TBT: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

With weather this miserable in New York City {and around the country, I suppose}, I am reminded of my time spent in Europe this past winter. Although most of my reminiscing has been put on hold momentarily, it can’t hurt to look back for a millisecond, right? Especially if the mood matches the mood I feel today as I look outside my tenth floor window at work.

Dreary, bleak, and somber.

Cue Copenhagen, Denmark.

Now, my mood today has nothing to do with New York, and everything to do with my levels of pure exhaustion. Similarly while in Copenhagen, my mood was tainted by my very own personal nightmare, leaving no blame on the beautiful town by the water. My short time in Copenhagen was spent attempting to explore the canals and venture into lesser known, hidden gems. And though I would say I accomplished that, it was hardly enjoyable due to the weather conditions. Again, this is not Copenhagen’s fault, but my own. Blame it on poor circulation, minimal body fat, and growing up in California. Nothing could prepare me for the bitter cold that I endured. Mid-blog-disclaimer: I know I complain about the cold {all the damn time} on this blog. I should change the domain name at this point. RachelIsAlwaysCold.com. I know, I know.

Moving on…

I was slightly {okay, more like terribly} disappointed that my time in Denmark did not meet the expectations I had imagined. After all, I am a sliver Danish. But I take that sliver and wear it proudly. It is one of my most prominent slivers in the realm of my ancestral pie.

But before all of you Copenhagians jump down my throat, I repeat, it wasn’t Copenhagen’s fault. Got it? Got it.

And given the opportunity, I hope to return.

As far as suggestions I can give when visiting Copenhagen in less-than-ideal circumstances:

1. Burrow yourself as far into a warm café as humanly possible, and surround yourself with one or fifty Danishes. This one is an easy solution, people. And should be done regardless of the weather conditions. Any will do, but if you need suggestions, try one of these! Copenhagen Coffee Lab, Café Det Vide Hus, or Next Door Café.
2. Wander the canals {of which there are plenty} before assumedly repeating option one.
3. And for those more reckless souls, brave the storm and walk to Freetown Christiania. This was one of the highlights for me in Copenhagen, solely because of its unique nature. Freetown Christiania is an entire ‘town’ within the city of Copenhagen, in which rules don’t apply. I’m not kidding. Certain laws just do not apply, specifically those pertaining to a popular green plant. I mean, it has its very own ‘Green Light District’. Don’t be alarmed when a random stranger approaches you to offer you drugs upon arrival. This happened to me, but simply declining worked just fine and I wasn’t bothered again. The vibe screams hipster with the run down coffee shops and artwork a plenty.

As previously stated, I would love to return to Copenhagen under different circumstances. Because let’s face it, you don’t always win the first round. Regardless, the bright autumn colors shone through the stormy weather and reminded me that losing one round does not guarantee you’ll lose the fight. There was plenty of beauty to be seen, even on one of the darkest days.