Dear Reader,
Hello hello! If you are on this page, and not one of my family members or friends, I’ll introduce myself—I’m Abby Vogeley and I’ve never blogged before. Here we go!
Some things to know:
Hailing from the Bay Area in California, I love my sunshine. I seek the outdoors, the ability to close my eyes, bask in the light, and wear tee-shirts 365 days a year. Despite this, I am traveling to a country where, in winter, the sun sets at 4 pm.
Yes. 4 pm.
Denmark is not exactly known for its sun, but rather, the words unpredictable & windy heavily pepper my inquiries about the country’s weather. This may be a moment where you may pause, ponder why I, a lover of the daylight, would choose to travel where the the sun goes to bed before (most) human beings.
There’s quite a few, surprisingly.
My grandfather’s realm is Norway–growing up in the small fishing town of Farsund, his adoration of skål(cheers!), vikings, Brunost cheese, Norse legends, and rice pudding has been inherited by his younger generations. His talent for storytelling transforms our commonality of childhood tales and crafts his into magical legends, all pulsing with the breath of Scandinavia. And there, in the gray air, the taks, skåls, and God dags have become vaguely familiar–the idea of living in Denmark, even for just a bit, doesn’t feel so strange. The glow in my grandfather’s eyes when he speaks of his homeland and its surrounding countries is one I wish to understand. And yes, living in a country for a little more than four months can never compete with a lifetime narrative, but any glimpse into my grandfather’s upbringing, however distant, just feels like something worth doing. Even if it means being a little bit cold.
My interests have led to a somewhat typical journey through the liberal arts education. As in, I have found passions in a multitude of subjects, and through Wake Forest University, I am able to pursue them equally. With this, I am (tentatively) working towards a Biology major, along with Neuroscience and Writing minors. When researching study abroad programs, I searched for one that could accommodate several of my interests–that’s when the study abroad program DIS appeared. The ability to study in Denmark through DIS almost felt too good to be true–several classes taught within the program both peaked my interest as well as counted towards my major/minors. While enrolled in the core course study Psychopharmacology: Substances and the Brain, I will also be taking Neuroimaging of the Disordered Brain, Creative Writing, Danish Language and Culture I, and Religion in Crisis.
My attempt to reach beyond my comfort zone is one that is simple in theory, and yet incessantly difficult in action. I have always aspired for adventure (hence the url), and yet, there have been several moments where I have paused, looked out into the foreign, unknown territory, and turned back. I am a creature of comfort. A creature of habit. Despite this, my mind spins in perpetual motion, always wondering exactly when I will push beyond the fictional limits presented before me. I have always known (in theory) that I wanted to travel abroad. I didn’t second guess it, I suppose, because the ability to do so is an incredible privilege–one, I know, too good to pass up. And so, I am traveling to Denmark with a hope to leap out of comfort and into a season of growth. It is a bit of a leap (or 10 hours via plane, same thing), but–
You know that little feeling you get when a choice just feels right? The one, typically muddled by anxieties and overthinking and routine, that finally presents an opportunity to act with boldness? That was me applying to live in Copenhagen for a semester. That is me, now, leaping into an unknown. And I can’t wait. I might not know much Danish, but I do know my own voice, and perhaps, for now, that is enough.
And who knows, maybe it too will start speaking in taks, velkommens, and god dags.
More to come,
Abby Vogeley
Capturing Copenhagen 