisenhower for his duty as general during the war!

Ceilings (:

Queen Margrethe, current reigning monarch of Denmark

More ceilingsss

A royal bed! So pretty.

I stuck around after the rest of my class left so I could explore all the nooks and crannies of Fredericksborg on my own. In the process, I discovered a Steve McCurry exhibit that was being held on the ground floor. Steve McCurry is the photographer who captured that iconic Afghan Girl with the green eyes. I loved the exhibit! Most of the photos were from Middle Eastern and Asian countries, temples, slums, etc. New favorite photographer.

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I spent Halloween at home with Sara and Mikayla. We baked banana bread and watched Interstellar (color me confused for most of that movie- I finally felt some closure and understanding by the end, though). We also had a total of four trick-or-treating groups. “Trick or treat” sounds so stinkin’ cute in Danish! Slik eller ballade. The first time a group said that, I asked Sara what they were saying, and she responded with, “Uhm… Candy or I’ll kill you or something?” Imagine my alarm. It was only when I said that was a lot more dramatic that “trick or treat” that she remembered slik eller ballade is pretty much a direct translation. At one point, a group of little girls came to the door, and instead of knocking, they just stood there and chanted: Slik eller ballade. Slik eller ballade. Slik eller ballade, until Sara opened the door. I could not get over it!

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Oh! I also got to meet Sara and Maria’s grandma! She was so sweet! Her little apartment was covered in art, some of which she had painted herself, and she gave us mocha ice cream and tea. What more could you ask for? She also informed me that I will be missing some big Danish holiday next week while I’m in Trondheim. Nobody else had cared to mention this to me the whole time I’ve been here, but it seems sort of Thanksgiving-esque as far as the November, before-Christmas, get-together-with-family-and-eat idea goes.

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We actually went over there to deliver a jack-o-lantern that Sara had carved. Tehe. It got stuck in the bike basket and was a struggle to get out. She liked it, though!

Her decorations also gave me some ideas for when I get my hands on my bike back in Seattle… (;

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Today, I had Danish class in Christiania, believe it or not. We got a tour from a man who has lived there since 1989, and it was a lot less scary in a group of American students, let me tell you. He told us all about the businesses and goings-on in Christiania aside from the Green Light District, which is apparently known as Pusher Street. I’ll try to brave it again in December for the Christmas Market.

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Graffiti in Christiania

Indoor/ outdoor skate park in Christiania

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Alrighty! No class tomorrow, so I have to finish a big essay for my Rome class before heading out to the opera! I’ll let you know how it goes!!! Eeep!

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Venlig hilsen/ best regards,

Lizzy-wa