Fashion Friday

It's finally Friday! I can't believe there's only a few more days in September; this month has flown by and I'm not complaining about it!

As I've mentioned before, the weather in Copenhagen has been fall-like since the end of August, so by this point in the season, I am fully entrenched in sweaters, boots, and scarves. Since I could only pack a limited amount of clothing with me when traveling abroad, I am fulfilling my longing for a brimming closet with lots of virtual shopping trips.

Sweaters:

I am absolutely loving the sweaters on J.Crew Factory right now! Between snuggly cable-knits and quirky critters, their sweaters offer such a festive selection of fall staples.

A few of my favorite picks:

Elbow Patch Sweater, Cable-Knit Sweater, Fair Isle Sweater, Camel Sweater

Boots:

You absolutely cannot go wrong with a pair of Frye boots! Here are some I'm obsessed with:

Melissa Logo, Melissa Lug Back Zip Tall, Lindsay Gore Tall

Bags:

I'm a sucker for a quality handbag that is both stylish as well as functional.  This season, Tory Burch has really caught my eye.

York Buckle Tote, York Zip Passport Continental Wallet, Robinson Pebbled Double-Zip Cross-Body, Kerrington Cross-Body Shopper

Happy shopping!

Becoming Domestic?

We're half-way through the week, only two more days until I depart to Brussels and Amsterdam on my long study tour with my core course! 

Yesterday, I had the (atypical) urge to bake and since one of my roommates had some very, very ripe bananas she was ready to throw out, I decided to bake banana+granola+peanut butter cookies! Thanks to my excessive pinning on Pinterest, I already had the perfect recipe to follow.  While not the most beautiful cookies, they were delicious and not too sweet, a nice change from the copious amounts of pastries and other goodies I've been consuming! 

Here's the recipe I followed (minus the chocolate chips):

Cookie Recipe

And today started with a HUGE cinnamon roll! The perfect mid-week treat!

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday! Unfortunately, my day did not start out on the best note. Between a budding cold and a slight stomach bug, I was far from motivated to begin the week.  However, with a lot of prayer and words of advice from my mom (even through the phone she's persuasive!), I decided to commit to attending all of my classes today. Although there were definitely moments where I wished I was snuggled in bed, sometimes the best thing to do when feeling under the weather is to give yourself some tough love.

Despite the rough start, I found strength through one of my favorite Bible passages:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

With this verse in mind, I felt God's comfort and love, a source of encouragement throughout the day.

European Version of Parents Weekend

This past week, my parents crossed the pond and visited me in Copenhagen! They arrived on Saturday evening and were given an authentic Copenhagen welcome, cold with lots of rain and wind. We went out to dinner and I gave them a quick tour of my apartment before their jet lag completely set in.

On Sunday, my mom and I went to church at the International Church of Copenhagen followed by a stop at the always fabulous Glass Market during our walk back to their hotel (yummy samples).  We reunited with Warren at the hotel and went to Magasin for a light lunch before seeing the ballet, The Lady of Camellias at The Royal Danish Theatre. It was such an amazing performance and a highlight of the trip for all three of us!

Monday is unfortunately my long day of classes, so my mom and Warren explored on their own and went on a bus tour to see some famous Copenhagen landmarks.  Once they arrived back at their hotel, I as well as my friend Jacqueline, met up with them for a delicious dinner at Atlas Bar and strong coffee at The Living Room (one of my new favorite cafe finds).

Tuesday began with a visit to the Black Diamond, the national library and a stop by Illum, the department store, to snag a few souvenir postcards. My mom and I continued to meander in and out of shops along Stroget, the main pedestrian shopping street before my only class of the day.  After my class, we spent the rest of the uncharacteristically beautiful afternoon and Tivoli, Copenhagen's amusement park, where we ate traditional open-faced sandwiches, walked around, listened to an orchestral performance and indulged in ice cream and waffles! For dinner, my parents came to my apartment and we all cooked together, reminiscent of my days at home. We decided to go back to Tivoli after dinner to watch the charming (but less than impressive) light show.

On Wednesday, I did not have any classes so we took a train in the morning to Odense, the city where Hans Christian Andersen was born.  We toured the Hans Christian Andersen museum and saw the site of his birth as well as walked around the quaint streets before heading back to the city. Once back in Copenhagen, we stopped by Cafe Miao, a cat cafe where (theoretically) you sip on some coffee while petting adorable, docile cats.  However, this was not the case.  The cats were less than social and even a bit aggressive. Let's just say I will definitely not be returning. Luckily, we ended the night on a better note with a tasty (and huge) dinner at Cafe G!

Thursday, my parents last full day in Copenhagen, was unfortunately another long day of classes for me. While I was taking a midterm, my parents went to Amalienborg Palace (the royal residence) and watched the changing of the guards. When I was finally done with classes, my mom and I hung out at my apartment and enjoyed some time outside talking and people watching, two of my favorite things! After parting ways so I could attend a mandatory dinner and meeting with my LLC, my mom, Warren, and I cafe hopped (accidentally attended part of a danish church service) and ended up back at The Living Room for our final night together.

Friday morning I went over to their hotel bright and early for breakfast before they left for the airport to continue their European adventure in London with my stepbrother.  Tears were shed and I already miss them terribly, but I am so grateful that they were able to schedule time to visit me and will cherish the memories from this trip forever!

Finding Joy in the Unknown

I love to have a plan, an end goal, something to work towards.  Since starting college, I have doubted my major, my choice in college, and how I fit into the world.  Not knowing what my future looks like is deeply concerning for me and my type-A personality. As recently as last week, I have debated transferring colleges and changing my major.

However, a few days ago, I stumbled across a quote that spoke to me.

"I do not know what my future holds, but I know who holds my future."

God has a plan for my life that is greater than anything I could ever dream.  Instead of being burdened by my anxieties and worries, I need to remember to lift those concerns to Jesus.  His love provides me with a peace and calm that no amount of to-do lists can satisfy.  A prayer I've been saying every night before I go to bed and before I rise in the morning is "Jesus, please guide my heart, mind, and soul that I may bring glory to You.  When I forget, please remind me that you have a wonderful plan for my life."

God is good.

Falling Short of Fall

Since arriving in Copenhagen in August, the weather here has not mirrored the typical weather in the States.  There was only one rare day where I managed to wear a pair of shorts without freezing my bum off! My outfits du jour usually consists of a pair of jeans or a skirt with tights, a sweater, and a J.Crew quilted jacket. Despite such a fall-like wardrobe, the city unfortunately does not reflect the Autumn season...no pumpkin spice lattes, hay rides, or apple picking; changing leaves are even a sparse sighting.  However, with my love of Fall, I refuse to miss out on this beautifully crisp and refreshing season! Therefore, with the help of Pinterest (of course) I have come up with a list of fun ways to incorporate a United States Autumn in Copenhagen!

1) Bean Boots! This weekend, my parents are visiting me (SO EXCITED) and luckily they had some extra room in a suitcase to pack my LL Bean Boots! Nothing screams Fall like cozy socks peaking out from the top of Bean Boots!

2) Apple Pie! This past weekend, two girls from my apartment sweetly made homemade apple pie for the floor. Yum! The warm cinnamon-y apples and scoop of vanilla ice cream was the perfect reminder of a Pennsylvania Autumn.

3) Plaid Button Down! Earlier this semester, I picked up a men's plaid button down from my program's free market.  Although a few sizes too big, wearing a plaid shirt put me in a festive Fall spirit!

4) Botanical Garden! Only a ten minute walk from my building is a beautiful park dotted with trees and a stunning lake.  Fingers crossed that as the Autumn progresses, the leaves start to change color and release that scent that only comes once a year!

5) Pumpkin Candle!  Scented candles are not common in Copenhagen, but I am not easily discouraged. With the help of Google and random strolls, I am determined to purchase a pumpkin scented candle to really bring Fall to Copenhagen!

Core Course Week

This week was dedicated to traveling throughout southern Denmark and northern Germany with my fellow classmates and professor from my core academic course.  We began the whirlwind tour bright and early on Monday with the day focused on Denmark's military presence both historically and in today's society.  We went to the Danish military headquarters as well as toured the site of the battle of Dybbol where Denmark lost the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Germany in 1864.  The night ended with a social beer (or wine, for me) tasting where we were able to casually interact with each other and our professor.  On Tuesday, we explored the dynamic between Germany and Denmark, especially those who consider themselves to be a part of the "Danish minority" in Germany.  We visited The University of Southern Denmark as well as a high school that caters specifically to the Danish minority living in Germany.  In the evening, we crossed into the German town of Lubeck and ended the night with a delicious Italian dinner and pub conversations.  Wednesday was our last day traveling before returning to Copenhagen and was simply dedicated to exploring the beautiful city of Lubeck! After a comical guided tour (the guide was quite the character), marzipan tasting, and a delicious lunch, we drove our bus onto a ferry and (finally) arrived back in Copenhagen! Although an informative trip, I was very happy to be back to my home-away-from-home. On Thursday and Friday, we had more core course activities; however, they occurred locally around the city.  Thursday was filled with a visit to Parliament where we listened to a presentation from the former Minister for Foreign Affairs followed by a traditional lecture from my professor.  Friday began with a discussion led by the director of the European Policy Centre in Brussels (where I'll be visiting for my long study tour), then we watched a movie, and concluded the core course week extravaganza with a social wrap up filled with good food and wine! Although some moments from this getaway dragged a bit, I met some really great girls who I can't wait to travel with during the long study tour! (Two of the girls are even coming over tonight for a movie night!)

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Happy Sunday from Copenhagen! Today marks the conclusion of my third week in Copenhagen, that's practically one-fourth of the way through my abroad journey! There have been moments where I blink and a week has gone by and some days that feel like they'll never end, but I suppose that's life no matter where you are.

This past week has been brimming with fun activities! After a full day of classes on Monday, I went on a canal tour with my Green Living Learning Community Tuesday evening.  The weather was absolutely perfect (for once) and we took a leisurely scenic ride down the picturesque Copenhagen canals.  It was a perfect way to spend the evening! (Earlier in the day I also happened onto an adorable vintage store and found a gorgeous Mulberry cross body that I just couldn't resist; Tuesday was quite the good day).

On Wednesday, although I didn't have any scheduled classes, my Danish Politics and Society class had a field study trip to the Copenhagen Town Hall, a beautifully old building steeped in interesting history.  We listened to presentations by the Minister of Transport and the Mayor of Copenhagen himself and concluded the day with a hike up the tower on top of the building (a leg workout to say the least) and then a descent into the crypt of the building for a snack of champagne and pancakes!

The rest of the week processed without much excitement, lots of classes, readings, and group dinners. However, on Friday, I got my fashion fix! In the morning before my only class of the day, I went to Illum, a large department store centrally located. I got there right when it opened and made a bee line to the Ralph Lauren boutique to see their new line.  The woman who worked at the boutique picked up on my love of the preppy collection (not to mention I was wearing my own Ralph Lauren sweater) and she invited me to watch the DVD from their latest runway show with her! I was in prepster heaven! Such a great start to the day! Later in the afternoon, I meandered over to the other large department store, Magasin.  There, while walking around the women's clothing floor, I noticed a cluster of women sipping pink rose and examining a new fashion collection.  I decided to join the group, picked up a pink-filled flute and chocolate marshmallow treat and, the best part of all, a goodie bag filled with a beautiful scarf, pair of socks, delicious chocolates, and a look book!! The perfect end to the week!

This morning I am going to go to church at the International Church of Copenhagen and then spending my day finalizing travel plans (more to come!) and packing for my three day excursion with my core course to southern Denmark and northern Germany! Lots of fun things to look forward to!

Change is Good

My time in Denmark so far has been punctuated by abundant readings, stimulating classes, and spontaneous adventures.  However, being in a foreign country surrounded by new people and experiences led me to realize that it was time to make a change in my life.  Relationships always need to be evaluated to ensure that they are supportive and mutually beneficial.  Although I find comfort in stability, change is inevitable and can be for the best.
During one of my recent Pinterest explorations, I came across a quote that perfectly exemplifies my new goal.  With a newfound sense of self and purpose, each day I fall more in love with my life.