This past weekend I went on a retreat with my living learning community. As a member of the Public health LLC, every week we partake in activities that surround public health issues. For this week’s event we were in Tisvildeleje where we practiced yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Tisvildeleje is a seaside town where many Danes come to escape the busyness of urban life, for a relaxing time by the beach.
During this retreat I gained insight on how much Danes try and prioritize time for rest. In the states, I often find my days jammed packed with classes, assignments, meetings, extracurriculars, and work. In America, the norm is to keep oneself busy with things as some measure of success. I’m very grateful for this opportunity to be abroad because I really get to focus on my growth as an individual, not the growth that I once thought was attached to the long list of things that I signed up to do. I enjoy being able to come from class and have time to myself to debrief before I jump into the next thing.
This experience has also made me very comfortable with my professors. One of my professors travelled with us and partook in every activity that the students did. The way she explained it, “I need to recharge in the same way my students do”. My professors have emphasized as seeing them as equals and slowly I’ve been seeing them as such. They are very personable and approachable and genuinely want to learn as much, if not more, from us as we do from them.
The walk to the beach was definitely my favorite part; it reminded me of home. One of my favorite places to be in the beach. I like to go there to clear my mind while watching the waves crash onto the shore. Being at Tisvildeleje Beach, although it being freezing, warmed me up a bit inside. Of all places I thought I’d end up in Denmark, the beach was not one I imagined. I guess you could say the Florida girl will always find her way to the ocean somehow!
Adventures Abroad 