One thing that I love most about the Scandinavian lifestyle is the healthy work/life balance that many Danes partake in. Oftentimes Danish adults will get off work at around 3:00 - 4:00 pm, and prioritize spending time for themselves and their loved ones. Similarly in other European countries, a typical workweek can be 32 hours rather than the American standard of 40+ hours. Taking time for yourself and your mental health is important in Denmark’s society, which is why I’ve found that the best way to get adjusted to this lifestyle is to set a consistent routine with activities that benefit myself and any tasks that need to be done. When I’m alone during my free time, I like to spend it lap swimming at the Flintholm Swimming Pool, reading at the Frederiksberg Have (Park), or trying new recipes for meals. If I have any schoolwork to get done, I enjoy exploring different coffee shops (my personal favorites are Coffee Industry Sweden and the Espresso House across from Tivoli) or going to the beautiful library in CBS’s SP building. With this new independence, having a routine and finding activities I enjoy has helped me get accustomed to the life I have in Denmark.
Since my accommodation has a basic kitchen, I normally make meals at home because eating out is very expensive in Denmark. Copenhagen is a very expensive city, however, groceries are one of the few things that are relatively reasonable (especially when you have a roommate that splits things with you). However, it is nice to experience
what restaurants the city has to offer every once in a while! For a friend’s birthday, we went to the Rossopomodoro rooftop restaurant in the Illum building for delicious authentic Italian food! The food came with a picturesque view and great street performances around the area. It’s always nice to have a great meal with friends for special occasions like this!
If you didn’t notice from previous posts, my friends and I make spontaneous traveling decisions often. If you are looking for a cheap way to travel, RyanAir has regular flash sales to particular cities at a very low cost. For about $40 roundtrip, my friends and I decided to
spend a couple of days in Budapest, Hungary! RyanAir is the European equivalent of Spirit Airlines, the quality of the flight may not be the greatest…but at least
you’re getting the ticket at a low cost. I was so excited to travel to a different country by plane for the first time. I had very little expectations of Budapest with my little knowledge of the city, but with some research and a classmate from Hungary, we were able to hit a lot of great destinations in such a short time.
For food, the Central Market Hall is essential to try authentic Hungarian food (goulash, stuffed cabbage rolls, meat stew). For drinks, the Ruins Bar is a very creative and funky collection of bars situated inside neglected pre-war buildings. General iconic places you HAVE to visit include the Hungarian parliament building, Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Rudas thermal baths. There were so many things to do in such little time, my only
wish was that we could have spent more time there. Regardless, I’m so happy that I got to visit a country that I had never thought to visit before, and I was pleasantly surprised by all the amazing places you could visit. Can’t wait for more travels!
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