Ikke Farvel. Vi Ses Snart.
Yes, I am back home. After a draining 24 hours worth of travel last weekend, I finally got be in the arms of my mom, dad, and sister (with my Danish flag in hand). It’s been almost a week since I said goodbye to Denmark. Over the past few days, I have spent quality time with my family, reunited with old high school friends, received phone calls relatives, visited my old workplace, drove my Mini Cooper, and eaten at my favorite ice cream shop…twice.
“How was Denmark?” That’s the question I have been asked probably a million times already. Images of the students and student missionaries run rampant through my mind. All the fun moments with them are replayed in a flash. I can’t help but smile and get a warm feeling. And all I can say is, “It was awesome!” Words can’t convey the memories I’ve had over the last 11 months. I can’t believe it’s over.
I’m having difficulty realizing where my home is. As I go through town, everything looks the same but feels so different. I feel like an outsider and I definitely have culture shock returning to the States.
To me, home is where the people you care about most are. In that case, I guess I have many homes (which I am truly thankful for). One of my good friends said a couple days ago, “Sometimes God gives us certain things for only a season and then they are gone.” So, was Denmark a “seasonal blessing”? Maybe. Maybe not.
One of the student missionaries said it best:
From here on out, everything that we do in life will be forever influenced by what we experienced here in Denmark.
-Rebekah
It’s true. The way I think, the way I act, and the way I interact with people is already different from my old self. I thank Denmark and it’s amazing people for that.
Today, one of my mom’s co-workers asked me, “Would you ever go back to Denmark?” Without hesitation, I proudly said, “In a heartbeat.”
My plan is to visit Vejlefjord in 3 years. I don’t know where I will be in that time. But I hope to God that this will come true. I really do.
So this is my last post on this blog. I want to first thank everyone who donated money so I could come to Denmark. Your investment yielded a great reward. Trust me. Secondly, I want to thank everyone in Denmark who befriended and supported me this past year. Your friendships and memories are worth more than money could buy. Lastly, I wanted to thank YOU for reading this blog. Whether you were a faithful follower or a casual visitor, thanks for reading my written thoughts. It means a lot to me.
So what are my parting words? ”For helvede!” Oh oops, that’s not it (Danish saying, only pun intended). Jokes aside, I want to say this: live life and live it to the fullest. Tak alle sammen for en rigtig god år! It was the best year ever!
P.S. To Vejlefjord, thanks to you I can’t stop looking at pictures from this year and saying random Danish phrases. Seriously, I can’t shut up about all the memories we’ve had. You guys have ruined me, in a good way. I miss you all so much. See you in 3 years :)
Photo credits: Amalie Thaysen
I hear the kids say it all the time in Danish. ”Slap af”. Relax.
While I have been here in Denmark, I have had a lot of time to think about what direction I want to pursue in business. Last week, I started reading a book called Screw Business as Usual by Sir Richard Branson. About 50 pages in, I was sold. Like Richard Branson, I want to pursue something that I am passionate about, work with people that are just as passionate as I am, and offer a good/service that is for betterment of others.
So we jumped in our van, boarded the ferry, and drove to Angelholm airport. After locating the (very hidden) Koenigsegg factory, we went inside the main office. We asked the receptionist if we could see the factory. She said that we weren’t allowed to go in because they were conducting tests on their new model and the cars on the assembly line weren’t allowed to be viewed before they were delivered to the customers.
We were all disappointed. We met Michael, manager of merchandising for Koenigsegg. While we were talking with him, I saw a man pull up in a Saab 9-3 convertible. The man who got out of the car was bald and about 6 feet (2 meters) tall. ”Excuse me, is that Christian von Koenigsegg,” I asked Michael. To our amazement, it was him! 
After Christian walked into the office, we introduced ourselves, told him where we were from, and asked if we could take pictures with him. He was so kind, hospitable, and gave each us of a gentle smile.
Down the stairs, out to a green airplane hanger, and inside was a bright orange Koenigsegg CCXR with all its doors opened up. While some of us were snapping pictures of the car, I walked over to Christian as calmly as I could. I started asking him question after question. ”How do you create a car that looks beautiful while being aerodynamically stable? Do you have a wind tunnel? How do you put 900-plus horsepower to the ground? Is everything bespoke? How many cars do you make per year?” 
I’ll tell you what, this guy was absolutely incredible. Christian could tell that I was passionate about his car and I think he took my questions as a compliment. He kept smiling as he answered each question. 
Though none of us could afford his car (duh, obviously), the owner saw our passion and chose to share his passion with us. He even let us go over to the next building to see the newest model, the Agera R, get tested on a dyno. Jill, our Danish teacher, said that she heard Christian talking to the mechanic at the dyno. She overheard Christian saying, “These kids are so passionate about the cars. It’s so inspiring to see them like this!” 
He wasn’t the only one inspired. I was equally so. Here was a guy who genuinely cared about people who were passionate about his dream. He didn’t care if we could afford it or not. He just appreciated a common interest. This is business done right.
-Photo credits to Jeff Andersen
Dear God,
I’m not going to lie, this has been something I have been wanting to write for some time now. It has been heavy on my heart and mind for quite a few months. Now, I can finally write about it.
This week I had the privilege of taking one of the guys out to dinner just to get away from the school and talk about different things going on in our lives. As the boy was talking about past relationships and forming new ones, he said, “Ashok, love has no boundaries.” Love has no boundaries. For some reason, this one statement really hit me.
Photo credit: Annika Karina Galindo