Why Denmark? Why DIS?

It starts with my wonderful roommate Nikki, who invited me to look at her DIS booklet. I hesitated at first. I knew Nikki and another close friend would be going, and I didn't want to spend a semester abroad with the same people as I do at Scripps. And I didn't know anything about Denmark. (Who in the U.S. does?) But here I am for several reasons:

1. DIS is an English-speaking program. Any study abroad program had to be in English for me because I hadn't been studying a foreign language at Scripps.

2. DIS has a climate change course that takes students to Greenland to study ice cores. I was hooked.

I'm a biophysics major at Scripps, which means that I've been studying cell- and molecular-level biological processes using models from physics. (Think of DNA as a flexible rod that requires a certain amount of energy to bend--that sort of thing.) I'm not sure I want to stay in the microscopic realm after graduation, and I've recently gotten interested in sustainability and environmental science--another way biology, physics, and plenty of other fields intersect. This climate change course seemed an excellent opportunity to try it out.

3. DIS has other very cool programs. I had trouble deciding between Sustainable by Design and Urban Transportation, between European Art of the 19th Century and History of European Ballet. (I'm taking the first in both cases.) The academic courses integrate study tours with the coursework, so I'll be going to art museums, a nature reserve, Christiansborg Palace, and Greenland to supplement my studies in the classroom. In addition, DIS organizes several nonacademic weekend trips featuring hiking, cycling, or canoeing and gives students two week-long breaks for independent travel throughout the semester.

4. Denmark (particularly Copenhagen) may be the most environmentally friendly place to live. It's not perfect, of course, but with a third of Copenhageners commuting by bike and a clean, efficient public transportation system, it's a far cry from anything I've seen in the States.

5. Denmark supposedly has the happiest people on the planet. I'd like to learn more about the welfare system, the democratic monarchy, the sarcastic humor, and things I don't yet know about Denmark to see for myself why that is.

Velkommen...

... to my blog! Here I'll be documenting my semester at the Danish Institute of Study Abroad (DIS) for friends, family, and anyone else who's interested.

Pre-departure. These are all my belongings for the next 5 months!