By Ashlyn
It's difficult to believe that I've already spent two months in Copenhagen. It seems like only a few weeks ago that I was saying goodbye to my parents at the airport. "The time is going to go by so fast," my mother told me before I left her at the security checkpoint. "Make the most of every moment." I promised I would.
Two months later, I wonder if I have truly done what I promised that I would do. Lately, I have found myself falling victim to the tyranny of routine. I don't explore as much as I used to. I prefer to run from class to class, then curl up indoors with a cup of tea instead of walking around in the cold Copenhagen air. It has been weeks since I've visited the palaces, or walked along Nyhavn harbor, or had a pastry in a cafe and people-watched out the window.
Am I becoming bored? I began to wonder. Many of my friends from back home have told me, "You can't be bored in Europe! You're abroad!" But that, of course, is not true. You can be bored anywhere. You could probably be bored at the top of Mount Everest.
But boredom is more often a side-effect of comfort. I have been guilty of staying in my comfort zone lately -- of staying in when others are going out, of going to the same tried and true places and seeing the same tried and true sights. I have slept in instead of waking up early to see the sunrise; I have stayed in to watch Netflix when I could be exploring Copenhagen's nightlife.
Now, with only two months left to go before I return home to the United States, I am realizing once more that there is too much to accomplish here to sit on my laurels and let time slip by. I need to push myself. It can be difficult, especially in a school setting, to find the energy and time to force yourself to leave the house or library and search for adventure. But with time so short, and the days going by so quickly, it is important to remember that every moment is precious. (That sounds pretty cheesy. It's true though. A lot of cheesy things are true when you're studying abroad.)
So I'm going to try to regain my sense of adventure now, halfway through my time in Copenhagen. I want to explore, to see things that I've never seen before, and to meet new people. This week I will be touring a local brewery and going to a Danish family's birthday party -- two exciting events that I am hoping will jump-start my plan of action!
For those of you planning on studying abroad in the future, don't feel guilty if you begin to get "bored" in the city that you choose. If you don't want to go out every weekend, don't. If you feel tired some nights, stay in. Just make sure you keep track of time -- the months go by quickly when you're away from home, and one morning you might wake up next to your packed suitcase and wonder why you didn't accomplish more while you had the chance!