Thursday, May 29, 2008

And now that I'm finally getting it, it's time to leave

I am a little surprised by how profoundly sad I am at the prospect of leaving Copenhagen. We're going back to a wonderful community near my family in a few weeks, but we're also leaving a wonderful community with people who became our family. Copenhagen and I were finally getting to know each other too. I've figured out how to most economically shop in her stores. I know how to signal with the bus driver to figure out if there is room for the stroller on the bus. I can get anywhere on public transportation with ease and (almost) don't flinch at the prospect of a 18 mile bike ride. I've gotten over seeing 16-year-olds buying beer, people sunbathing in their underwear and children left in their prams to nap on the sidewalk. I've come to have a feel for the rhythms of the city; the church bells that peal out the hours, the scores of religious holidays in a largely secular nation, the harsh darkness of winter and the piercing rays of the summer sun. And I roll my eyes along with the rest of the Danes at the tourist who take pictures of me out with the kids in the Christiania bike.

1 comment:

Nate and Molly said...

Often times it's leaving that causes you to realize how much you've grown into a place!