Hi

Aaaaand I'm back!
I needed a little breather after returning from Denmark.
Ok I breathed.
I thought "Favor for Holly" would just be a study abroad blog. I figured, once I'm back in the US- what will I have to talk about? This delicious yogurt I just discovered? My bowel movement of the day? Crazy people on the subway? My strange allergy to exercising? (no joke). BORING. Well, turns out almost every day something happens that I think "Ooo! Good Blog Post!" So maybe you do want to hear about the yogurt? (Sorry, I made that up- I hate yogurt).

SO I'm going to give this a go. Stay tuned for an "illustrated" post on a traumatizing baby bird experience.

Razor Girl

A week or so ago, I was on the train on my way home when Razor Girl got on and sat down across from me. Razor Girl is about 12 or 13 years old, with long brown hair and tanned skin, and she comes on the train the stop before I get off. I've seen her 3 times. She has a razor with her (as in the scooter, those super cool modes of transportation), a backpack, and colorful sneakers. She sits down, and we stare at each other. There's something about her that feels strangely familiar, like I'm looking into the mirror, or into the past, or into the future...whatever it is, it draws me in, and I can't stop staring at her. Thing is, I think she feels the same way, because she stares back. Sounds creepy, but I don't think it is. It's oddly comforting, to look at a complete stranger and to feel some sort of connection. Last week she said something to me in Danish, and I told her I didn't understand, and then it was my stop, and I was leaving. I stood on the platform for a few minutes just watching the train go, feeling completely strange, like a friendly ghost had just hugged me. Have you ever felt that way?

p.s. Sorry I haven't been posting- it's been very busy around here with finals and getting ready to head back to the states--yikes!

Are You a Big Kid?

When I was 17, I thought that when I turned 18, I would feel like an adult. Not necessarily be an adult, but have adult thoughts. Think like a woman, not like a teenage girl. What a bummer it was that on my 18^th birthday I was wondering how Mom had decorated the cake—horses or flowers, swirls or hearts?--and could barely contain myself while tearing open my presents. Clearly not an adult thought. Don’t worry, I said to myself, when I turn 20, I’ll really be thinking like an adult. I’ll knowledgeably smile down at my birthday cake and eloquently thank my mother for the beautiful decorations. Then I’ll sit back and casually open my presents while sipping on some decaf. I’ll give cheek kisses to all my guests when they leave and then I wont immediately sort through all my gifts, lining them up on my bed.

And then I turned 20 and my boyfriend dumped me (loser) and I cried for three weeks and could only fall asleep if my mom had tucked me in, complete with a funny story from her childhood (did you know Keiko practically flunked first grade for talking too much? Hilarious…).

Turning 21 in two months, I have very little-to-no-hope that I will begin “thinking like an adult” on June 7^th, 2011. Psh. Talking to some big kids myself, I’m beginning to have the realization that adults just look like adults, but have the same thoughts that they did when they were 12. Jesus lord. You mean I will never stop perking up when I hear the ice cream truck coming? And I will never stop believing Santa still lives on the North Pole, and just retired a few decades ago?

Now that it’s warm out, my host sisters and I are constantly on the trampoline. It is SO MUCH FUN.

Friends and 20-something year olds out there, do you feel like an adult?

19 Days

Aren't these little heart shaped clovers sweet? I discovered them on the lawn at the Louisiana Museum. If you're ever in Denmark, you have to go-- it is fantastic!

In 19 days I will be heading back to the US. I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? I am excited to go back to New York, but I have a lot to do before then. Like finals. In high school, my friend and I would go up to the roof gym at our school and scream our heads off at the end of every year, during all the exams and papers. I mean, we would really scream. We even streaked and ran around naked once. We never got caught, thank god :) It was exhilarating and extremely fun ( and always left my ears ringing- that's how loud we were!). If only that sort of thing was more acceptable...

Have great weekends, enjoy the sun!

A Beginner's Guide to: Not Saying "Excuse Me" in Denmark

How many times do you say "excuse me" in one day? If you live in America, I would guestimate perhaps 3 or 4 times at least. It's common courtesy, right? When you accidentally nudge someone in line, when you pass through a huge lingering crowd, when you need the person in front of you to get out of the way. I didn't think twice about saying it until I came here- because no one says it. Not even the Danish equivalent: undskyld (pronounced oonschool-pretend there's a potato in your mouth for the right pronunciation).

It irks me. I try not to let it bother me since everyone here claims that it's not out of rudeness...but it's still hard to get used to. If I'm in the way of someone trying to get off the bus, instead of saying undskyld, they'll just stand there, do a little feet shuffle, and then push past me.

Today I found myself pushing past someone without saying excuse me. At first I felt bad ass, like, hey- look at me, I'm being Danish..watchu gonna do...but then afterwards I felt kind of bad and was tempted to go back and apologize. Ah, well..

Anyway, here are a few more pictures from my parent's visit...

My Dad and I standing in front of the Rosenborg Castle. It used to be the King's summer house. Imagine that?!

Strolling through beautiful Nyhavn...

And the lunch we had there. I got this amazing pea soup...it was so good that I might have to go back....

I hope you are all having great weeks so far!!
xo

Adventures in Copenhagen

Last week I decided I needed to do one thing that would make my alter-ego, Holly, happy. I did name my blog Favor For Holly, after all.

Well, I decided that I would climb the spiral staircase steeple of the Vors Frelsers Church, something that I knew from the beginning would make Holly happy as a clam. Ugh. Freak.

Despite my crippling fear of heights, it looked manageable from the ground. It was a beautiful clear day, and I was feeling especially capable.

Once inside, I was surprised to see a flight of stairs leading up the church. “Where’s the elevator?” I asked. No elevator. OK. You walk up. Duh.

I made it up the first flight fine. I was even humming some bob Marley.

I made it up the second flight okay, too.

By the third, Bob Marley soundtrack was long gone, and I was beginning to wonder why I decided to do this. The stairs were wooden, uneven, ancient, creaky…all of the things that make my heights-phobia tick.

At the fourth, I had to take a breather and talk myself into it. I stood there for 10 minutes...

...until I was blocking too many people, and realized that I had no option but to keep going.

The stairs got increasingly more terrifying. Now I could see in between them, the worst invention EVER. I kept focusing and saying “one step at a time,” but a tiny little vision popped into my head:

So I had to crouch down and refocus.

It took me fifteen minutes to climb up the next small flight- so I had to resort to my last option. I decided to picture everyone naked. It usually helps.

It didn't, but I had no option now, I had to keep going. Sweat was dripping down my forehead and back. My hands were vibrating. When I made it up the final staircase, I could see sky—I had made it to the spiral. I climbed on my hands and knees onto the base of the spiral—but it was too much.

I sat there in a ball, until I felt like my head was going to implode. So I didn't actually climb up the spiral, but I made it there, which is what matters most, right? Even though I was basically peeing my pants, I also felt incredibly alive and empowered. I could barely breathe until I was standing on the ground again, and then I felt like I could do almost anything (in fact, I went on a roller coaster the next day in beautiful Tivoli, which I must blog about soon!).

Have you guys done anything recently that terrified you? I'd love to hear!

Have a fabulous week! xo

Swans

I'm currently working on another 'illustrated' post, but since it's taking a little while, I thought I'd drop by briefly to share with you my new obsession...

Swans.

They are everywhere here and I can't stop photographing them (like the tourists who come to NYC and think that squirrels are the greatest, cutest things ever). They do this funny thing where they drop their necks into the bodies and glide around like they're in a recliner chair. There's something so romantic about them, but at the same time so intimidating. I kinda think they suffer from bitchface (although I've heard they are actually bitches, so maybe it's not just their face).

I tested the water. It was a wee bit chilly.
Later, folks. Oh yeah, and Happy Easter!!