And just like that... a year has passed.

It's hard to believe that today makes a year I've moved to the wonderful city that is Copenhagen. I know I've been way too absent from the blog (who am I kidding? I knew this would eventually happen), but I couldn't let this day go by without writing about it.

After all, it was when my journey begun. I put my feet in danish soil for the first time on a cold breezy night, and I still remember how it felt. I was both scared to death and super excited to move here. I also recall thinking "Oh this is not that cold" and yes, even in the coldest days I've experienced, I still think it's not that bad. It's cold but it's survivable (if we talk about the wind, then that's a whole another story...). 

It was a really long day, and, needless to say, a though one. I couldn't stop crying when I said goodbye to my parents, even when I was already in the plane. Embarrassing? Maybe. But I'm also an only child so I'm very much attached to my family, so sue me. 
Gladly, I would soon meet a familiar face - a friend I already knew from Portugal - and that so kindly would let me live with her for the first 3 months of this adventure abroad. To her, I can only say a huge THANK YOU because if it wasn't for her, I might not have taken this step.

I still had a few days before I started my intern job, so of course I just went out and ventured all around town. I spend all those first days outside, and it was amazing - many hours enjoying my own company, taking pictures, and looking at everything with curious eyes. I was (and still am) amazed at how beautiful this city is. It didn't bother me at all to be alone. It was a fresh start for me, and that also meant getting used to not being with people all the time. I already knew I liked spending time by myself in Portugal, but here in Copenhagen, specially in the first weeks, I realised how much I love it. 

It didn't take long until I started making friends. Social media is an amazing thing and I used it a lot to meet new people. 
My first friend in Copenhagen was Tuni, a sweet girl who's still one of my best friends here. We started our friendship when I was still in Portugal, and decided to grab a coffee in a rainy afternoon, next to Tivoli. Hours and hours went by and we couldn't stop talking. At the end of the day, I knew we would become great friends.
Through Instagram, I met another amazing friend - Susana. She is also portuguese and I'm so glad we found each other because we have a lot of common and we always have so much fun together. She had moved to Copenhagen just a month earlier than me, also because of an internship. We instantly connected and started hanging out a lot.
The last people I want to write about are Pauline and Katie. I met these two sweet girls through a Facebook group called "International Girls in Copenhagen" (if you're a new gal in town, you should check it out, it's pretty cool). Pauline had commented or posted there, in sort of an "About me & Interests" style. She basically wrote about everything I love, and she seemed to be a lot into art like I am (I was right) - so I gave it a go and messaged her, in hopes of getting a "museum buddy". We met in a sunny afternoon and sat by The Lakes, coffee in hand, watching the sun go down. We clicked and once again, I hit the prize - we had a lot of similarities, specially in terms of personality and how we handle our artistic work (and all the frustrations that come with it). Katie was also in that group, organising this amazing drawing club I wanted to join, so we also met in person. Who would knew we would get so close? She is one of the funniest people I've met here, and a really good friend. Also, she's a super talented illustrator, which gives her "cool" points, for sure. 
To finish this one up, I really really want to thank all my friends that I met in Copenhagen, both the ones that I've connected with temporarily, and the ones with whom I still hang out today. You've been very important in this past year and you're all amazing people. As expats, we need to be there for each other, for the sake of our sanity. I know that my life here would've been a lot more difficult without you and your support. 
To my friends and family back home, thanks for listening and reading all my rants, frustrations and stories. You are still my rock. A sincere "thank you" is flying your way. 

I couldn't not mention a very special person I met this year, my boyfriend Emil. After a couple of failed Tinder dates (and yes, I know Tinder isn't exactly relationship oriented but I still had some hope), he came into my life in the most amazing way. I still can't believe in how lucky I am for having such a caring person by my side. I don't want to get too lame around here, but if you're reading this, thank you so much for everything. Your constant support means the world to me, specially in those times where everything seems to go wrong. 

My job situation here has never been optimal, and it's really hard to keep positive sometimes. It still isn't but I've been trying my best to turn things around, and have been given some cool opportunities. I'm sure that things will eventually come and I can't wait to have a more stable life, that enables me to relax and not think about the money I spend all the time, which is amazingly tiring. On a side note, it was in Denmark that I discovered what being a good working team is, the great relaxed Danish work atmosphere and that it's ok to leave work at 4 and not feel ashamed or guilty.  

Looking back, I feel very proud of what I was able to achieve in a year: I found a place of my own to live and exist, went through multiple jobs, started learning such a weird language as Danish (and I'm already in Module 3!), met wonderful human beings, networked a lot, volunteered a lot, and finally felt like I had done something important with my life.
Most of all, I went out of my way to get what I wanted, even if that meant jumping out of my comfort zone. I feel like a completely different person. As cliched as it is, I feel a lot stronger and more courageous than ever. 

This past year was completely crazy and I lived some of the most nerve-wrecking and stressful moments of my life. I also had a lot of new experiences, new feelings, and a lot of happy moments. 
If anyone who wants to move abroad is reading this, I can assure you your life will most likely take a 180º turn, and it will be scary, tearful, and hard. But you will also have so many worthy living experiences and learnings that will make up for all the bad... 
Looking back, I think this was the best decision I've made so far. Despite how much I miss my family and friends in Portugal (I miss you so so much), getting away was what I needed and a dream that became a reality a year ago. The twenty-third of February of 2016 will always mean a lot to me. 

Thanks for reading.

Inês

My birthday

My birthday this year was completely different from every other I've had so far. Apart from being in a totally different place, it was also the first time I spent it alone. Scary? Sad? No, not at all. It felt good, liberating and just plain awesome to have such a different day. Did I miss my family and friends? Absolutely. Although I was so busy all day I didn't even think too much about it, to be honest. I just really enjoyed my time alone, which is a thing I wish everyone would be able to do: just enjoying your own company. It's a thing I'm learning about myself: I really love spending time alone. Going for walks, going to the cinema, going shopping... You only ever get your time spent and managed as you really want to when you're by yourself. You get things done at your own pace, you go to places and do the things YOU like, without depending on anyone else's wishes. 

So yesterday I was given the day off (!!!) and I just hopped on a train to spend all my day at the Louisiana Museum of Art, in Humlebaek, just 30 minutes north of Copenhagen. Best decision ever, I had the greatest time doing one of my favorite things: looking at art! Just the place itself is worth a visit really. If you don't believe me, just look at the pictures below.

The weather was lovely, despite the cold.

Please go to their store and get lost. I think I might have spent too much time in it but I couldn't help it. And I'm a sucker for tote bags so I bought one as a little birthday present. Getting quite a collection of them actually...

Don't get me started on the sculpture garden... I can see myself spending a whole afternoon here doing a picnic and basking in the sunlight.

My yummy lunch by the sun.

It was so good to see the ocean again.

Spring is starting to show!

And now for some art:

These were part of a new exhibition called "Eye Attack", based on works between the 50's and the 60's of the so called Op Art (Optical Art) and Kinetic Art, ones that appeal to your senses and that are essentially sensorial and visual experiences. Amazing works from more than 40 artists! Just be aware you might feel a little dizzy because of the hypnotic effects... I didn't but I know people who did.

Dreaming of having a living room like this... :)

Some photos from the "Illumination" exhibition below:

Of course I had to take lots of self portraits here, how can you not? I REALLY wanted to see this is one more than any other piece in the museum. After losing the exibithion dedicated to the artist, with many more works, by just a couple of weeks, I felt really sad. But then I realized that one of her installations is still there in the museum's permament collection. So yay! 

If you don't know this installation, it is called Gleaming Lights of the Souls by the artist Yayoi Kusama. Simply outstanding. Google her work, it's brilliant. 

It was past 7 when I left this place, feeling as I needed to sleep 10 hours but also like I've just had one of the best birthdays in my life. And just before getting dark, I was greeted by this sky. A lovely end of the day. 

Bye Louisiana, see you very soon.

Inês