Home Again

I'm not even sure that I can fully understand what I'm writing in this blog, so bear with me..

I've been home for 2 weeks now, and it's been 2 weeks of extremely mixed emotions. Of course it's great to be home and see my family and friends again, but I'm definitely missing my Danish friends and families as well. Since I've returned, I've eaten Cap'n Crunch cereal, I've ordered Domino's Pizza, I've driven my Jeep all around town, I've smelt the wonderful smells of Malt-O-Meal, I've been to a Twins baseball game, I've been golfing with my grandma, I've been to yoga, I've eaten at Hogan Brothers many times, I've gone to Cub Foods at 1 in the morning simply because I could, I've gone swimming in my pool almost every day, I've been together with my family and friends who I missed dearly, and I haven't stopped talking about Denmark.

I finally get to once again experience all of the things I've told all of the people in Denmark about for the past year; all of the things I love about my country, my state, my town, my friends, and my family here. So, every time I do something "American" now, I just wish that I could show it to my Danish friends and say "Remember when I tried to explain this to you? Remember how I told you that we did this?". I want them all to be here now, and experience my life back in the US with me. I love being back and doing all of the things that I missed doing and couldn't do in Denmark, but I wish my Danish friends and families were here as well. I know I shouldn't be, but I feel like I'm constantly comparing Denmark and the US now. Well in Denmark they can do this. They would never do that in Denmark. In Denmark they have this rather than that... It goes the other way as well, but it's more like: I haven't been able to do this for a year! The Danes thought I was crazy when I told them we did this in the US.

The thing with being back is that not much has changed. Sure, my little brother grew a foot since I was gone, we have a new dog, and there is now a Subway by Menards (my dad was sure to inform me of this). But my friends and I still talk about the same things, we still find the same things funny, and my family still eats the same things for dinner. I've been away an entire year and I've experienced so many new things, learned and entire new culture and language, and I've grown so much in myself that it's a bit odd to come back to everything being the same.

I've warned my other friends that I will most likely be talking about Denmark until the time I get to go back, but telling them about it isn't always easy, because they don't know what half the things I talk about are, or who any of the people are. Luckily, there are 15 other exchange students in Northfield that have also just returned from their year abroad. And even though we've all had completely different experiences, we can relate to one another and talk about things together that no one else will fully understand.

I'm so grateful for all of my friends and family here that are putting up with me and my Danish stories, and I'm also very grateful for the amazing Rotary Club I have here, and for all of my exchange friends that are there for me.

Jeg savner dig, Danmark. Du er altid i mit hjerte, og tak igen for et fantastisk år!