Tomorrow morning I will leave the place that has become my home. Tomorrow will be a day of sadness, and hope -- a day for new beginnings, as well as endings. Tomorrow I return a more independent young woman, who on some level has found a measure of equilibrim, the purpose of this blog.
Writing has helped. Friends have helped. Learning about Danish culture has helped. Being in Denmark has helped. These have helped me realize that there are places for me out there -- places where I can live, and grow, and explore. There are people out there who understand what makes me tick, because it makes them tick. There are people out there who get it -- get that being happy, being content in life, doesn't derive solely from competition and aquisition.
There is hope. And with that hope I return to the good ole US of A in hopes of either finding those kinds of people there or one day returning to this nation that seems to be brimming with them.
So for now, farewell dear Denmark. May I one day return to find myself at home again.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Here's a post.... Finding myself in Copenhagen
I wrote this, this morning for my danish class. Thought I'd share it. The prompt was to write a statement that would define how you've grown/learned this semester for job/grad school application, so it's a little much, but at it's heart true.
Who I am today is very much determined by this semester I have spent studying in Denmark. Before embarking on this semester I was confident in many of my abilities to explore and take on any challenge, cultural or language related. However, there was some self-doubt that I would be able to adjust to the Danish society. But what I found upon arriving here, and after living here for four months is that in many ways the societal ideals the Danes espouse are very similar to my own. I want to succeed, but I also want to be modest about my success, for I know that there are always those who may be more qualified than I. Understanding this, and living my life with this outlook, borrowed in part from the Danes, I am poised for success, because what I have learned to rely on is my own abilities and to trust in those. I can only be the best I can be. If I succeed it is because I have patiently deserved it. If I don’t then the failure becomes an opportunity for growth and learning. I could not and would not have come to feel and accept these so wholly as the foundation for my own personal growth and development, as well as career and life motivators, with out my observation of the Danish society.
Today I am poised to take control, to grow, and promote good will internationally for the United States, and for humanity in general because I have observed a society in which trust is key and caring and providing for each member of the society is important. What I have come to realize is that in order to be successful, in order to compete in a globalized economy one must try to understand others and accept them wholly. In many ways this depends on understanding their culture and language. I came to understand the Danes through taking the Danish Language and Culture class. Learning the language, which sounds so different from Spanish and English, really helped me understand how transitory language is. Through my study I am able to see how the Danish language has influenced English and how English has influenced Danish. This understanding helped me come to understand the larger picture, that we all influence each other. Why not influence each other in a positive way? Why not encourage people to be the best they can be with the realistic understanding that being the person you are is enough, that not everyone can be the president? This is something I have learned. This is something I think is key to shaping a successful society in the future, where success is not merely defined economically, but by the quality of life of its individuals. It may be difficult to understand Danish, although my Danish has improved and I am always surprised when I am in a store and I find myself understanding what the cashier is asking me, but it is key to understanding these people. What I’ve learned is that I can learn new languages; I can adapt my own ideologies to understand other cultures. I can take the risk of going out of my comfort zone and bravely step into the greater world to successfully take on challenges.
Who I am today is very much determined by this semester I have spent studying in Denmark. Before embarking on this semester I was confident in many of my abilities to explore and take on any challenge, cultural or language related. However, there was some self-doubt that I would be able to adjust to the Danish society. But what I found upon arriving here, and after living here for four months is that in many ways the societal ideals the Danes espouse are very similar to my own. I want to succeed, but I also want to be modest about my success, for I know that there are always those who may be more qualified than I. Understanding this, and living my life with this outlook, borrowed in part from the Danes, I am poised for success, because what I have learned to rely on is my own abilities and to trust in those. I can only be the best I can be. If I succeed it is because I have patiently deserved it. If I don’t then the failure becomes an opportunity for growth and learning. I could not and would not have come to feel and accept these so wholly as the foundation for my own personal growth and development, as well as career and life motivators, with out my observation of the Danish society.
Today I am poised to take control, to grow, and promote good will internationally for the United States, and for humanity in general because I have observed a society in which trust is key and caring and providing for each member of the society is important. What I have come to realize is that in order to be successful, in order to compete in a globalized economy one must try to understand others and accept them wholly. In many ways this depends on understanding their culture and language. I came to understand the Danes through taking the Danish Language and Culture class. Learning the language, which sounds so different from Spanish and English, really helped me understand how transitory language is. Through my study I am able to see how the Danish language has influenced English and how English has influenced Danish. This understanding helped me come to understand the larger picture, that we all influence each other. Why not influence each other in a positive way? Why not encourage people to be the best they can be with the realistic understanding that being the person you are is enough, that not everyone can be the president? This is something I have learned. This is something I think is key to shaping a successful society in the future, where success is not merely defined economically, but by the quality of life of its individuals. It may be difficult to understand Danish, although my Danish has improved and I am always surprised when I am in a store and I find myself understanding what the cashier is asking me, but it is key to understanding these people. What I’ve learned is that I can learn new languages; I can adapt my own ideologies to understand other cultures. I can take the risk of going out of my comfort zone and bravely step into the greater world to successfully take on challenges.
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