As of this morning I am no longer jet lagged! HI5! I mean, having a toddler is great in that I love her immensely but MAN does having a toddler with you make the jet lag awful! Makes it harder to sleep on the plane here, makes it harder to take the time one needs to fully recover from the journey once you arrive, having to structure naps so they don't stay up too long… And then there’s the “MOMMY WAKE UP! WE’RE IN DENMARK!” at 3:34am every morning for almost a week.
We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and, essentially, spent the entire day hugging each other. I hugged Aaron so hard it was like I was trying to merge our bodies into one. The look one his face when he saw us come out of the airport was priceless… I wish I had my camera but my brain camera took a pretty solid image so I’m cool with that. It was like his whole being just softened and relaxed, being apart used to be just a thing we did but now it’s just hard and frustrating… I don't really want to do it again.
After the long weekend roasting in the sun in Florida I finally got some reprieve here, I haven't seen the sun in a week… My face and my chest are already thanking me. I feel like a few more years in that blinding and constantly direct sun and I would need some kind of medical intervention. Also… no sunscreen. My acne is clearing up, my pores are emptier… oh! And there’s no screaming kid to hold down and slather. It’s the little things.
I’m sure I’ll miss the sun… eventually.
The rain is cold, unpredictable and unrelenting… I constantly feel like James Dean, moodily walking down the stone streets with my popped collar. Everyone starting at me but… not in the same way. I mean, it’s me, I’m a presence and a force but it’s mostly because I’m loud that they stare. Like a good 2-3 decibels louder even when I’m trying to be quiet. We get on the train and I say one thing to Aaron and the entire car falls silent. I’m like, “guys could you make it any more obvious that you’re listening to our conversation?”
And then there’s my hair… “Do you dye it?” “Where did you get your perm?” “How long did it take to grow it out?” “What products do you use?” “Something about my hair in Danish” I’m not going to lie, it makes my head pretty big… not my hair, the compliments do. But then I’m at the store looking for smoothing or condition creams and I have TWO options. TWO! Literally, in the entire store, two options for cream to de-frizz my fro…. it is a smörgåsbord of hair products for fine or thin hair, hair dyes for blondes and volumizing shampoos. I am absolutely unique in the hair department and, although cool now, I’m sure I will tire of that quickly.
Oh! And the bread! AND THE DAIRY! It’s so good. I mean, I have had an off and on tummy ache since I got here because I CANNOT lay off the bread and lattes… My husband is constantly putting me in check with the lattes. “Kelley, those things are $3, you don't have a job yet. CHILL!” It’s so hard not to chug coffee all freaking day, I am in coffee heaven. One of the absolute best parts of being in Scandinavia is the coffee and the bread, I cant emphasize it enough. I know France is, like, suppose to be the leader in that whole department but whatever… the hearty breads and pastries here are my real favorites.
Every morning I wake up and have to make the real decisions though… what to wear when we leave the house. Friends were not joking when they said that fashion among the Danes is very important. These people dress impeccably! Like, everyone looks like a J.Crew model. The coats, the shoes, the PURSES!! It is fashion lovers heaven. They even have designer in the thrift shops, I’m dying inside because I can’t go shopping. THE GLASSES!! Oh my god the glasses! If and when I ever find work the first thing I’m treating myself to is a new pair of kick ass glasses. The frame designers are so fashion forward here, I don't know what to do with myself when I walk by a frame store, my husband says I make a lot of squealing noises though.
We went to Freetown Christiania yesterday, Aaron kept telling me how amazing of a space it is and I just wanted to take a quick peek because, shockingly, it was raining yesterday. I want to save my journey through Freetown for another post because I only got a quick peek this time, but the stuff I saw was incredible. There’s nothing like it anywhere in America. A freely governed village of thinkers, rebels, musicians and artists… I was definitely enamored with the idea. There’s other things about it that I want to talk about but I want to get to know what’s actually going on there better first… currently the only thing I have earned the right to say is that the street art is ming blowing.
Overall it’s been a nice few days off and I’ve appreciated them… I know that my work is piling up around me and that I’m sure people are getting anxious, but honestly friends I needed the rest. It was a little insane of a journey here and for those of you awaiting your images, I really and emphatically appreciate your patience… you will be rewarded for it.
So with that all being said it’s time for me to get started on making my way through the work and back into the black (financially that is)… The debt we’ve incurred getting here is pretty extensive and somewhat damaging and it is now my responsibility to get it cleared out. So, without further ado, I must hit the bricks and start the second half of our journey… The hardest part. Finding the reason I’m suppose to be here. Wish me luck!
