Roadtrippin' in Iceland with my BFF

In May 2017 my roomie, who is also one of my DEAREST friends ever, and I decided to take a small trip to Iceland. This was a special experience because a trip with your best friends can do amazing things. None of us had been to Iceland before, but it had always been one of the things on my bucket-list. We rented a small blue car and drove around the Western part of the island. We stayed at a hostel in Reykjavik, and I am so going back. There is something magnificent about Iceland. Nature, atmosphere, the cities and the scenery is beyond breathtaking. People are friendly, food is fantastic and the Blue Lagoon is definitely the place to relax. I loved the geysers, waterfalls, mountains, the coastlines and the grey weather. Once again, I am sooooo going back.

Salvador, Ilheus and Rio De Janeiro, 2016

As 2015 was coming to an end, I felt like my mind, heart and body was up for a new experience. The short trips I had been on to Germany, Hungary, Florida, Grand Canaria, Norway, Sweden and Lanzarote between my exchange year and this point, hadn't been enough. I was eager to go on a longer trip, a trip that would give me an option of seeing old friends. I contacted three of my good friends (from my exchange year) from Brazil, and asked them if I could stay with them sometime in February, in the new year. 

A week later I bought my flights. I was a little anxious about the flights and the whole coming from point A to point B all by myself, but I also knew that I wouldn't be alone as soon as I reached the beautiful South American country. I packed my bags, And flew to Salvador in Brazil. I arrived at the time of carnival, and of course it had to be experienced! I stayed with a very close friend from my exchange year, and a part of his sweet family who lived in Salvador. It didn't take me long to realize the beauty of the country, the happiness of the people, the warmth of the Brazilian sun. I was completely in love from the moment I arrived. The carnival was huge, I have never ever seen so many festive people gathered at the same place, the same time. They wore magnificent costumes and danced like crazy. 

After a couple of wild days in Salvador, we went a little south to a city called Ilheus. This was where my friends' parents lived, and we stayed with them in their lovely, local home. It was close to the beach where he tried teaching me to surf, we had amazing sea food, went jet skiing, and went dancing in the nights. Here I was also lucky to meet two girls from America, who had also been exchange students, and with them I later explored some of Rio de Janeiro. 

As I left my friend In llheus, I flew to another friend who lived in Rio. I was so happy to see her, and to be able to once again stay locally and have a friend by my side. Unfortunately, she was a very busy girl at this point, which made it necessary for me to seek other ways to explore. Some days I was by myself and other days I hang out with the American girls. Luckily, they were up for some sightseeing as well, and of course also beachtime and lots of caiprihinas. Also, my third, good Brazilian friend came to visit us a couple of days in Rio. I was so thrilled to be able to see three foreign friends, I had been missing for two years. It's amazing what we can do if we just prioritize. 

My year as an exchange student

Once upon a time I went to a place far far away. I moved to Florida, to stay with an American family, to be a part of their lives and to receive a new gift of life. The gift of insider knowledge of a foreign country, becoming bilingual, multicultural, split at heart. To be an exchange student is one of the biggest gifts I can think about. Of course it's hard, it's a personal challenge, but if you can conquer it, it will turn out to be one of the biggest experiences you'll ever have. It's a great way to mature, to learn, to grow and it's especially an amazing way to learn more about yourself. I have learned that I am insanely curious about the world and it's wonders. I want to wander. I want to see it all. I don't always care with whom or how to travel, but I care that I do something for the experience of it. As an exchange student I met so many people who influenced my life. I met people who I will never ever forget, people that surprised me, people who taught me how to throw away the fear of being wrong, and I met people that I care so much about that I have done the effort of seeing them again multiple times.

It's scary to take the step into a new world. It scares me to leave and just go, it still does. But when you go, you'll figure out the best way to live, is to live fully. This year I had more experiences than ever before, I saw so many new places, talked to so many new people, learned way too many new things, and tasted too much new food. I went all around the US (I think I visited about 13 states just during those 11 months) with new friends who were in the exact same situation as myself. You see, the thing is, when meeting other exchange students you'll just connect. Not because you necessarily are the same person on a lot of levels, but because you are made out of the same. Because both of you are eager to get the most out of the year. Both of you'll be away from everything you know, so you'll be able to depend on each other and use each other as a safety net.

This is probably, for me, where it all began. Where I started seizing new places, where I started to wander.

Det naive håb

I denne tid, præget af terrorisme, ondskab, had og mørke, har mit hoved været fyldt med tanker. Jeg havde brug for at sætte disse sammen til en kort skrivelse om håb. Et barnligt, naivt håb om en verden i ro. Jeg er stadig uforstående og tom for ord. Jeg forstår ikke hvordan mennesker kan være så kolde og ondsindede. Hvorfor vi ikke omfavner hinanden og stopper vores krige...

"Bang. Lyden der bliver til genlyd. Toner ud i natten. Skræk og skrig og banal brutalitet. Ødelæggelse er nøgleordet som "hævn" dækker for. Et forsøg på at destruere den menneskelige mangfoldighed. De prøver at splitte os. De vil skille vores verden ad og sammensætte en ny. De mættes af vores naive bekymringer og binder os fast i tiden. De svækker konkurrencen og kæmper for deres krav. Had og en bitter fornemmelse blandet med sorg og et mistet håb. Mangfoldigheden skal sejre og sejre. De må ikke vinde vores had, vores tanker, vores mistede håb. Bekymringerne rammer hver krop forhastigt som glas, der knuses mod beton. Tungere og tungere, mørkere og mørkere. 

Og hvad så nu? Vores gensyn der aldrig vil ske. Vores løfter der aldrig bliver holdt. En frarøvet frihed og en påtvunget lænke. Den slæbes tung som den er. Videre og videre, hvis videre stadig vælges. Det er det de vil have. Det er dem mod os. Vi tvinges til at sørge, til at græde, til at mangle. De mister sig selv, mister hinanden, opnår ingenting. Krige startes, og vi giver igen. Vi skiftes til at smadre, til at ødelægge liv. De gode gøres onde, de onde bliver ved. Det kører rundt og rundt og fortsætter. Et råb om hjælp, det er en evig kamp. Kan mangfoldigheden sejre mens ondskaben besejres? 

En barnlig drøm om en verden i ro. En følelse af tryghed der bredes blandt hver andre. Surrealisme i et våget møde. En genforening mellem dem og os. Ting der aldrig vil ske, men så ofte ønskes. Forestillingen om at vi er ét. De er en del af mangfoldigheden, det er vi alle. Dumdristige forhåbninger om en lysere tid. Om mørke handlingers endetagen. Forhåbninger om de sidste brikker der falder på plads. De manglende brikker der fyldes af alternativet. Mon vi nogensinde finder denne ro? Mon vi kan skabe en verden med plads til alle? Plads til diversitet og skæve holdninger. Pladsen skal skabes hvor der nu kun er had. Endnu et forsøg skal prøves nu. Hånd i hånd, vi hjælper hinanden. Ta' min, så tager jeg din, og du tager hans og jeg tager hendes. 

Genforening af vores og jeres. Os og dem."

At vælge at ville

Det er en underlig ting. Det at ville. At kunne ville. Hvad bestemmer hvad jeg vil og hvordan vil jeg gøre? Vi vil så meget. 

Vi vil have, vi vil danse, vi vil være, vi vil elske, vi vil prøve, vi vil lære. Vi vil alting.

Og hvad så med de ting vi ikke vil? Hvordan vil vi skelne? Og hvordan vil vi undgå at gøre de ting vi ikke vil? 

Det er en sjov ting at vælge. Jeg bestemmer hvornår jeg vil vælge. Jeg vælger hvad jeg vil. Jeg vælger ud fra hvad jeg har valgt at jeg vil. Jeg vælger også ud fra hvad jeg har valgt at jeg ikke vil. Det at vælge vil aldrig kunne vælges uden at træffe et valg. 

Men hvorfor vælger vi? Jeg vælger fordi jeg gerne vil noget. Fordi jeg vil lære, fordi jeg vil prøve, fordi jeg vil elske. Jeg undgår at vælge de ting jeg ikke vil. For uden dem vil jeg blive ved. 

Det er en underlig ting. Det at kunne ville. Det at jeg kan bestemme mig for at vælge at jeg vil. 

Og det vil jeg. Måske.