back in baltimore

i have been back stateside for almost a week now, and it has been wonderful! i had such a terrific time in denmark-- i thoroughly enjoyed copenhagen and feel so fortunate to have had that opportunity. however, one of the most important parts of travel is how it makes you appreciate your home in a new light. especially after studying immigration issues in denmark, i have a serious, newfound respect for ethnic relations here. of course there are problems and we have a long ways to go before everyone is on an equal footing in american society, but compared to the pretty blatant disapproval and tension i witnessed in copenhagen i feel that american race relations are not too bad. it was so wonderful to come back to a place where, for the most part, diversity is both a certainty and something to be celebrated. seeing so many different types of people-- in terms of age, size, ethnicity, politics, religion, social interests, dress, etc.-- was a really welcome change from denmark, where i often felt that i was being stared at for wearing a bright red ski coat instead of a black jacket all winter. it seems that conformity is the ideal in denmark, so i was more than ready to come back to the land where we pride ourselves on standing out. i value uniqueness too much to fit into danish society!

another major difference (and something that i have experienced in a mild form of reverse culture shock) is how open and friendly americans are. on my second day back i took a city bus and saw a woman tap the old, slightly disheveled man in front of her, ask if she could fix his collar for him, and proceed to fiddle with his collar until it laid smooth. it was great. later that day a bus driver gave me a free ride to where i needed to be because i was exhausted from walking around in the heat lost for an hour. further examples came with the helpful customer service at the grocery store (i forgot american checkers stand up, make small talk, and even bag your groceries for you-- without charging for plastic bags!!! and they are open in the evenings and on sunday!! certainly not the case in denmark!) and a genuinely apologetic waitress who felt awful that they were out of what we ordered. i am still used to strangers saying hello on the street, which i forgot happened during my four months among mostly private, straight-faced danes.

of course i have taken pleasure in other joys of american life as well: namely, food. i was so happy to once again taste cheddar cheese, veggie burgers, bagels, mint chocolate chip ice cream...perhaps this reinvigorated interest in american food (amerikansk mad, in danish) will motivate me to do some more cooking. it hasn't so far but it has been hard without much kitchen stuff!

speaking of which, i love my lovely rowhouse! timmy did a fantastic job picking the place out, and then moving all of our stuff single-handedly! i came home to the new place with virtually all our stuff in boxes and suitcases, so i spent the first few days focusing my energy on moving in. i am so excited to decorate and settle in-- i love that stuff! the location feels quite urban, certainly more than i'm used to, but in a good way. in less than 20 minutes i can walk to johns hopkins (and the many bus routes located near it), the neighborhoods of charles village and hampden, the baltimore museum of art, two of my favorite restaurants of all time, a gorgeous park, a grocery store, pharmacy, etc...

my parents are visiting next week and i am really looking forward to seeing them and showing them around charm city. it will also be invaluable to receive interior design guidance from my mom!