Submitted by Haley Stanko on the 2017 fall semester DIS (Denmark’s International Study Program) program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
This week, I got my first real taste of Denmark weather and the reality of commuting to 8:00 am class every morning. I live with a family in Hedehusene, which is a suburb about 30 km from center city Copenhagen (or København K as the locals would say). I bike from my house to the station, which can take between 8-15 minutes depending on the day and which station I want to use. Another station is closer, but the trains come less frequently which can be annoying at the end of a long day when I just want to get home. Then, I take the train to Nørreport Station which is another 10 minute walk to class. A lot of students that live in the city gasp when I tell them about my commute, but after a few weeks it has become a routine that I barely register. The first two weeks, I was lucky with mostly sunny days and open seats on the train because many people were still on summer holiday. But this week, I couldn’t find a seat on the train in the morning and ended up drenched by the end of the bike ride home. In the moment, these inconveniences can be annoying, but I think that I have been adjusting quickly. Coming to a new place and experiencing life in a different way can reveal a lot about a person and the time during my commute gives me a lot of time to think about the experiences I am having and how I am responding. The commute is really making me into a more patient person, and more punctual. The trains wait for no one, so I always have to plan ahead of time where I am going to go.
I have really been taking advantage of the transit pass that DIS buys for students in homestays; when I have free time I like to get off at different train or bus stops and walk through a neighborhood I’ve never been to. One of my favorite things to do on a sunny day is walk around someplace new with lots of people out on balconies and in the streets, and trust me there are a lot of beautiful balconies in Copenhagen.
I have used every means of transportation in Copenhagen: bike, train, metro, bus and my own two feet. After living here for almost a month, I think I might be getting spoiled with how great the mobility is in the city. Bicycle infrastructure is a priority in Copenhagen, even a novice biker would be able to navigate city streets, although it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to try it out the first time during rush hour. I started biking in the city last week, and now it’s one of my favorite things to do on a day off from classes. The S-Train (slower train that stops at every station) allows bikes for free, so I’ve started taking my bike into the city whenever the weather seems nice enough. Having my bike with me during the day gives me a lot more freedom to explore more parts of the city that I might not have reached on foot. The buses are a great alternative when the weather is bad. I like that on the buses I can still look out the windows and experience new parts of the city. The metro is great for when I need to get somewhere far quickly, but it can get extremely crowded during rush hour. Now that I have been here a month, I have a nice wide range of places that I can navigate without looking at my phone GPS and I am looking forward to getting to know more places as the year goes on!