Uhm. Excuse me, Copenhagen, but I already love you. It’s so beautiful here!!! I mean. I certainly, at least, fit in with the blondie crowd. While I haven’t even been here for 24 hours, I just have a feeling this trip is going to be so much fun. And expensive. Holy moly- $16 for a bagel and latte this morning. Jesus take the wheel! My flight over was….. intense. In an attempt to get my body clock ready for the 9 hour difference from LA (Mind you I had been on Central time the three days before that), I stayed awake the first ten hours of my flight. Sitting still, in one seat, for any length of time is always challenging for me, but most flights are equipped with a screen or a movie, or something. Nope. Not this flight. Thank GOODNESS I downloaded an entire season of Hart of Dixie. People. Do. Not. Fly. Norwegian Air. Holy Guacamole…. in the twelve hours we were in the air, the sky-team came around exactly twice. The first time they came by (about an hour in to the flight), they offered some version of food and a drink. We didn’t see them again until exactly two hours before we landed. That. Is. All. I was so parched! #firstworldproblems, I know.

Thank goodness for the brooks I brought. I don’t know if any of you have read White Girl Problems by Babe Walker, but if not, GO BUY IT NOW. It’s so ridiculous and completely absurd it will have you laughing for days (and quoting lines for life). Well, I read that book an eternity ago, but now Babe has a sequel called Psychos. Uhm. Equally as hilarious. I’m pretty sure I looked psycho on the plane because I was belly-laughing hysterically among a sea of sleeping people. Oh well. I’ll never see them again. Regardless, I read the whole dang thing before starting in on my TV show and now i’m sad it’s over. Guess i’ll finish up Thrive now. :D

Pure, ridiculous, fantastic entertainment.

Once at the airport, I realized I had ripped out my contacts on the plane on account of my eyes driving me bonkers. Imagine my surprise when I get inside the terminal and realize not only can I not read Danish, but I also can’t see. After taking a pit-stop to replace my eyes, I headed to baggage claim (uhm…………30 minute wait) and exchanged my monies for some Krone. 1 Krone= .18 US. Seems fine until they are like “That’ll be 88!” for breakfast. At any rate, I was totally surprised to see Ashley waiting for me waving the Denmark flag like a nutcase outside of the exit. Thank goodness, though, because originally the plan was for me to take the metro to her house, but (even being the amazingly savvy New Yorker that I am) I’m sure I would have been lost. It was so exciting to get to Ashley’s apartment though. It’s so BIG and absolutely beautiful.

This week is one of Copenhagen’s biggest music events, Distortion. I had no idea, but apparently that’s on our nightly agenda. YAY. I’m so glad I brought my brand new, white Chuck’s to completely ruin by stomping around in the beer filled streets. Woohoo!!! Haha, okay I actually don’t care, but I did find it hilarious that these were the one pair of closed-toed, tennis shoe-like things I brought. Anyway, upon arrival I was instructed (yes, instructed) to shower and “hurry up!” Distortion ends at 10 pm. By the way, 10:30 pm looks like 3:30 pm which, I can imagine, will reek havoc on my body clock in the next few days. I’m already a night owl…now i’m chasing the night? Lord, help me.

In the midst of Distortion

After getting ready, Ashley hands me my bike key.

Now. Riding a bike in my neighborhood back home as a kid and riding a bike on a street with 4,000 other bikers….very different. Might I add that the last time I rode a real bike (like..not SoulCycle) I was MAYBE 12. Ashley is trying to kill me. Let it be known now, if I die on this dang bike, that I love you all. No really. If I had a camera following me around, last night’s attempt at bike-riding would definitely have been the highlight of this European episode. Also- bikes make you sore.

Anyway! Distortion was fun, but we got there pretty late so I only got to experience about 45 minutes or so of music. Afterward, we got a nightcap and then went to bed. Ashley had to work today and I had some work to catch up on, so I’m just hanging out at a cafe down the street. It’s cute!

Joe & the Juice Cafe

This morning I had the chance to just sit down and do some more reading. Thrive really is such a great book. Today I started in on the last of her four elements in the Third Metric: Giving. Continuing to read her book now is so timely for me as it’s all about disconnecting from the world and truly taking time to nurture your own mental and emotional self through meditation, thought and recharging. Although I plan to continue blogging as much as possible while here, not being able to connect to my phone is going to be so freeing these next two weeks. I’m trying to become hyper-aware of my cell phone usage and how it hinders my ability to actually take in a remember the experiences that I am having. I love the fact that I don’t even have a choice this week. I sat in a window this morning and just watched people for a solid 45 minutes. I loved every second of it. Being here brings out a sense of wonder and uncertainty. Although most everyone here speaks English fluently, it is really interesting to have such a “fish out of water” feeling. It makes me a little uncomfortable and a little insecure, but I like it. I like being pushed out of my comfort zone and I look forward to what I’ll learn about myself and the world in the coming days.

In today’s passage that stood out to me, Arianna says:

Forgive yourself for any judgements you are holding against yourself and then forgive your judgements of others. Then, look at your life and the day ahead with newness and wonder.

And so I shall.

I’m looking forward to this afternoon. I’m heading to meet Ashley at work in a few hours and then she’s granting me one tourist wish: A boat tour! I can imagine it will be lots of fun and then we will head back to Distortion tonight with some more of her friends.

Wish me luck with this bike thing….. hahaha

Until next time,

M

I'm Totally European!