One Month Left!
O’Briens in Copenhagen & Dublin and my solo trip to Spain…
Hi! Another month down in Copenhagen!
Last time I checked in, I had just gotten home from my class trip in Iceland, and now I write as I’m freshly back from a solo beach trip in Spain, and an amazing week long visit from Mom and Gabrielle!
Of course, getting to do those lovely things didn’t come without some adversity though… why can’t I catch a break!?!? Immediately when I came home from Iceland, I had some mild symptoms of a cold. I made the idiotic decision to still go out that Saturday night and woke up the next morning violently unwell. Sore throat, cough, wheezing, stuffy, the whole kitchen sink. I ended up having to take advantage of the lovely free health care system because I truly had never been more sick in my entire life. So I went to go see my conveniently close, free, pre-assigned doctor and she told me I had influenza. With my scratchy terrifyingly low patchy voice I said “AS IN THE FLU!?” Her and the nurse laughed at me in my shock. Despite the startling aspect, I was relieved at the diagnosis. The doctor told me I’d probably be out all week from school which also sounded like blasphemy to me. She was right and I did end up being out until the following Monday. I’ve never missed so much school in my life!
Catching up on my work proved to be tough but I didn’t have time to waste as Mom and Gab were scheduled to fly in the following Saturday! They landed safe and sound, but had to wait over an hour for their checked bags. Which meant an hour of standing anxiously awaiting them at arrivals for me!
We had an absolute BLAST while they were here and I was able to stay with them at the hotel which was nice. We did all the touristy things and ate AMAZING food.
On Tuesday we took off for 48 hours in Dublin! We had dinner at Parnell’s Pub, then saw the book of Kells the next day, as well as a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery. SO AWESOME! I usually do not like beer and drink it only when I have to, but LOVED Guinness in Dublin! (I’ve always been a Jameson fan.) We also did a fun pub crawl which was also a blast. Not many people get to say they do bar crawls with their mother… let alone in Dublin! LOL
We then came back to Copenhagen and I showed them my apartment, we took a day trip to Sweden and we returned to have dinner at the same restaurant we went to at the beginning of the week in Copenhagen’s famous “Nyhavn.”
Luckily for me, the goodbye wasn’t too hard as I had a solo trip booked to Spain for the same time they flew home. Solo travel here is highly recommended which surprised me, so I wanted to experience it for myself! I went to Alicante, Spain. Known for their beaches, boardwalk, and warm temperatures, Alicante didn’t disappoint! The trip proved to be much needed and I finally understood what the hype about solo travel was all about! Similar to what the fam did during Christmas last year, I truly went to the beach to my hotel room, and back again all four days.
My return back to rainy, windy, and cold Denmark however wasn’t as bad as I was expecting! Spring has finally arrived with more sun, warmer temperatures (Finally in the 50’s for the entirety of the days) and cherry blossoms! Parks have come alive with people, children, picnicking and lots of hygge.
My friends from Hamilton Kate and Casey came to visit us in Copenhagen from Milan and Edinburgh last weekend which was fabulous! We showed them the sights, partied, and celebrated Kates Birthday! We rented a boat and our friend Riley drove it around the canals of Copenhagen! So awesome! Boat drunk on a Monday afternoon may not have been the move yet there I was! I even went out of my way to get a special springtime Danish cake from the oldest bakery in Copenhagen for Kate’s birthday since she is a major foodie, and I later drunkenly sat on trying to pose for a photo!
And that’s my wrap up! I also had an awesome therapy session yesterday that covered everything I’ve been thinking about lately but we also made a plan for how I am going to handle the one year Anniversary of my Dad and Maxine’s murders which was really helpful.
Hope you’re staying awkward brave and kind just like me as I drunkenly sit on cakes boat drunk on Monday afternoons, lol.
With hope,
Lelan
