I løbet af hvert semester inviterer vi en række studerende til at blogge om deres oplevelser som studerende på DIS. De bliver en del af vores netværk af DIS Student Bloggers. Her kan I læse et blogindlæg fra Sam, der valgte at læse i København i efteråret 2017, hvor hun fulgte hovedfaget European Game of Politics. Sam boede hos en værtsfamilie under hele sit ophold.
›› Bliv klogere på, hvad det vil sige at være værtsfamilie for en studerende
Inden hun skulle af sted, var Sam meget i tvivl om, hvorvidt hun skulle vælge at bo hos en værtsfamilie eller ej. I sidste ende overvandt hun tvivlen, og valgte af bo hos en værtsfamilie under sit ophold i Danmark. Og det var hun rigtig glad for! Her kan du læse om, hvorfor Sam er glad for, at hun valgte at bo hos en dansk familie.
Denmark will forever be a part of me, and a huge reason for this is the impact living in a homestay has had on me.
1: The Transition
This is my first-ever time in Europe, and I was so, so nervous about what the transition would be like. I couldn’t conceptualize at all what living in Europe would be like, and I was prepared for all the tears and frustration that would come from trying to figure out living in a new place. Yet, living with a host family eliminated all of that frustration right from the start. They picked my roommate and I up right from the airport on the first day, and I immediately felt relaxed because I knew then that I‘d have someone who’d be looking out for me during my time here.
We had a home-cooked meal that night for dinner, and it was just so comforting knowing there’d be nothing to worry about because the family could answer any and all questions I had about living in Denmark. The next day, they took us into Copenhagen by public transportation to show us how to get to our DIS classes and show us around the city, and by the time our classes actually started a few days later, I felt confident in my ability to handle living and learning in Copenhagen, and that’s all thanks to my host family.
2: The Cultural Immersion
I mentioned this before, but living with a host family has led to being immersed in the Danish culture in a way that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to be immersed. I’ve gotten to see what celebrating a traditional Danish birthday is like, how to play Danish games like petanque and Viking chess, and just really normal things like what the local malls and suburbs are like. I would have no reason to come out to Copenhagen’s suburbs otherwise, and the culture out here is similar and different to the culture within the city of Copenhagen itself, so this experience has led me to have just a greater appreciation of Denmark as a whole.
3: The Food
I can’t overstate this: coming home to a home-cooked meal after class every night is really, really nice. I’ve had everything from the national Danish dish of “stegt flæsk” (fried pork) to Asian wok (my favorite meal that my family cooks). Sitting down to dinner every night with the family and talking about our days is one of my most treasured experiences here; it’s totally normal for these meals to go on for hours just because of the conversation. This is something I would*ve really missed out on had I chosen to not live in a homestay.
4: Having an Actual Home
Even though I live with a family, I still have my own space. My roommate and I have the basement of the house entirely to ourselves, and if we’re down there, my host family makes a point out of not bothering us so we can still feel some sort of independence here. Yet, upstairs, there’s a family room, dining room, kitchen, and beautiful backyard, and this is a lot of space I wouldn’t have had if I lived in the city. I love just sitting in the family room to do homework while the rest of the family also does their own thing because being surrounded by other people is just really nice sometimes. You’re never lonely living in a homestay.
5: Forever Having a Reason to Come Back to Copenhagen
This is THE number one reason I’m happy I chose to live in a homestay. I’ve made such a deep connection with my host family that they’ve become actual family. Just as I’m excited to go back to New Jersey and see the people I love there, I’m excited to someday return to Copenhagen to visit with the people I love here. This sounds cheesy, but a part of my heart will forever be in this place now, and Denmark will forever be a part of me, and a huge reason for this is the impact living in a homestay has had on me.
Tak til Sam for at hun delte sine tanker om at bo hos en værtsfamilie med os!
Fra Sams blog:
5 Reasons I’m Happy I chose to Live in a Homestay
DIS søger værtsfamilier
Kunne du tænke dig at være værtsfamilie for en amerikansk studerende næste semester?