1. Ease of traveling around Europe. This is hampered somewhat by having Charlie and having not yet found an ideal dog-sitter. But in 2013 we (or at least one of us) were able to visit Warsaw, Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, western Denmark,and Malmo Sweden. Next year we have Brussels, London, and Australia (not Europe and not any closer than from the US but still exciting) on the docket already, and hopefully more as the year progresses. Living next to the metro we also have easy access to the airport which is really helpful.
2. Warmer winter weather. It's gray and dark in the winter but so far this winter we have not dropped below 30 Degrees F and I am thankful for that. I know colder weather is coming, but for now it has been bearable (now the lack of sun is another story but we're keeping this post positive...)
3. Lots of summer sun. In the height of the summer the sun rises around 4:30 am and sets around 10:30 pm. It was not nearly as hard to adjust to as we thought it would be. And after experiencing a winter here we can understand why the Danes get so excited when the sun is out. The summer here was quite nice, weather-wise.
4. 6 weeks of vacation. We haven't actually experience this yet since the Danish vacation system is a little odd and you earn vacation the year before you get it. But I get a full 6 weeks starting in May this year (2014) and Collin gets 5 so we are close. In 2013 I had 4 weeks and it's amazing how quickly that amount does not seem adequate. Next year Collin and I are planning a trip to Australia (centered around a conference I am attending) and it's such a luxury to be able to plan 3 weeks away and still have vacation left for the rest of the year.
5. Christmas in Denmark. The Danes love Christmas and really do it right. Lots of decorations, good food, and festivities, gifts and holiday cheer. And time off work. I have enjoyed December very much.
6. "Free" healthcare. Not having to pay a thing for my surgery was pretty sweet. Of course, taxes here are another story...but we pay those whether we need surgery or not so it still feels good. And being able to take as much time off work as I wanted without pressure to get back as soon as I could was a nice feeling.
7. Public transportation. The metro (subway) doesn't go to too many places right now but it does run every 2 minutes (normally) which is pretty great. They are expanding it tremendously but that won't be completed until after 2018. and it hooks up to the train system which typically runs every 10 minutes and goes to most places in the area we would want to visit. A car may be helpful for more remote places, or for buying lots of stuff at IKEA, but for the most part public transportation has been more than adequate.
8. Danish design. It might be expensive, and a bit repetitive, but the Danes really do furniture and aesthetics right. I love the crazy lights we have in all our rooms. A little color on the walls would be nice though.
9. Candles. The Danes love candles, especially in the dark winters, to convey a feeling of coziness or the famous, unpronounceable, untranslatable "hygge". We have acquired all sorts of fun candle stick holders and tea light containers. and have fully embraced candles in our house.
10. Jerusalem artichokes (jordskokker). Even though you can find these in the US, they are EVERYWHERE in Denmark and we had never cooked with them before moving here. Collin, especially, is a big fan. And as long as we are discussing produce... Danish strawberries and danish potatoes, when in season, can't be beat. we enjoyed many of those this summer.
11. Scarves and tights. These again are available in the US of course, but they are taken to a whole new level here in Denmark. I love all the different patterns, colors, and styles (of both) that are found here.
12. Working hours. We generally work 40 hour weeks without any expectation to work more. I typically work 8-4 and on occasion when I am around until closer to 5 the place is really dead. Being able to go home to your family is very important to Danes.
13. Desigual. This is actually a Spanish company but is very popular in Denmark as well. I'm a big fan! but enjoyed the Barcelona prices much more than the Danish prices :)
14. The abundance of celebrating with cakes/cookies/sweets. At work you bring in something sweet when it is your birthday, your work anniversary, you are going on vacation, you return from vacation, you return from any absence (including surgery), your wife is pregnant, you got a promotion. It doesn't matter. whatever it is, you celebrate it. The Danes love to celebrate.
15. Work canteens. We have two different canteens at work that both serve pretty amazing food, buffet style, for only 22 DKK (that's roughly $4). It's so much nicer than having to think about bringing lunch, and the cost is deducted right from your paycheck.
16. Bike lanes. Copenhagen, and Denmark in general, is a biking place. Everyone bikes, young, old, rich, poor, fancy, casual, rain, snow, sun. It doesn't matter what the circumstance. And what makes it really positive is that Denmark has the infrastructure for it. Bike lanes everywhere, even along the highways, that are shoveled in the winter and often have their own traffic lights. and most, MOST, people follow bike rules, signalling for stops and turns, waiting at red lights, etc. Now that Collin finally purchased a bike, I am looking forward to using the bikes more often.
17. Heated floors in the bathroom. I know these are available in the US but are usually a luxury. Here pretty much every apartment has a heated floor in the bathroom. I am thankful for it every morning.
18. Accessibility of British TV. We no longer have cable here, but when we lived in our temporary housing for the first three months it included cable. It was fun being introduced to all sorts of British shows we had never heard of, as well as some that we had. I do miss that aspect of cable...but not enough to pay the exuberant price for it! some of the Danish commercials were pretty sweet too.
19. Bakeries. Yes, the US has bakeries, but the regular bread and "danish"-like sweet breads (they're not called "danishes" for nothing!) are amazing and so easily available.
20. Pickled food. Danes pickle everything from the famous pickled herring to just plain old pickles (although they are called pickled cucumbers here). What a wonderful accompaniment to food.
21. My coworkers. They have been so accepting and inviting, and work hard to make both Collin and I feel welcome here. I am very lucky to have them.
There you have it. 21 things about Denmark we have enjoyed/appreciate. I'm sure there are more as well, but we will leave those for next year.
Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. We hope your holidays are as nice as ours have been!
No comments:
Post a Comment