emiliaburkhart-idsyk

First Impressions

Upon landing at the Copenhagen airport, two fellow program members and I made our way through customs and headed towards the train station. I downloaded the DSB transit app, and while waiting for the train we discussed the surprisingly clean train station which was indeed connected to the airport. No shuttle, no rideshare, no bus— just a train right where we needed it to be. The floor of the station was being cleaned by a maintenance worker right in front of us— something I have perhaps never experienced while in the New York Subway or San Francisco BART. Within 30 minutes of being in Copenhagen, I was already astounded by what surrounded me and buzzing with excitement about what was yet to come. 

The joy of a clean, quiet, and affordable train from the airport was just a sneak peak, I would soon realize. Once we all arrived at the hostel, we soon set off on our first mini adventure. Nola, Alex, Mallory, and I biked north, first stopping by the University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden. We walked through the rose garden and park, admiring the summertime blooms and spotting some unique birds. The birds here have been a particularly interesting thing for me here— more on this to come. The lawn was filled with twenty-somethings gathered together over wine and cheese, laughing and chatting in the warm afternoon light. 

After sufficient time basking in this lovely scene, we continued on toward Nørrebroparken, and stopped by the Friheden outdoor bar for a beer and watched tricks on the halfpipe stationed amidst the metal tables and chairs. As it neared 6:30, we crossed the street into the park proper to meet up with the group. We gave hacky sack a go, mandatory because Alex is the Hacky Sack Club President, and I actually was pretty good this time around. I certainly fell comically hard on the grass, but I think my sudden increase in skill was due to the overall mood-boost this city had given me in a mere 8 hours. Electronic music was pounding in the distance, cut by Eurasian magpies chirping in the trees and countless bikes’ freewheels whirring past us. 

After departing from the larger group in Nørrebroparken, the girls and I continued on biking through the city. Heading further north, the sound of music in the distance grew closer and we headed straight towards it. Within a few minutes, looking down from Tagensvej, we saw a crowd forming around a makeshift DJ set bumping in the park below. We set our bikes on a rack and joined the scene— smoke was billowing from a machine, vodka-redbulls were being poured at a table to the side, and dozens of Copenhageners moved to the music. We danced alongside them for a while before moving to the grassy hill speckled with groups of friends. So much stood out to me at this event, specifically that calling it an event feels too formal— it was more a gathering of people who seemed simply free to be themselves.

Along the walkway, the number of bikes parked matched the number of people. Dancers were clad in leather and lace, some covered head to toe in bold tattoos. A man swapped his skirt for light wash denim shorts, revealing a bright orange thong during his outfit change, another person changed out of a black lace bodysuit into jeans and a green t-shirt. Everyone respected each other’s space, and when I saw people touch it was either a warm embrace or a tickle to say “hi” between friends. No shoving, no glaring, no metal detectors— all things pretty much unheard of at any live music event back home. It was a diverse gathering of people, all coexisting and sharing this beautiful early summer night. There is no memory I have from my 20 years growing up in the states that mirrored this moment that felt oh-so human. We stayed on the hill and watched this all unfold until we decided on getting a drink and heading back towards the hostel. I couldn’t help but get a bit teary eyed thinking about both the day I had experienced and everything that was yet to come.