26 In Books & Writing/ Inspiration & Creativity/ Life/ Travels

Obsessed with all things Denmark

September is here and I’m turning over a new leaf! I want to keep writing about travelling and life as an immigrant here in Scotland, but I also want to share inspiration for every day life!

Today I’m sharing my obsession with all things Denmark. I believe we can truly find inspiration in studying new cultures, learning new languages and travelling through photos and stories. Denmark has been on my mind for a while now and it’s brought so much inspiration to me!

It all started when I was looking for interesting degrees to possibly get a second Masters. I found one at Aarhus Universitet in Denmark and wrote about it on my blog: 

“I would love to get a second Master’s degree in Contemporary Aesthetics, Art and Culture at Aarhus Universitet in Denmark. Just need to learn Danish now.” 

Haha, right?

Well it stuck with me.

Since then, I’ve been massively a bit obsessed with visiting Denmark (and perhaps moving there…we’ll see what the Brit thinks…) and Copenhagen has been at the top of my European bucket list. It’s been nearly two years now and my obsession has not subsided with time. Actually, the more time passes, the more I’ve become interested in the different cultural aspects of the country. 

Denmark is known for being the happiest country in the world (though it also has a high rate of suicide). It’s known for its cycling lifestyle and it’s coastal scenery. Apparently, from anywhere in Denmark you’re never further than 50 km from the sea. Sounds like my kind of country!

Travels

I’m hoping to be able to travel to Denmark with the Brit very soon. Once everything on the job/house front has been sorted, we want to head to Copenhagen for a long weekend. Just to start… 

On Pinterest, my European travel board has been expanding for weeks, but it’s been mostly about Denmark (though I pin other European destinations just to make it look as though I’m not crazy) because I feel I can travel through reading about it. 

I know it’s an expensive country, so we’ll have to restrict our visiting, but I look forward to experiencing the Danish culture, seeing the bright houses and iconic harbour, practising my language skills and tasting the interesting food.

If you have been and have any suggestions, please leave your comments or links below 🙂 

Denmark

via Unsplash

Language

In July, as I finished my contract at the university, I decided to use my time wisely and keep improving myself. I finished Danish level 1 in August and I’m currently on the second level. 

For all those who asked, I’m using the language app Memrise, which I am really liking. It does listening, spelling and reading skills. And it’s free! 

Danish is unlike any other languages I’ve ever tried to learn before. I even found German easier to pronounce. Danish is a totally different experience all together – with letters being pronounced totally differently than what I’m used to. I don’t know how useful that’s really going to be in life (unless we move there…), but it’s proving to be great mental exercise! 

 

A photo posted by Camila (@caminioca) on

Books

I love books – obviously – and that love is usually very useful when learning about a new country. Whether it’s reading fiction set in that country or reading non-fiction about it. I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction recently and these three books are on my to-read list! They are all about Denmark, the Scandinavian lifestyle and hygge. Hygge seems to be very ‘in’ right now and I’ve seen a lot of books about it. 

Denmark seems to be this hidden country that – though it’s all very popular right now – doesn’t seem to be discussed often and I’ve enjoyed seeing these books and discovering something new.

books denmark

Overall, I think it’s been a very educational and inspirational obsession. I’m learning a new language, learning about a new culture, country and people and am opening my horizons. What more can I ask, right?

What do you think about Denmark? Are you obsessed with any particular country and its culture?xx

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