Fifty Shades of dismay: how I survived Friday the 13th

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What’s the worst that can happen when you’re about to embark on a 24 hour long journey? You miss your flight.

Despite numerous checkings, me and my family still managed to think “depature 6 AM” meant “departure 8 AM”. OK, it was mostly just me.

We (my family and I) arrive at the airport at 6.30 to check in, when I notice my 8 AM flight isn’t on the board. I panicked, go to look at another one and then pull out my ticket to realise the sad truth.

I go to a counter and try to get some help. They tell me there’s nothing they can do. All my flights are lost and there’s no way I’m getting a refund. They look into other possible flights, but they are between 10.000 and 40.000 kr (yes, business class is offered) and 42 hours of travelling. I decide to just laughit off and end up finding a reasonable priced flight the next day on Skyscanner. That is until I find a cheaper, shorter trip a few hours later from Copenhagen’s airport.

I try to book the flight from my phone without any luck. I get out my laptop in the car on the way to the train station, but the page comes to a stop right after I’ve entered my credit card details. I reinstall Java and try again. When that doesn’t work, I restart the browser and this time it works, as we’ve been parked outside of the station for a few minutes. Stressful.

We buy a train ticket to Copenhagen leaving in 40 minutes, but when I get to the platform, I realise there’s another train arriving in 8 minutes. I run back to the ticket counter and get the ticket changed and when I get back to the platform (out of breath from running), the train has just arrived. My dad, who’s been guarding my luggage while I was at the counter, practically throws my backpack on the train, and it’s the quickest, least heartfelt goodbye ever before the train doors close and I’m off. Everything that’s happened today ans the fact that I didn’t feel like I got to say a proper goodbye makes my eyes water while I wait behind a group of teenage guys that are taking an incredibly long time to put away their suitcases and sit down. I, a very non-confrontational person, feel like bursting into flames and cry and yell and do everything to show my annoyance with them and with this day. But I wait patiently for them to get out of my way, then I kick a guy out of my seat and sit down and hold back the tears.

2.5 hours later, I am at the airport. Everything is going well, although I have to deal with a super sassy staff lady when I have problems scanning my ticket. By the time I’ve gotten through security, it’s 12 o’clock
And I haven’t had anything to eat or drink all day. I decide to just get something at Joe and the Juice. It’s a super-hipster-green-juice place where they play loud clubbing music, and all the guys working there (there are no girls here) have manbuns and extremely bad attitudes. After a guy yells out my name while handing me the juice, obviously annoyed that he’s living in a world where basic people order juice, I head to the gate.

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Hipster photo of my hipster juice

After a super long flight, I’m in Bangkok and from there, I fly to Phnom Penh. I MADE ITTTT!

Horsens: a few thoughts about leaving home

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The time has come for another adventure, after almost 6 months of being a poor couch potato. Is it weird to have mixed feelings about it? I have serious Traveller’s Guilt. I don’t want to leave my friends behind, now that I’ve finally gotten them back from their exchange programs. I don’t want to miss out on yet another Danish summer and the big events happening in my loved ones lives. I don’t want to spend all my money. But I am going, and it’s exciting to me in a whole new way. For one, I am moving to a country I have never even been to. I don’t know when I will see my family again. I am going to do some travelling by myself for the first time ever. I am even going to travel for a month with a person I have never met. So while I sit in a pile of clothes on the floor, teary-eyed and nauseous from nerves, I am also certain that this experience will not only be amazing – it will be life changing.

Even though I am heading to what are arguably more stunning surroundings, I am really going to miss my home, the town of Horsens. This is where I grew up, and I still think of it as the small prison town it once was, despite it now being the 8th largest city in Denmark and one of the cultural capitals. I wanted a post just for myself, so I have something to look at when I am missing home, so here are some pictures of my home, a place I am truly going to miss.

SONY DSCCoat of arms

IMG_5279The European Medieval Festival 2014

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Pictures from Lunden (“The Grove“):SONY DSC SONY DSCFriluftsscenen (“Open Air Stage”)

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IMG_5828-2Menneskemuren (“The Human Wall”) by Horsens Art Museum 

SONY DSCNordre Cemetery

IMG_5881-2Klosterkirken (“Abbey Church”)

DSC09427 SONY DSCHorsens State Prison, now mostly a concert venue

DSC09431 Triton Water Fountain by the train station

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150708-09-02Blue Diamond Water Tower

150708-06-01Purhøj

From the top of Purhøj:SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC SONY DSC

I’ll end this post with one of my favorite songs, sung by Pretty Maids,our local pride.

#WanderlustWednesday: Australia

Come late March, a longtime dream of mine comes true: I’m moving to Australia! So how do you get around an entire continent in a relatively short amount of time when you want to see everything? I have no idea, but I’m super excited to finally see this beautiful country.

(all pictures are taken from Pinterest)


Uluru


Sydney Opera House, designed by another Dane!


Tasmania, where our Crown Princess Mary is from (OK, I’ll stop bragging about being Danish now)


Hanging rock, Victoria


Angel Place, Sydney


Zenith beach


Karijini National Park


Twelve Apostles


Jacaranda Tree Tunnel, Sydney


Mataranka hot springs

#WanderlustWednesday: Bali and the Philippines


#WanderlustWednesday is here, and these images are making me even more excited to go to Bali and the Philippines! All images are from Pinterest, and clicking on them will take you straight to the page.



Suluban beach in Uluwatu, Bali



Pura Lempuyang, Bali



Tegenungan Waterfall in Ubud, Bali



Hinatuan River, Mindanao



The Secret Lagoon in El Nido, Palawan

The 9 stages of going on a new adventure

A true story told in GIFs:

Life as an Inbetweener – a term I just made up for when you’ve returned home from a trip, doing nothing until you go travelling again – is rough. You were once that person; the one with the great tan, amazing Instagram pictures of exotic landscapes, and you always seemed to have a big group of new friends around you. People at home envied you, kept asking you when you would be home so you could hang out again. Then you were finally back in your own bed, cooking your own food, speaking your own language. Everything that you had missed while away was right there for you to enjoy. Then your tan faded. People who were so eager to hang out once you got home were suddenly too busy with their lives. You started to miss the fresh street food, being around like-minded people and living out of a backpack. So you decided it was time to plan a new adventure. And this is how it (by default) is gonna go:

  1. You are bored with everything
    bored
    “Can it stop raining already? Why am I doing laundry on a Saturday night? I hate it here and I need some pad thai.”
  2. People at home stress you out
    Stressed 01
    So your friends all have awesome careers now and they just moved in with their significant other and have no time for you, and you’re living off your savings account and the only thing you’ve accomplished lately is your high score in Candy Crush.
  3. You can’t stand looking at your travelling friends online having a good time 
    jealous
    Of course this is just because you’re super jealous.
  4. You decide to do go on a new adventure, but planning is overwhelming
    overwhelmed
    The world is big, and there are so many cool things to see everywhere. Where do you even begin!?
  5. You finally pick your adventure, book a flight and cannot contain your excitement
    yaay
    This is the most relieved you’ve felt in a long time.
  6. You have a lot of things to get done before you leave and it stresses you out
    paperwork
    Plan stuff, do some paperwork, save money, cry.
  7. You share your plans with EVERYONE
    excited
    You’re not trying to brag – you’re genuinely happy to have a purpose in life again. Some people will be happy for you. Some will roll their eyes and be like “AGAIN? Are you ever going to get back to real life?”
  8. Graduation goggles
    dragging
    The day of your departure is approaching, and suddenly leaving seems so difficult. You’re going to miss home and your friends so so so much. All the things you’ll miss out on while away, like mom’s birthday and your best friend’s first blind date!
  9. You jump into your adventure and it’s everything you hoped it would be
    flying
    After an emotional whirlwind, you’re where you want to be, and you finally feel whole again. Plus, your tan looks amazing.

So pack your bags and go chase your dream! Your adventure is waiting for you.

#WanderlustWednesday