A Dane loose in Munich

Let’s get the basics out of the way: My name is Viktoria, I am 23 years old, and I come from Århus, Denmark. I have lived in Munich for two months now. It feels like it has been two weeks and half a year – both at the same time. On one hand, time has flown by quickly, and on the other, so much stuff has happened. To sum it up, I have gone to Oktoberfest, where I spent way too much money. I have explored Munich and the surrounding areas, such as the beautiful Tegernsee and Regensburg. I have also been working on improving my German, I have been partying, and, best of all, I have met some awesome people.

However, I have realized, that when I’ve been speaking with my fellow exchange students, I tend to be critical of my home country. Maybe because Denmark is a small country where it rains a lot, the tallest “mountain” is 170 meters, everything is quite expensive, and our national dishes are pretty bland. But in reality, there is a long list of positives. And, of course, I do miss a lot of things about in my home country.

My friends and family are naturally on top of that list. If I had the chance to see my group of best friends tomorrow, I would. But at the moment, we’re scattered all over the world in the midst of our exchange semesters.

One thing I miss dearly is our weekly get- togethers at our favorite bar in Århus. (If you get the chance, I would suggest you visit Ris Ras). Here, we would sit for hours talking and drinking beer. Our record stands at around nine hours, which only ended because the bar closed. Come to think about it, the drinking culture in Denmark might be the reason, that it is ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world. Well, it could also be the strong social welfare system which ensures access to healthcare and education for all citizens, but I would argue it’s beer. All I can say is that these times at a bar with my friends have given me some of my fondest and funniest memories to look back at.

And what about the Danish food you might ask? Well, to me, the traditional Danish cuisine is not worth much of a mention. But luckily, there are many amazing restaurants that have fueled the New Nordic Cuisine, which is known for focusing on sustainability and using seasonal, local ingredients. That is why I love going out to eat and why you’ll often find me near a nice plate of food and glass of wine – when my student budget allows for it.

But in general, I don’t miss my life in Denmark too much as of now. Most of all, I am looking forward to many more experiences here in Munich.