nature – Archived Travels

Switzerland

Switzerland would be a mighty big place if it were ironed flat.
Mark Twain

Zurich

Zurich was the first leg of our trip since it is located near an international airport. With a world-renowned train system, we decided to snake our way through central Switzerland. Below are some recommendations from our first stop.

Lindenhof, which is the old town of Zurich, provides a fantastic vantage point over the city with nearby attractions such as the Urania, which is an observatory that opened its doors to visitors in 1907.

Neu Markt 17 is an interior design store that is just as much of a marketplace as it is a playground. Its showrooms are like a maze with something exciting around every turn. I highly recommend this stop if you’re into design or trying to beat a cloudy day.

Predigerkirche is a beautiful Protestant-reformed church in the Old City of Zurich and is highly recommended for any travelers who enjoy religious architecture.

Blatterwiese is a park located on Lake Zurich which is accessible via water taxi. There are restaurants, swimming, and public spaces littered along the way as well as a Botanical Garden that is about fifteen minutes inland on foot.

Limmat River is a hard-to-miss feature in Zurich considering it is the river that runs through the city. With plenty of restaurants and seating littered along the water, it is a great place to rest during breaks or at the end of the day.

Rhine Falls is about an hour north of Zurich’s city center, consisting of natural waterfalls and plenty of footpaths to explore. A half day here is a beautiful escape to nature. Although, if you spend enough time in Switzerland, it’s not that difficult to get lost in its natural beauty wherever you are.

Lucerne

Lucerne (or Luzern) was the second leg of our Switzerland trip. Out of all the cities we visited, Lucerne was by far our favorite.

Slow-paced yet jam-packed with plenty to do, I highly recommend strolling through and taking midday breaks by the Reuss River (there are steps to dip your feet in – but mind that they’re slippery!)

Right on the banks of the Reuss River is the Jesuitenkirche Luzern. Its central location is an easy detour for your itinerary if you enjoy religious architecture or want to light a candle for a loved one.

Kapellbrücke or the ‘Chapel Bridge’ is another can’t-miss on the Lucerne itinerary. Running over the Reuss River is the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge. Take a walk over history and don’t forget to look up! Although the bridge was damaged by fire in 1993, there is still 17th-century artwork that covers its walls.

If you want to work in a leg day, step out of the city center to the Musegg Wall and visit its nine towers. Built in the 13th century, these city walls fortified the Old Town and protected their people from their enemies. Besides getting some nice views, you’ll also get a nice burn in your thighs!

Mount Pilatus was the mountain we chose over Mount Rigi, but both ranges are accessible via train from Lucerne. Once we rode into Kriens, the town located at the base of Mount Pilatus, we rode up the famous Swiss gondolas.

Halfway up the mountain, you have the opportunity for alpine sledding, which is a can’t-miss. You’ll get to zoom through the fairytale landscape and enjoy the cattle and goats as you’re lugged back up the track.

After the short excursion, you can take the next gondola quite literally through the clouds, where you can see rivers, lakes, and towns from the summit of Mount Pilatus. This hike was not arduous at all with flat paved trails and guided reading for local biodiversity.

Instead of taking the same way down, we rode the steepest cogwheel train in the world down to the port at Alpnachstad.

After taking in some beautiful views, we rode the local ferry back to Lucerne.

After trying some classic fondue, we enjoyed some drinks on the river at La Bonne Cave before turning in for the night.

Interlaken

Schynige Platte was our first excursion when we reached Interlaken. While there isn’t much in Interlaken itself, it’s the perfect central point for all the surrounding activities. Schynige Platte is a can’t-miss if you’re passing through this region.

After a beautiful train ride with a view of the Swiss Alps, you pull up to a station that overlooks everything.

Lauterbrunnen, whose name translates to “many fountains”, is less than a thirty-minute train ride south from Interlaken and is essential for any traveler’s Swiss itinerary. With a gorgeous view of the famous mountain, Jungfrau, and hundreds of waterfalls pouring into the valley, it is quite a sight to behold. The view is so unbelievable that your eyes will experience the unusual phenomenon of parallax – that’s how grand Lauterbrunnen is!

Gimmelwald is only accessible via gondola – I’ve heard some residents actually parachute down the cliff when they need to go grocery shopping in the valley below. Now, that’s an exciting errand run.

During my visit to this tiny village, I visited the Mountain Hostel and enjoyed a tall cider and a breathtaking view. Between the hammocks, fires, and live music, I promised myself I’d stay at this hostel for my next visit.

During the warm season in Bern, the Aare River becomes the best mode of transportation to float from point A to point B. To keep your essentials dry, you can go to a local marketplace and grab a waterproof pack. You can also add on an inflatable tube to hang onto, but we discovered most locals just use their pack as a flotation device.

There are plenty of entry points into the river, but if you want to be adventurous, you can leap into the water via bridge! Don’t worry if you get cold feet, the locals will cheer you on!

Another spot to go rafting on the Aare River is near the Aare Tunnel. While this tunnel was daunting to approach, there was peace and quiet on the other side. If you want to be unprepared like us, you can manually blow up your floaties for thirty minutes before enjoying a lazy-river-like ride down a more nature-oriented route…or be smart and bring a hand pump.

Before heading back to Interlaken, we enjoyed dinner at Frohsinn in the inner city, which is located on Munstergasse, a street flanked by flags of every country and plenty of restaurant options.

While you’re in this section of the city, it is also worth checking out the gothic cathedral, Berner Munster, and the Zytglogge, a medieval clocktower with meticulous beauty and detail.

Our final day in Interlaken was an action-packed day where we went paragliding in the morning and white water rafting in the afternoon – two activities I highly recommend during your stay in Switzerland. For paragliding, we recommend Paragliding Interlaken. They were kind and efficient, picking us up from our hotel and taking care of us as we floated off into the Swiss countryside. This amazing ride was immortalized in some cheesy goPro photos provided by our instructors.

While paragliding got our adrenaline going, white water rafting with OUTDOOR Rafting was incomporable! Since my travel buddy used to row, she volunteered to lead our boat…which by default made me volunteer with her (Thanks, Ivanna).

Enjoy the view here since we couldn’t enjoy it through all the white water

While I was reluctant at first, I think we did a pretty amazing job following and setting instructions with our team that consisted of a professional rafter and a Belgium family. However, even with our diligence, we still managed to slam into a ton of boulders. Thank god they provided us with all the necessary gear to protect ourselves.

But, our instructor did not stop at gear when it came to safety. Once the currents softened, he encouraged us to practice rescuing each other…which means leaping into rushing glacial water. When in Switzerland, right?

Peep me and my travel buddy, Ivanna, in the front

At the very end of our rafting trip, we drifted into Lake Thun and witnessed the cold white waters mixing with the warm lake water, which was a very surreal thing to see and feel. This was definitely one of my favorite activities of the trip.

After such an adventurous day, our Interlaken leg was concluded with a good night’s sleep.

Montreux

Montreux was the last leg of our trip and we were fortunate enough to be in town during the Montreux Jazz Festival, an annual festival that comes to Montreux in early July.

Peppered along the lake were hundreds of vendors, street artists, art installations, and music venues where so many talents came to perform. While some parts of the festival cost money, there are plenty of free venues to visit as well, which is what we did!

In between the fun nights out, the only other parts of Montreux we explored were some streets uphill atop the steep city and the pebbled lake, where we went sun-bathing and swimming with the locals.

If you love nature, adventure, and beautiful train rides, I highly recommend adding Switzerland to your bucket list!

Reykjavik, Iceland

In Iceland, you can see the contours of the mountains wherever you go, and the swell of the hills, and always beyond that the horizon. And there’s this strange thing: you’re never sort of hidden; you always feel exposed in that landscape. But it makes it very beautiful as well.
Hannah Kent

I have traveled to most of Scandinavia by now. So when my family and I jetted off to Iceland, I had a sense of what to expect: a strong people and dark winters, cozy hideaways and twinkling streets, intentional architecture, both old and new. Like most of Scandinavia, Iceland is a cold place that breaks you and renews you again in the most beautiful ways.

In this blog post, I will share some of the adventures we went on as well as some of the local and not so local cuisines we tried. I’ll break it down day by day.

Day One – Fighting the Jet Lag

We traveled east from New York so we jumped ahead five hours into the early morning. My mother strategically booked a walking tour first thing upon our arrival to keep us on our feet. Half-awake, we plodded about in the darkness (at this time of year, the sun doesn’t rise until 10:30am – yikes!), taking in our first impressions of Reykjavik.

Our tour guide showed us monuments, neighborhoods, the architectural necessities of corrugated metal and motifs of wood-carved falcons. We ended at city hall where we gathered around a 3D-model of the country, learning about Iceland’s glaciers, volcanoes, and fault lines.

After enduring the first leg of the day, my mother rewarded my father and I with a trip to Sky Lagoon.

While Blue Lagoon is the instagrammable, popular spot, we went with this location that is closer to the town and offers a more natural atmosphere.

Spoiler alert: we loved it so much we went back twice. But, the first time we went, we paid for the added package, “Seven Rituals”, which led us through hot spring water, ice cold water, hot air, cold rain, and even steam. You can read more about them here. I highly recommend adding this to your experience at Sky Lagoon, but if you can’t, you can always take the plunge into the cold bath for free.

After our much needed trip to the lagoon, we made our way to dinner. Since my parents visited five years back, they already had some restaurants in mind. The first was called Tapas.

Here, you can share small dishes with your table and sample all the exotic meats that Iceland has to offer from minke whale to puffin. I personally wasn’t a fan of either, but when in Iceland, right?

Day Two – Icelandic Horses

On day two, we woke up and grabbed some buttered pretzel bread and Oreo donuts at the local bakery, Deig. This spot was right near our hotel on the marina.

By the way, those pretzel bagels will forever live in my heart. Please go there and understand.

Afterwards, we spent the morning shopping on Reykjavik’s two main strips, Frakkastugur and Skólavörðustígur. At the end of these two strips, up a steep-enough-to-be-annoying hill, is Iceland’s largest church, Hallgrimskirkja.

While it’s beautiful on the outside with its imposing size and brutalist design, be sure to go to the top for a beautiful view of the city and beyond!

While we still had some daylight left (it’s hardly afternoon, but the days are so, so short), we headed off into the countryside to a small family-owned farm called Laxnes Horse Farm to go horseback riding. But, this wasn’t just any horseback riding, it was Icelandic horseback riding, where the paths are covered in ice and the horses have different gaits. Also, never call an Icelandic horse a pony…or do, and see how the locals react.

The ride was both a challenge and a reward. Under a clear blue sky, we trotted through beautifully frigid valleys and freezing waters. After our hour long circuit, we ended up back at the farm and shared some drinks with the family before they drove us back to our hotel. I highly recommend this farm for horseback riding in Iceland. The people were so, so delightful and their service was unlike any other.

We concluded our day with a visit to the Fish Market, a very classy, chic restaurant in town. If you wanna catch some incredible flavor profiles and some top notch seafood, you should definitely eat here!

Day Three – A Bust

Day three was meant for a fourteen hour excursion deep into Iceland. It didn’t work out, but don’t worry, we rescheduled for the next day. We decided to sleep in a little late after waking up early to wait for a bus that would never come for us.

We headed into town, got the famous lamb hot dogs that are sold at this one particular stand. Stopped by the local flea market and then spent some more time on the strip.

After all of this, we made our way to the Perlan, a museum that covers the natural history of Iceland. As a designer, I always keep in mind the experience and design of a good exhibition, and I can tell you this museum had a ton. Their interactive design, while some still not fully fine-tuned, was incredible! If you love nature as much as I do, I highly recommend this for your itinerary.

After having a meal at the top of the Perlan, my parents and I split off. My parents went to the Big Lebowski bar, a bar they live and die by (apparently it has a wheel to spin to win free drinks), and I headed off to the Grotta Lighthouse at the edge of town.

My goal that evening was to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. Not that it was mentionable in day two, but my parents and I did attempt to see them the day before on a boat tour. No luck. This evening had clear skies and while I could’ve bussed or taxi’d either way, I decided to walk the whole way and back to enjoy the quietness of the trip along with the big dipper on my right shoulder. By the time I arrived at the lighthouse, it was dark and there was nothing but stars in the sky. No luck again, but still beautiful.

After this, I met up with my parents again to hop on the boat tour one more time to maybe see the lights from the bay. And after two hours…no luck. There was too much cloud coverage! What a flop!

Day Four – White-Outs, Glaciers, and Fissures, oh my!

For our fourth and final full day in Iceland, we finally made it to our tour to the ice caves. It was a cloudy and rainy day in the early hours of Reykjavik. As we drove inland toward the center of Iceland, we quickly learned that cloud and rain translated to full blown white-out in the alpine tundra.

The roads become more icy. The horizon disappeared. The bus began to sway as we put all of our hope in the burly Icelandic woman we just met. After two and a half hours, we arrived to the middle of nowhere with only a small compound in site and snow mobiles littered all about. It was time to see the ice caves.

After we geared up and headed over to the garage, we were given instructions on how to use the snow mobiles. Then, the guide gave us some pieces of advice: lean into the slopes, stay within the lines, and, of course, there are dangerous fissures beyond the path so…stay within the lines. I’m still not sure if he was serious or if it was that dry Icelandic humor my family had gotten an earful of on this trip.

Riding twenty minutes out into nothingness was quite an adrenaline rush. Driving the snow mobile was like wrestling a beast and even two riders flipped over ahead of us. The Icelandic people give us too much credit, I swear.

Eventually, some mountain ridges appear and we finally see the ice caves. After a short hike to the caves, we spent some time taking in the spectacle. You can see the millions of years captured in these crystal clear walls; the volcanic ash indexed in lines, the bluest ices untouched by light. It was quite a scene to behold.

After some pictures (our tour guide understood the assignment when he assembly-lined our instagram pictures) we headed back into the white-out and wrestled our way back to the compound. Needless to say, after all of this, we deserved a break.

Back to the spoiler-alert: we went back to the Sky Lagoon a second time and rested up before heading out to dinner. Our final food spot was Tommi’s Burger Joint, where they make burgers with no funny business. With the coziest atmosphere, I recommend this American-approved burger spot!

Day Five – Flying through the Northern Lights

The final day was nothing more than a travel day besides a quick visit to the opera house, Harpa. While we didn’t see any shows, we did check out the exhibit Circuleight that was showing on the bottom floor.

However, because we were flying out at night and my window was facing north, I finally got to see the northern lights dance in the sky – just under the big dipper. We spent so much time trying to see the lights from under the clouds, we just had to go all the way up to fly beside them.

It was a beautiful sendoff for this amazingly wild, beautiful, and treacherous trip to the land of ice and fire. If you have a long weekend, I recommend Iceland for some serious adventure and some serious quality time with Mother Nature!

Arizona

“When your spirit cries for peace, come to a world of canyons deep in the old land”

2020 has been quite the difficult year – from pandemics to politics, a safe getaway was much needed.

Although traveling was nearly impossible this year, my friends and I managed a long weekend away in Arizona, a state filled with deep canyons, massive plateaus, and lush deserts.

Praying Hands (The two pillar landforms)

I have never been to the desert before – as an east coaster where humidity and water is ample, I certainly underestimated how arid it could get. Tip #1: hydrate as much you can at all times, especially during hiking!

With that said, I’m excited to share all that an autumn Arizona has to offer.

Since this was my first visit and because I love hiking over most things, I wanted to cover the most popular natural attractions. Our itinerary included – the Grand Canyon, the Devil’s Bridge and Kitchen Sinkhole, the Seven Sacred Pools, the vortexes at Cathedral Rock, and Slide Rock State Park.

There were certainly more places my friends and I wanted to visit, but because of the time of year (November days have a lot less sunlight) and the difficulty of some of these hikes, it wasn’t possible.

For our first full day, we drove two hours north of Sedona – briefly along the famous Route 66 – to the Grand Canyon. As one of the seven natural wonders of the world, it was a bucket list item that needed to be checked off.

And we didn’t just see the Grand Canyon, we hiked nearly 4000 feet down on the Bright Angel Trail. The grueling yet unbelievably scenic trip took six hours total to complete.

Tip #2: Do not underestimate the Grand Canyon. The hike has steep switch paths and icy trails that litter the top of the canyon. I highly recommend good traction shoes and supporting accessories if you are visiting in the fall. Since the Bright Angel Trail is nearly completely shaded, make sure to wear layers and bundle up!

Regardless of how far you choose to go on the Bright Angel Trail, walking this trail will leave you with beautiful views and a full body workout – seriously, you’ll be sore for the rest of your trip

The next day, we drove out to see the red rocks of Sedona. There were a few geological sights we wanted to see here, starting with the Devil’s Bridge.

We parked our car at the the Soldier’s Pass Trail and hiked our way to the Devil’s Bridge Trail. The path weaves through nice shaded areas and is relatively easy. Once you get to the steep part of the path, you’ll find yourself on the equivalent of a Disney park line.

Everybody is on this trail for one reason and one reason only – to see the Devil’s Bridge and take a good ass photo on it.

Because of this, every group went on one by one which generated hour long waits. I personally didn’t mind it. The views from the line were great company.

After successfully posing and not dying on the bridge, we sought out the Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole and Seven Sacred Pools. I don’t think these stops are a must visit, but it certainly offers a chance to stroll through the more lush parts of Arizona.

Unfortunately, due to extreme drought, the Seven Sacred Pools were dried up. It was underwhelming to say the least.

We concluded the evening at the base of Cathedral Rock, where we sought out an “energy vortex”, or a place where spiritual energy is most potent. With an open mind, you can tap into some enlightenment. For me, $5 happy hour margaritas did the trick.

If you come to Cathedral Rock earlier in the day, you can hike all the way to the top, but be prepared! We heard from those coming down that the hike eventually turns into a climb.

For our final day, we spent the morning brunching and shopping in downtown Cottonwood, the town where our Airbnb was.

Since we were heading back into Sedona, we made a pit stop to see the Church of the Holy Cross. This chapel was built into the stone of the landscape and offers beautiful views of the surrounding area.

After two days of intense hiking, we found some relief at Slide Rock State Park, where we lounged under the sun beside mossy pools and slick natural slides.

It was too cold to swim, but we did dip our sore feet in. The spring and summer are better times to visit if you plan on hopping in, but you’ll have to deal with the crowds that come with it. Lucky for us, we found a nice private slab of rock to snack, nap, and play cards on.

We concluded that evening with the shopping area in Sedona and some drinks to celebrate the success of our trip.

If you love nature in its largest and grandest forms, I highly recommend Arizona, and if you like adventure, hike the Grand Canyon and try some local cuisine – I promise prickly pears and rattlesnakes taste amazing!

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

My family’s visit to St. Thomas was an unplanned one. Originally, we had been anticipating our departure to Poland for several months. We were going to visit Krakow, Warsaw, and my great grandparent’s hometown, Rzeszow. Unfortunately, we discovered the night before our flight that my passport’s validity was ten days shy of meeting the Schengen Area Requirement.

My mom was still eager to travel somewhere despite the disappointment. So, within 24 hours, we were off to the Caribbean.

St. Thomas was absolutely beautiful. It was a unique time to visit the island considering the fact that its population was still recovering from the devastation of two massive hurricanes.

The people’s attitudes reflected the roughed-up landscape, but despite the tragedy, we encountered plenty of kindness and witnessed so much community.

Not to mention, the lizards were fun to be greeted by in the morning –

Below are some of the beaches we went to:

Coki Point Beach –

This beach is fantastic to visit if you’re interested in scuba diving, snorkeling, and meeting locals!

Magens Bay Beach –

I had the opportunity to go paddle boarding (my first time) and enjoyed the quiet away from the crowded beach – it’s only crowded really when the cruises pull in to the island.

Trunk Bay (St. John) –

Trunk Bay must’ve been my favorite beach. Because of the hurricanes, the beaches are very empty due to abandoned establishments. It was quiet and relaxing and later that day we had a chance to swim with sea turtles!

First you have to ferry on over, which is a bit of a stressful time, but it’s definitely worth the relaxation in the end.

People are allowed to snorkel near the rocks in the image above.

Although we weren’t planning a tropical getaway, we sure had fun!

Norway

When I reflect on my travels to Norway, I think about Mother Nature. I think about her raw and authentic self. I think about how I would wake up every morning, step outside, and look up to the impossible cliffs scraping the sky. It was October, so it was frigid. Despite the cold, I swallowed the freshest breaths of air. The clouds sank into the fjords. Hundreds of waterfalls diving into the earth became my background noise for this trip.

After arriving in Bergen, my group drove three hour north to stay in a tiny town called Flåm. This bus ride became our introduction to the country as we moved through the valleys and bowels of the rugged landscape. We stayed in a youth hostel, whose cabins were a vibrant yellow. I discovered playful colors of bright red and yellow endure in Norwegian architecture.

After we settled in, we rented out our bikes and began our first hike. We climbed a dangerously muddy path up to a waterfall and had the pleasure to oversee the entire valley. I recall how thunderous the water sounded and how quiet everything else was.

After our tiring hike, we went to the only supermarket that existed in this tiny town. The selection was small but new, however, obnoxiously expensive. I was warned about prices.

The next adventure we went on was hiking down a fjord. We took the famous Flåm railroad thirteen miles up to Myrdal.

Then, we went ahead a walked five hours back to our origin. When the group’s pace broke up, I ended up alone. I was so happy to be alone with only Nature. Her companionship was so special.

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Although my feet felt like they had been rolled with needles and Lego bricks, I managed to stop by a small crafts store. There I bought some souvenirs for my parents and some wool yarn for myself (I’ve yet to knit anything – I’m too scared to waste it!).

Once we finished our long journey, we relaxed at the only pub that existed in Flåm…it was next to the only supermarket. The pub was called the Aeigir Brewery and looked like it was straight from Winterfell. I was geeking as I sat on fur pelts by the fire and sipped on my electric blue drink, which was called an “ice bjorn”…or something like that.

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The next day, we drove to a rope course, which was located right next to a waterfall. It had just rained so the course was crazy slippery. We were two stories off the ground and I certainly felt like I was going to slip and die. I dipped for the second half since my hands were numb from the cold wires I had to hold. Instead, I relaxed by a warm fire.

Our last big activity in this tiny town was to go out to the fjords on a boat. My god, it was SO cold (I didn’t bring my camera and my GoPro died so no pictures 😦 ), but it provided another one of those magical moments with nature. We saw a mama seal with her pup. We saw the village that Arendale from Frozen was based off of! There, I learned the sad truth about how climate change has changed this village’s way of life. No longer can they communicate with neighboring villages since the fjords don’t freeze over anymore. :,-(

The best part of the tour was when we turned off the engine and sat at a crossroads. It was so quiet, but also so loud. Loud with waterfalls and wind rustling trees. Our guide told us that this is the only place in the world where three fjords meet. This was certainly a place to find peace.

Before we left for Bergen, we made our way to a small farm where we sampled brown cheese, a Norwegian delicacy. The cottage was so homey and the view of the fjords was so unbelievable that I had to ask the hostess if waking up every morning to this was as surprising as the day before. After we were fed, she sang some Norwegian folk music and told us about the country’s legends. Then, we were off with bellies full of bread, meat, and cheese.

Once we returned to Bergen, we had about four hours to kill. Before we all split off, some of us rode the Fløibanen to view the city from above.

After this, I decided to roam by myself in the misty rain.

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I stumbled upon a very bright cluster of traditional wooden buildings which I later discovered was Bryggen, the old wharf. There I picked up some etchings as souvenirs for my parents travel wall at home! I also stepped into a steamy cafe and munched on some food before heading back to my group to go home.

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I want to end this post with a poem I wrote while exploring this breathtaking country:

The sky, swollen with clouds.

The fjords in a veil of fog.

The walls that cradle this valley

seem to vanish

into the sky and slice open the heavens.

You enter the behemoth from time to time

and traverse its bowels.

Man has smoothed out its belly.

Mother Nature continues to carve its skin.

Forests can no longer continue

up the steep face.

Snow settles there instead.

The valley is speckled

with little red and white houses.

Loose threads of cloud hang

low above the village

and gift its people smatters of water.

Mother Nature roars

with a thousand hushes.

The river runs vertically,

splitting into tributaries against the rocks below.

It then flows into the little town in the softest exhale.

The morning cold pokes needles at your fingertips.

Your breath swirls with the air.

The sky descends upon you.

This haze will surely swallow this little town

unless it cries out.

The sky, swollen with clouds.

The fjords in a veil of fog.

Denmark

“Livet må forstås baglæns, men må leves forlæns.”

Life must be understood backwards, but must be lived forward

In the month of August 2017, I began my journey abroad in Europe as a student. With a big red suitcase and an even bigger smile, I’ve taken with me an emotional baggage that has given me a unique experience. Despite the grief that has followed me to these unknown lands, I have learned, I have laughed, I have cried, I have discovered, I have spent (sorry mom), but I have never regretted.

In Denmark, culture is a little different from American culture. I’ve compiled these points into a concise list:

Couples always exhibit PDA – but the wholesome kind, especially hand-holding
Literally everybody has babies, and all the babies smile
Danes do not use sauce in pizza pies (tragic)
At the supermarket, it is important to set down the dividers on the conveyor belt…or else
Bike lanes. Bike lanes. Bike lanes.
Danes are humble about their success
Danes possess an accent that resembles (as the Swedish say) a potato being lodged in your throat
One similarity: Danes are just as crazy about Christmas as Americans are!

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By now, I know Copenhagen like the back of my hand. Shoutout to the 2A bus for always coming in clutch. Shoutout to Lagkaghuset for providing the best pastries ever. Shoutout to Netto for satisfying my munchies. Shoutout to the Metro for only going two directions. Shoutout to the architects for building such beautifully modern buildings. Shoutout to Paper Island for having the best food. Shoutout to Christiansvahn just because it’s my favorite stop on the way to my apartment. Shoutout to Tivoli for always ringing in the seasons with fun and festivities. Shoutout to Amagerbro for being my home for the past three months.

With that said, let’s get into the highlights so that those who want to visit this magical country can have some guidance –

Activities –

Tivoli Gardens
University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden

Nightlife –

Pumpehuset
Meatpacking District

Museums –

Nationalmuseet
University of Copenhagen Geological Museum
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Frilandsmuseet

Food –

Nyhavn
Paper Island (Permanently Closed)
Torvehallerne Copenhagen
Noma