The End is Here

Thanksgiving could have not been more of a success! The family showed up on time, the friends brought wine, and the food came out hot. Gabby came over early that day, being that she was the only other American attending the dinner. We prepared the two turkeys and mouth watering stuffing; we created a concoction of sweet eggnog and sliced up a batch of candied sweet potatoes. Although during the rush hour when all the food is coming out to the table, everyone else was cracking into the wine my friends had brought. I never got a glass because before i turned around it was gone! Haha, it was ok because there was plenty of other beverages to consume such as the amazing eggnog we brewed. I can only say how grateful i am to have met such great people and have them in my life! We shared stories of my trip and the times we spent together doing our crazy adventures. The evening began with a hectic kitchen and ended in a toast to thank everyone for all they have done for me. As I toasted it occurred to me that these people that I have lived with, laughed with and  loved with, are no longer just people but they are my new family. My family made up of life long friends!

The next 2 weeks of my stay will be transformed into the ending of my amazing adventure. The holiday season is here and everywhere you look the people are more jolly and the town is even brighter with color. Counting down the days on my Danish advent calendar has also brought some new meanings. My mind tells me that this trip will be irreplaceable I don't want it to end, but it has also told me  that there are people to return to and that my life back home must continue.

In conclusion to this blog that i have been writing, i would like to thank everyone that has been following and commenting. Especially my Aunt Roberta who has kept me writing. Aunt Roberta, I know you will be reading this so i would like to thank you for all your comments and emails during my trip. You are the closest thing i have to my mother and i am extremely grateful for that. I love you and your an inspiration for me to achieve my highest goals and having you beside me is like having my mom there. Thank You! All in all as i finish off my trip and begin to proceed home, i can only hope that my journey will continue and i will use everything that i have learned to help me in my future. Therefore when the end is here i would like to say, "It has been fun, but it is time to return to reality!”

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Kyle Lyon (USA2DENMARK)

Just One of Those Days

The trip has been flying by! As of today I begin my official countdown of how many days i have left in Denmark. It is amazing to say that as i am spending my last month here, i am wishing more & more that i could stay longer. A few weeks ago i was ready to hop on the first plane out of here. I missed my friends, my family, and my car. I had hit the all time low in homesickness. My host family could tell that i was missing home and all the holiday traditions that came with it. Considering Halloween had just passed.

Preparing myself for the Holidays was just the beginning to the few days i have left. To my luck, i have already purchased all of my Christmas gifts for my friends and family. Sadly, Denmark hasn’t figured out how to grow a money tree yet either! It was always a pleasure to purchase things with money when you were making money. Although now that I'm not making money and just spending it, i feel more stingy than i was before. I bet I’m not the only one who has that feeling considering from what i hear the economy has not gotten any better.

This upcoming weekend i will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my host family. Turkey Day is not celebrated anywhere else than the USA, yet because i am living with them I am going to cook for them. They will be inviting all their family and i am inviting two of my American friends who are also exchange students. It would be nice for them to celebrate with us considering they are missing home too. The largest turkey that you can buy on the island of Bornholm is 9lbs, which as you know will not serve 12 people. Therefore i will also be making a honey baked ham and tons of side dishes. I cant wait to dig my fork into the stuffing; my FAVORITE!

The upcoming weeks left will bring a trip to the southern end of Denmark, near the German border. We will be visiting Benjamin at his school and seeing how he spends his everyday life away from home. FYI: Benjamin is my host family’s son, he goes to another school in Denmark and takes grade 9 there. The following weeks also bring a week off from school and then back to say my goodbyes for the last 2 weeks of school.

Today though, has just been one of those days. Those days where you just don’t feel like getting up. Those days where all you want is some peace & quiet. Those days where life seems to be going so fast around you. Yes, today has just been one of those days.

So we begin our count at Day 30.

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Kyle M. Lyon (USA2DENMARK)

FALL BREAK

It has been some time since i have written in my blog...sorry guys! It has been extremely crazy around here. In the past week we had fall break and birthdays and school!

Fall Break was sooo much fun. For the week we went back to Copenhagen and stayed at another Bed and Breakfast. Although ths one was above a bakery. So every morning we got fresh bread and baked goods at our bedside to enjoy and sip a hot cup of Danish coffe! Yum :) The bed and breakfast was a journey that we did not expect to get when we first arrived in Copenhagen. To start the first night that we arrived, there was no heat. When the atmosphere outside is in the 30s and all you want is a warm room to go to, well we got ice cold rooms. So that night we had to fall asleep in the cold. Just to keep warm we closed all the blinds and lit every candle available. Also my host dad started to use a toaster that was in the living room tha was for breakfast purposes! None of it helped! Once we fell asleep, half way through the night the heat kicked in. Since our heater was on full heat, we arose the next morning to a Suana like room! At that point we were begging for the cold air to come in. All sharing one shower it took us some time to ge ready to go out for our first day in copehagen. Yet one more thing happend before we left. In out room there was a giant lamp haging between the beds and the whole time we hit it everytime we had to pass. Well i got a little mad at it when i hit my head on it,...so i slapped the lamp! Well to our surprise the lamp snapped off its cord and flew to the floor. The only thing was, Benjamin (my host brother) was leaning over putting on his socks. So when the lamp snapped it came 2in from taking off his head!!

Our first day in copenhagen was sooo much fun, we spent most of the day in Tivoli. This is an old amusement park that has been known for its amazing archetecture and light displays. For lunch that day, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe Copenhagen! That was cool bc everyone spoke english there and i had to order for my host family, bc they wanted me to feel special. hahaha! The rest of the day was spent at tivoli also, then we went to dinner at my host familys grandparents home. Although the adults wanted to sit and sip coffee, all of us took the Metro back into the city and went back to Tivoli at night time.

The next morning at the bread and breakfast was another interesting one! Excited to take that morning shower, I arose to only find the water was ice cold!! We had not hot water and the owner was so sorry that he gave us a brunch that morn for all the trouble we had been through. Even once we finished there was still no hot water so i had to wash my hair in the ice cold water. It felt like i was becoming a polar bear!

The rest of the week was alot of fun including shopping, and site seeing, IKEA shopping, and food!! But one thing was the highlight of the trip! That was the concert we went to. We went to the largest stadium in Denmark and saw Aqua perform in concert!!! Before they came out we also so Medina and Banannas in Pajamas! IT was soo epic! THe concert was soo cool, there was 27,000 people in the arena and it lasted over 6 hours long. I also ran as far up to the front of the crowd and was only about 3 meters away from the stage!!!!

My trip to Copenhagen was quiet fun and i was very sad when we had to hop on that ferry back to the normal life on Bornholm!
This comming week is Halloween and even though it is not celebrated here in Denmark, we are planning to have a Halloween Party. Its time to show Denmark just how we Americans do it!!! Hope it all goes well and cant wait to share more stories.
Its sad to say that i only have 6 weeks left here in the MARK OF DANES!

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Kyle Lyon (USA2DENMARK)

OVer the Hill!

This past weekend, has been the best experience fro me by far. Being that is was my (host fathers) 50th Birthday, we were leaving the tiny island of Bornholm and hiking to the big city. Leaving Friday night at midnight we rode the night ferry for 6 hours, where we slept in our cabin for most the time. When 545 am came around all of us in our cabin were woken by some loud rumbling. I thought the ship was sinking or something tragic was occurring. Yet when i looked out the window i saw land. The ferry that was preparing to dock to the shores of Koere. Everyone woke up and began to look out the window. Now being my first time off the island since i had arrived, i was so excited to look around. And what did i see... A big mass of land full of TRASH! along with the piles of stinky garbage surrounding the ship, it was raining and once again...COLD! We deboarded the ship and got in our car that had taken the ride with us across the Baltic Sea in the cargo hull.

We began our morning with a pit stop at a bakery where they bought all types of goodies, but we couldn't enjoy them till we got to their friends house in Copenhagen. When we arrived we I got to me some friends of my host family and we enjoyed a breakfast filled of sweets, breads, butter, and coffee! The morning quickly got lost from under our feet and it was time to get going to the hotel we would be staying at. On our way we passed right through downtown Copenhagen. When we arrived at the hotel it was located way north of the city in a suburban area on the coast by the beach. To my surprise the hotel was extremely extravagant. Filled with plush seating and warm paintings. The patio had wicker chairs and giant wicker lamps hanging from the center of each chair grouping. At night the hotel was lit up by spotlights and the restaurant where lit by candle light. The porch with all the wicker furniture had heating lamps on to keep everyone warm. Also on the porch giant chandeliers that rested on the ground had candles placed inside to add a romantic feel. LOL The night came to an amazing meal which we shared with my host families relatives. Lots of SKOLS (Cheers) and thanks were given. I was taught the correct way to drink wine. When the danish celebrate special occasions it is very popular to have a different wine with every course of the meal. So we had 3 different wines. And no it wasn't like wine get drunk... it was wine to taste and enjoy. I was told how to tell a good wine from a bad and what flavors i should taste for to see how the growing season was. The immaculate dinner ended around 9o'clock but the talking and laughing didn't not end till around midnight.

During the meeting of my host families relatives, i met one that was quite interesting...Mary Anne. The thing that interested me about her was that she was a Baroness. She told me stories where she has had lunch with the Princess of Denmark and have met and gone to parties with the Prince of Germany, the Princess of Wales, and The Queen of Denmark. It was absolutely amazing to meet someone that has interacted with royalty and has experienced a very formal life style.

The weekend brought so many new learning experiences. I got to dine with a man who's is over the hill, learn how to sip wine the correct way with a Danish Baroness, and Finally begin to feel part of my new family here in Denmark.

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Kyle Lyon (USA2DENMARK)

Sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long on the new post! It has just been crazy around here. Well to bring you up to date ill start off with last weekend.

It was the beginning of Friday when i was informed that one of the many people i met at wonder festiwall was having a Birthday Party and i was invited to attend. I was so excited that i had final began to make friends and get invited to go places! I accepted the invitation and asked my host family if i could go. Of course they said "yes" and said that i didn't have a curfew but to knock on their door so they knew i was home. I left for the party at 9 and yes i had to ride my bicycle in the cold. Yet on the upside, i no have that girly neon yellow bicycle with the basket! Once i got to the party everyone was so happy that i came. It's funny because they seem to have a hard time saying my name so allot of times I'm just called "The American!" Being at her house for the first time, she showed me around and i met her parents. They were very nice and the house was neat because the front of it was a dress store! Her mom apparently make wedding dresses and formal dresses for some VIPs(VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLES). One of these important people was the queen of Denmark. There were pics of her and the queen wearing her dress she made. Once the grand tour was over the party began upstairs and i met some new people and we listen to some new music. But of course when it was my turn to choose a song, i choose some American songs and they didn't know any of them! Later toward the evening they wanted to go for a walk around downtown which i thought would be fun. WRONG! When we got outside it was 7 degrees Celsius which is like 21 degrees Fahrenheit. So i declined and rode back home on my bike...freezing! The funny thing is, at midnight in bronholm the street lights go out to save energy. So i had to have a light on my bike (its a law), well the light i had wasn't very powerful so i was squinting the whole way home. Not noticing a bike barrier we have to go around carefully, i sort of ran straight into it! hahaha my back wheel came flying up and i almost did a face plant. Haha luckily it was night & dark so no one saw me!

The next day was a pretty relaxing day we hung out around the house and i helped my host family clean. That evening though i thought i would go and hang out with one of my friends from the party the other night. We walked around and talked and had fun, but she was getting cold so she wanted to get a coat from her house. But bc her dad and mom don't live together, we had to go to her dads house to get it. When we arrived it looked like a normal house and nothing special. Until we walked through the garden/courtyard to the front yard. I didn't think much of it at first but as we were leaving she showed me something...it was a plant and they seemed to cover the entire garden. I looked more carefully and it was what i thought it was...WEED! Things got really uncomfortable, i was like great I'm at a house with someone i barley know and there is weed, what if the cops come swarming in and I'm standing here. They would go American your guilty, i would get deported. hahah i made up some excuse and said i had to leave bc i had a curfew. Once i left for home the first thing i did was delete that person from my contact list in my phone. I know people back home that do that stuff, which is bad. But to be involved with people who do it here in Denmark is another thing bc it is still illegal in Denmark too. NO THANK YOU!

This current weekend was the best! On Friday afternoon there was a party at the Gymnasium and our class made a volleyball team to compete at the tournament. They asked me to make the name, so bc we are the science line which is tons of smart ppl(lol don't ask me how i got in there) so i said we should be the "Geek Squad!" Everyone busted out laughing when they heard it and said OK. We did pretty well at the tournament, we made to the third round but then lost. That night we had a party at our house for everyone from last years trip in the spring. It was great, i got to see so many ppl who are at different schools that i haven't see. We hung out and talked and caught up. Then we went to downtown to club moonlight and all had a great time.
Saturday morning we were all tired, we cleaned up and took naps. That evening we went to dinner on the northern side of the island (Svanyke) at some place called Restaurant Parkhuset. It was so good, i had my first true Bornholmer meal. It was a steak cooked on a wooden block and then mashed potatoes covering it so you cant see it, then baked in the oven to make a crust over it all. It was soo good but i couldn't finish it all.

On the upside to everything, my danish is improving week by week and i can now say some thing and answer questions. I also start French in school too!(Mrs. Nurisso would be so glad I'm not forgetting everything) So i am becoming a very tri-lingual person (English, French and Danish)

Cant wait to see what next week will bring and the stories ill have to share!

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Kyle Lyon (USA2DENMARK)

Part 3 Wonder Festiwall

In america, the first thing that you picture when you hear of a festival is cotton candy and funnel cakes! Yet in Denmark, when you say festiwall the first thing they think of is blasting music, øl (beer), and most of all castle ruins!? The beginning of the weekend brought many opportunities to me that i have never experienced. It all began when i was invited to Wonder Festiwall. I was a little hesitant of course because i was invited by some friends that i did not know well. Although my host family urged me to attend and get the experience. So i accepted the invite. Now a danish festiwall is not one day, it is all weekend. Plus you dont leave and come back, you sleep there over night for 2 nights! So i packed up my sovepose (sleepingbag) and my toothbrush and hiked out of the house for the beggining of my adventure. When Christian arrived to get me, i threw my bag in the back trunk and we left town, but as i sat in the back seat i realized how long we were driving. I thought to myself, "If for some reason i get lost out here, i have no clue on how to get home!" Once we pulled up i saw the ruins of Hamershus Castle. Apparently the festiwall took place in the fields infront of these ruins. It was too cool!

Camp was already set up once i arrived, so i lucked out and didnt have to put together one of those annoying tents with a thousand peices. With in short time the music began to play and the drunks began to walk! It was soo odd to see so many young people so wasted. (Mostly because the drinking age in Denmark is 16)Another thing that was quiet funny was the way Danish ppl dance. They tend to sway their arms and point at each other. (hahahaha) I think if they flapped them any faster they may have taken off like a bird! When night fell the camp was filled with echoes of techno music blasting from the DJ's tent and people laughing. I called it a night around 1am thinking i would fall asleep easily and see what tomorrow brought. And then the wind came, along with the cold! I woke up in the middle of the night to temp. about 9-10 degrees celcius ( almost 50 degrees fahrenheit)And the wind was blowing strong enough to blow over tents!

When the morning arrived along did the RAIN! It poured till about 1pm and although it was raining, the music still went on. Luckley my host family didnt think i brought enough warm clothes so they brought me my big heavy winter coat and some money. (I think i have the best host family ever!) That night became more comfortable with my friends and opened up a little...more like alot! We were dancing and singing and having a great time! Let me tell you though, i am not very big on dancing in front of people. I think everyone is staring at me! Well to top this off i was pulled up on the stage where the DJ was and had to dance in front of everyone! I started slow but then i realized people liked the way i was dancing because it was a little different than others. It felt so good and i had a blast! I pulled up my other friend from Venezuala (NINA) and we broke it down foreign style!!!

The weekend brought so much fun and great memories! Surprisingly the music was really good and the castle managed to still be standing by the end of it! I thought from all the amps & BOOMS, it would be in peices. I went home on sunday afternoon Wet again (because it began to rain again) cold and covered in mud. Sunday ended in a hot shower and long nap!

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Kyle Lyon (USA2DENMARK)

Part 2

Have you ever been to a horse race??? Last night i was introduced to the world of Danish horse racing. They ride on these funny looking carts behind the horses and not on a saddle. UMMM...?OKAY! Yet i did get to bet on a horse i picked. Going up to the stand i put 20kr. on my horse #3. It was on, my horse had to win and especialy beat Nicolai's horse #2. The race began and #2 was in the lead, yet on the last strech my horse pulled in 1st and i won! I thought i was going to get sooo much money. I only got 44kr so minus the 20kr i only made 22kr witch is about $5. HAHA! So i bet it on another horse (all of it)... and guess what! I lost it all! Owell! It was an experience though!

The next day arrived aka today! It was great i didnt have to go to school till 1015. Besides the usual day, i did get to meet some new ppl and they invited me to go to the beach with them, but i had to cook dinner tonight! It was my night! I met my host family at the grocery store(yes, on my neon yellow bicycle!and dont forget the basket!)where we shoped for the ingredients we needed for my dinner. I thought it would be nice to make an American dish, WRONG! They dont have anything here. I wanted to make chicken with it alian bread crumbs. In danish chicken is Kylling! The y is pronounced like an O. Either way they dont have bread crumbs so i used flour. Along with that i made mashed potatoes, but then the potatoes here are small compared to idahoe potatoes. So here i am in the kitchen peeling amillion potatoes to equal the normal amount you would use for mashed potatoes. The only thing normal was the veggie i made. Broccoli! The meal was delicious and the Nicolai said it reminded him of Bojangles from when he visited the States! To top off the meal, for dessert i introduced them to Jell-o!! Chocolate pudding flavor! It was a hit and they didnt leave one crumb. (most likley bc the dog cleaned off the plate once we put it in the dishwasher! ahahaaha)! The night was concluded with the new show southland and Rush Hour proceeding it!

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Kyle Lyon (USA2Denmark)

The Begining!

This is my fair warning for any teachers that may be reading this, that my grammar and my spelling may not be perfect! "COUGH COUGH," (Ms. Deal & Ms. Roberts)! Hopefully everyone will enjoy this and get a kick out of the adventures i am having here in Denmark!



Can you only imagine sitting at the airport awaiting to depart on the flight that will take you to another country for 1/2 a year. You think it would be exciting! Wrong! It is so NERVE RACKING! Having to think of budgeting money, making your connecting flight, meeting your new family and attending a school where you only know 15 ppl. Yet, once my flight did touch down on the island of Bornholm; located off the coast of Denmark, I learned that it all sort of disappeared. My frets and worries seemed to drift away and that feeling of excitement Finaly arrived. The first few days were mostly about settling in and getting comfortable with my host family. I have a whole room to myself and my own bicycle. That bike will now be my new best friend!! hahaha. There are no Range Rovers driving around this island. AND NO!, they don't drive on the other side of the road.

When the weekend arrived, the parents had to go to Copenhagen for a wedding so Nicolai (My HOST BROTHER) had the whole house to ourselves. We went to this big paintball festival for his work that day and got to play paintball all day. It was soo funny because i think everyone saw me as the target because I was the American!! Yet, they were pretty surprised when the American was the one getting them out! I managed to come out of those battles with only 3 bullet wounds. Which in paintball, it is marble size welts that turn black and blue for days. That night Nicolai decided to take me out for a welcome party. lets just say it began with a long bike ride, and ended with a long bike ride!!!HAHAHA

The weekend brought so much fun to my life, and really made me not think about home. Yet on Monday i had to begin School! Surprisingly evrthing went great but i cant understand a word their saying. It is all in Danish!! I got to see many old friends from the Spring, from Emma to Kion to Nanna! I was tested with my Danish by them trying to get me to say ROD GROD MIL FLODE! and no it is not as easy as it looks. The o's have lines through them but the English keyboard doesn't have them.

Finally today i was going for my second day at school and i can say that saying with practice from my host family! Let me say Everyone was pretty impressed. But to start my day you will not believe what happened. I went to hop on my best friend (aka my bicycle) AND THE TIRE IS FLAT!! It stunk so bad. The resolution to this problem was i had to take this neon yellow bike to school today! I swear everyone was looking at me bc 1st of all i look foreign and 2nd of all, imagine a pretty neon yellow bike with a basket on the front being rode with a guy like me on it!!! LOL I DON'T THINK SOOO!

Although this is all quiet exciting for my first few days i wonder what adventures will await in the upcoming months I'm here.

Keep in touch!
Kyle Lyon (USA2Denmark)