This year has been a strange one. Not as overwhelming as last year, but quite eventful in its own way, nonetheless.
The year began in Berlin where I didn't quite feel at home when I returned from my Christmas holiday in Denmark. The sense of not quite matching again with Berlin this second time around grew stronger. It had been there all along since I moved back last summer, but now it became quite clear. I had known the whole time that it wouldn't feel as perfect as it did in 2011, but it just didn't feel right either.
I loved my apartment, though, and having my own place was something I'd looked forward to for years.
I had also made some really good friends in Berlin.
A few days before leaving for Denmark in February to write my thesis for a month, I went up on the roof at Neukölln Arcaden. I felt connected to Berlin just there, but it also wasn't really enough. That was the last time I felt as though this was sort of my place.
In Denmark, I stayed at my father's house north of Copenhagen while I worked on my bachelor thesis. Long walks to the sea were pretty good. And just pretty.
I discovered how beautiful Elsinore is.
And I took trips into the city to hang out with friends I'd missed! It didn't take me long to realize that what I needed right now was to be in Denmark. And I decided to move back to Copenhagen. Something I hadn't thought I'd be doing for another many years.
But I felt so comfortable in Copenhagen, which also surprised me. The city I had long had a complicated relationship to now seemed new and exciting, and just right.
In April, I passed my exam and became a certified journalist. I celebrated that in Aarhus with my family and a seriously good dinner at Klassisk 65! (Plus, I wore my glasses that I had acquired in March....)
I also spent some time with the two youngest brothers at my grandparents' place for Easter.
Back in Zealand, spring was arriving, and I enjoyed my free time with friends. Here, at the mirror room in Louisiana.
In April, Kathrine and I enjoyed the sun in Copenhagen.
I went to Stockholm in the beginning of May to visit Chris who lived there working as an architect.
Back in Copenhagen I saw Justin Timberlake and was blown away.
I launched my freelancing career and spent days in Copenhagen doing stories, re-discovering the city and falling in love with it all over again.
I spent time on AnCa's rooftop terrace as the sun went down.
The youngest brother turned 18 and was celebrated with the family as it is now; parents, their spouses, and everybody getting along so well that it feels absolutely great to be a child of divorce.
One of my best friends, Kathrine, and I went on a trip to my father's house in Italy in late May. We had hoped for better weather, but I enjoyed the days enormously. I really really love Italy; the mountains, the food, the wine, the people...
In June it was time for Distortion in Copenhagen. AnCa was ready as usual.
Cordula was in town from Berlin and I showed her around the city and took her north as well to see Kronborg and the northern coast.
AnCa finished school as well, and we celebrated it with dinner in the tower of Christiansborg on one of those early summer nights where everything is wonderful.
I stayed at my father's house while I figured out everything about the move from Berlin to Copenhagen. Up there, the sky was insane sometimes, and their house on a hill makes for a great view over Øresund.
In the end of June, I went back to Berlin to pack up the apartment and say goodbye. I also managed to squeeze in some freelancing; one of the assignments took place in the water as I kayak'ed around the canals with the best view of Berlin.
I said goodbye to sweet Nina.
And to my beloved apartment.
Back in Denmark, two of the brothers came home from Roskilde Festival. One with a cool pair of sunglasses, the other with no voice.
I hung out with Iben and Chris on one of those humid summer days.
I went to north Jutland to visit the grandparents. I played boule with my grandmother and watched for birds in a reserve called Vejlerne. We also walked around in the corn fields around their house and it was really summer.
On the way back I stopped by Odder to celebrate the wedding between Thomas and Sarah. They met each other when we were in Montreal last year, and Sarah moved to Denmark this year so they could be together.
I also hung out at my mother's house in Herning and went for trips to the Western Sea.
The summer was crazy hot and we melted away. My father's sister lives in Israel and she came to visit with her daughter Moa.
With my father and his wife in their house in Italy, us kids were the tourguides and we took the Israelis to Christiania where we met up with Sølve.
I took Maria and Moa to Tivoli, an old tradition whenever they're visiting. It was so hot but we had so much fun.
In the beginning of August, I went on an Instagram meet-up at Statens Museum for Kunst and it was great fun hanging out with fellow Instagrammers being all nerdy and stuff.
My mom married Henrik in the middle of August and we all gathered in Herning to celebrate.
Of course there was also time for a mandatory band photo with the brothers. They look so cool all grown up.
I moved into the city in August.
And we met Esther for the first time, the newest - and youngest - addition to our friend group from high school. Amalie on the photo is not the mother, mind you.
I feel as if all August days were spent on the balcony. Roomie Kathrine and I had long talks, food, beers and epic laughs out there as we watched the world go by on outer Nørrebro.
I was reunited with my bike Dagmar and explored the city with her.
The last summer sun was enjoyed on Papirøen with Kristiane one night, it was so much fun.
In September, the weather changed and I went for some long walks.
I interned at a newspaper in the city, which I absolutely LOVED, and one of the perks of working downtown was having lunch with my father who works near the newspaper.
In October, I had dinner with the brothers.
And I went to Stockholm again. This time accompanied by Mette and Iben. Chris has now moved back to Copenhagen, so it was good that we spent the weekend up there seriously partying, walking around and having fun!
In November, my internship stopped. The last day was spent celebrating my front page with my GDR-project, and ever since then I've worked almost nonstop freelancing for the newspaper. It's funny how things work out; I write about stuff I never thought I'd write about, and I'm loving every minute of it.
The city grew colder and darker, and I ran around town working and working.
December marked a new chapter; I am now dedicating myself to being a freelancer and I'm anxious to see how that plays out in 2015. I feel like I'm settling in Copenhagen, the restless nomad feeling is gone, maybe for good, and it feels nice. I am eager to see what awaits me in the new year!
2 comments:
it's funny to see how maybe i am where you were last year - only Berlin being Oslo and Denmark being the Netherlands. luckily i don't have a thesis to write anymore (that happened last spring), but i hope to feel the this-is-where-i-belong-feeling you found and a little more freelancing wouldn't be too bad, either.
fun to see your year all together. i'm excited to follow your adventures and see what 2015 will bring :)
I know the feeling! Hope you find that sense of belonging, it's really great when it occurs. I'm excited to follow your new year as well, hopefully you will find out if it'll be Oslo or the Netherlands :) Happy new year!
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