Our first week

Well, we've been in Denmark for a week now. Up until tonight, each time that I (Lindsay) thought about posting on our blog, I just felt overwhelmed. Where would I begin? What events were most important to talk about? It occurs to me that in the midst of a change as great as moving overseas, there are moments where you're not sure what you know and don't know, or how you even feel about your surroundings from moment to moment. Even though we're in a city that's easy-going and safe, and where the majority of locals speak very clear English, there is still a panic that sets in. No matter how much support you have, or how prepared you feel you might be, you are in over your head and you know it. It happens as you are walking through the grocery store and trying to make a quick decision about which type of crackers Cavan might actually eat, or which item is butter and which is cheese; when you're paying for your new Danish/English dictionary and the cashier begins speaking to you in lightning speed Danish and you just nod and shrug and wonder what type of technical question she's asking you (as it turns out she just wants to know if you want a bag or not); and just as you are trying to make sense of how to get from here to there. It is all laborious and hard because it is all completely new.

But aside from the challenges, we are doing really well and having a great time in Denmark. We are settled into our temporary apartment in the town of Frederiksberg (in Copenhagen but its own municipality) - the place is much nicer than what we expected. All of the furnishings are modern and clean, even if the doors and floors are old and creaky. We're learning to get by without a dryer - our clothes are currently hanging on a very large drying rack here in our living room. We're experimenting with having bread and cheese as a nightly after dinner snack. And thanks to another American family from Microsoft, we're learning where to go shopping for what, and where to find deals. Our biggest shock so far has been the cost of things. It seems that most grocery items are at least 50% more than what we'd pay for them in the states - so we are also strategizing about how to stretch our dollar (well, Kroner) as far as we can. This fact alone, I think, is setting us up for a more economical, European lifestyle :)



Cavan is doing amazingly well with the changes. He seems content in the stroller on our walks to the grocery store and back - pointing out many, many bikes and cars and flags along the way. He loves going out in the back courtyard to toss the ball for Sasha (just like at home) and there are some sand toys and swing that he plays with out there. He doesn't have very many toys here yet - just a few that we could fit in our luggage - so we feel at times that he goes a little stir-crazy here in the apartment. Tom and I laughed today when we found him in his room crawling forwards and then crawling backwards, to no apparent purpose. "Yep, he's bored"


Sasha - well, let's say she's adjusting too. Thank goodness for the courtyard, or I think we'd all be going crazy. We take her out probably 4 times a day, either to play in the yard or go for a walk. She has learned to pee and poo on the sidewalk, because sometimes there's just no grass or dirt to be found. But she does a relatively good job walking on her leash amidst all the baby buggies and bicycles and cars and people and other dogs walking past.

In terms of things coming up: this week, Tom has already been allotted some vacation time from his boss (gotta love their work ethic here) so that we can spend some time to get settled. Thursday, Friday and Monday are all national holidays here because of Easter anyway. Tomorrow, we expect our air shipment from the States, our "reinforcements" of clothes and toys, Tom's desktop PC, and some other miscellaneous items. We won't really start looking for a permanent place until late April or early May, once we have gotten to know the areas better. Once we do move, I will likely start language lessons, and start looking for part-time day care for Cavan. Other things too that I can't think of right now.

So I think this officially exhausts my blogging energy for the evening. Keep checking back for updates and more pictures of lovely Denmark!

Lindsay