Norway

After a quick trip on the train, a few stops on the metro, an hour long flight, two busses and a car ride, I finally arrived in Budor.  Budor is a small ski resort just outside of Oslo, Norway that easily became my absolute favorite place in Europe.  The seven of us (me, Bodil, Rasmus, Jeppe, Emil, Victor & Gustav) stayed in a two bedroom flat.  Yes, I just said seven of us in a two bedroom flat for the week!  We all headed out on our skis after dropping off our luggage and I quickly learned that I can NOT ski.  The plan was a few long, flat cross country ski trips but my first night was filled with ridiculously steep hills.  I'm surprised everyone in the States couldn't hear me scream as I awkwardly plummeted down the hill until falling to a stop.  After a few hours we stopped back home for dinner before heading out for round two.  

I started my Saturday morning with a hike up the mountain and enjoyed some incredible views.  It was so peaceful that I put on my tennis shoes and went back up the hill on a run in the afternoon.  Added some lunges, squats and push ups into my run which made for a great outdoor workout.  

The boys decided to slalom ski on Monday, making me the official photographer for the morning.  After a few hours, Bodil and I decided to leave the boys on the mountain while we went on a cross country ski tour.  It began to snow during our afternoon trip which I absolutely loved!  Later we left the boys at home to cook dinner and went on our second trip out late at night.  There were no lights so we had to rely on the tracks to guide us trough the snow.  The few stars and distant cabin lights created some truly stunning views.  Bodil and I stopped several times during the trip in absolute amazement; it looked like we were walking through a fairytale.  The scenery in Norway is so surreal that words can not even begin to describe my experience.  We shared Budor with a handful of people on the weekend but I think we were the only ones in town during the week.  The resort was so peaceful and serene that I would go back in a heartbeat.  The best part was being able to look around in any direction and not see a sole in sight!  Thank you Bodil for letting me be a part of your family ski trip! 

Baking with Bodil

On my flight home and will post something later this week about my trip but here are a few pictures of Bodil baking fresh rolls for dinner.  Sad to go home and have to cook for myself again because I enjoyed being spoiled with incredible home cooked meals this past week!  While making dinner last night we learned that the country of Norway has a shortage of butter so the stick we got from the store was 77 Norwegian Kroner.  That is $13.50 USD.  Yes, we paid $13USD for a little bit of butter!  And I thought Denmark was expensive....

København Universitet

Two weeks into the semester, I can definitely say that my time in Copenhagen is going to be much less stressful than at McGeorge.  It’s hard to say this, but it is almost hard to deal with some of the differences.  The first difference I have noticed is the importance of time.  At McGeorge, it was pretty crucial to be on time to class.  Some professors may let you slip in late but others, such as 8:00am Civil Procedure with Galves, would resort to public humiliation.  You better be sure you are prepared when walking in late to Prof. Galves because you can guarantee you will be the one he calls on for answers to ridiculously hard questions the entire class.  Whenever I would hit traffic during my morning commute, I would contemplate turning around and missing class instead of showing up after lecture had began.  Here in Copenhagen, the University had a brilliant idea.  Classes are scheduled on the hour but there is something known as the academic quarter, which means instruction doesn’t actually start until fifteen after.  That gives students time to show up late to class.  Well it worked for the first class but now students just consider the class to start at fifteen past so they are still showing up last minute and late.  One of my professor welcomes everyone into the class, even after she has started the lecture, and will walk through the room helping late students find a seat while giving them a quick update on what they missed the first few minutes.  Umm….really!?  Show up on time people.  A judge in court is not going to deal with your inability to be punctual. 

The second thing that is beginning to drive me a bit crazy is that people don’t come prepared to class.  Honestly, I can even imagine not doing the reading assignment before a lecture at McGeorge.  And if you aren’t going to read, at least download the case briefs/outlines off the internet so you have at least some idea what is going on.  Yesterday in my Intl Children’s Law class we got put into groups of eight to do group presentations and there were groups in which not one person had done the reading.  Unbelievable.  I feel like I am back in high school and not working towards a law degree.  Although this semester will be relaxing, I have to remember that in sixth months it’s back to reality at McGeorge so I can’t slack off too much! 

Oh and we have had two weeks of classes and now it is winter break!  Two weeks on, one week off!?  Seems so strange!  I am just finishing packing and will be heading out in the morning to Oslo, Norway for my very first ski trip!  Will be gone for five days and am just praying I come back in one piece which I know may be asking for too much!  The weather this week in Oslo has been -22*C (-8*F) so I’m hoping it will warm up a little this weekend because that it just ridiculous! 

IKEA

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it took me a month in Denmark before I made my first trip to the local IKEA store!  IKEA got its start right here in the Scandinavian countries and is known to locals as just a mass-discount store with cheap items, almost like Wal-Mart is to Americans.  My friend and I walked in with a short list but, of course, left with a cart full of things we couldn’t resist.  Now it’s time to clean my room and get organized... 

"Great Danes"

EVERY YEAR, WALLETS ARE SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN A TEST OF TRUST TO SEE HOW MANY ARE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNER; THE DANES ALWAYS WIN. 

An Evening Jog

I have been in Copenhagen for over a month now and this weekend was the first time I have gotten out for a run.  And it was probably my last time too!  Although it was a beautiful run, the cold was absolutely unbearable.  This week it got down to -15*C which is 5*F.  During the day I wear tall boots, two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, a sweatshirt, jacket, big heavy coat, huge scarf, hat and a pair of gloves.  Trying to run in all that sounded like a bit much but I probably would have been a lot more comfortable!  While looking at everyone else running around the lakes, I quickly realized a hideous looking face mask is a must so I am going to try to pick one up sometime this week.  Then I will give running one last try before I just accept the fact that I am going to gain a few pounds while in Europe!    

Back to School

Just finished my first week of law school in Copenhagen and I absolutely love it!  I am taking three classes while I am here—Public International Law, International Children’s Rights and International Sports Law.  All three are such interesting topics that I actually don’t mind long reading assignments or going to lecture.  And since I only have class on Tuesday and Thursday, I will be able to enjoy many long weekends this semester!  There are a few differences I have noticed this week.  First, the lack of wifi in the city center has amazed me!  What am I supposed to do in class for three hours??  You can only listen to the professor for so long until you need to do a quick check of your email or maybe a little online shopping.  I am going to be one smart kid after this semester because there is absolutely no internet in any of the law buildings and I was even unsuccessful in finding a café to get connected at during my two hour lunch break.  Second, all three of my classes require oral exams.  Can’t think that far ahead right now but hearing that makes me a little nervous.  In the states, law students have three or four hours to organize our thoughts and write up an essay response but here in Denmark the entire semester comes down to a fifteen minute verbal explanation of a random topic we pick out of a hat the moment before our exam.  I like having time to think about an answer instead of needing to give a logical reply on the spot so we will see how they go!

International Sports Law classroom

Went back to Crossfit Malmo this week in Sweden to take a class instructed by Coach Jess.  I learned he served ten years as a soldier in the Royal Guards and later had the position of Platoon Commander and Physical Director of training for the Royal Guards Professional battalion.  It was his responsibility to plan and oversea the training of 500 soldiers, with the goal of getting them physically prepared for deployment.  Let’s just say I could barely walk after his workout yesterday and feel even worse today!  

My new crossfit tank...and it's an Under Armour shirt! 

Stopped by a grocery store in Sweden before heading back to Denmark and laughed at the “USA” aisle stocked with Jello, Betty Crocker and Mac n’ Cheese!