The question that I get more than any other is “Why Denmark?”. It is a funny question because I guess it does seem a little random for a girl from Ohio to move to Odense, but for me it feels like the home I needed to find. I first came to Denmark in the summer of 2021 when I went on a trip to Copenhagen, and then went down to Germany for 5 weeks. Being in Denmark that first time definitely sparked my curiosity, so when I was planning my study abroad during my last year of my bachelor, Denmark was the winner. I won’t get into all the details of my study abroad experience in this post (but I will make another post about the process and my experience) but it is safe to say that I loved every second of living here in Odense. I think within the first two months of moving here I was already telling my mom that I wanted to come back and live here forever (sorry mom).

I always had this pull to move out of my hometown, out of Ohio, and honestly even out of the United States as a whole. I never really thought I would do the whole nine yards by moving out of the U.S., but a girl could dream. As it turns out, I made my dream into a reality! When I first came to live in Denmark in August of 2022, I never could have imaged how fast and how hard I would fall in love with my life here. I met some amazing people (including my boyfriend) that I have been able to call my friends to this day, and found a new way of life that I didn’t really have at home. People in Denmark, and I am about to make a large generalization so I apologize in advance, have a much more relaxed outlook on life. The people that I know here always have this “it will all work out” attitude about everything, and they feel a lot less anxious than I ever felt at home. Over time I began to feel like I was able to be myself without worrying about what people thought and I felt like I was becoming more confident. It was a long road of doing long distance with my boyfriend and figuring out what I wanted to study when I went to school in Odense again, but I finally got it figured out and was able to move in the summer of 2024 to start my Master’s Degree! I have even brought my cats from the U.S. now (that was a whole process on its own).

So, in short, I moved to Denmark because it is where I feel at home. It feels like I was meant to be here, and I love the life I have built and will continue to build here. I am excited about all the opportunities that exist here and all the different things I am able to do. I can travel to different countries easier, I can study for cheaper than in the U.S., I have access to free healthcare, and I honestly just love Denmark. I love the weather (weird, I know), I love my friends, I love my study, and I just generally am so much happier than I ever could have imagined myself. I can’t wait to share more about my life in Denmark with you all, and show you that it is possible to accomplish your dreams no matter how crazy they are (like moving to Denmark with your two cats)!