Copenhagen, Denmark 05.14-17.2016
As I hoped on a plane to Copenhagen with only £50 pounds in my bank account, a backpack filled with more camera gear then clothes and essentials combined I knew I would somehow manage. I didn't have a set plan or itinerary but the moment I landed in Denmark I knew this trip was going to be special.
The reason that lead me to come to this city was word of mouth from friends in London. So immediately I knew my next destination.
Once I had gotten to Copenhagen, I took the bus to meet my host who I would be staying with for the night. My host Rosen and his roommate both welcomed me into their man cave with hospitality and made me feel like I was involved with their daily lives. Rosen came from Bulgaria, a rough gang and war country full of turmoil. He came to Copenhagen for hopes to establish a career as a DJ and help his family back home however he could. I had already spent less than a hour with him and I could tell he was a compassionate and interesting person. We stayed up talking about corruption, life and all things in between playing video games. The following morning Rosen invited to show me around Copenhagen through a local's eye. I was surprised on how much he knew about the culture and history of the city he has only called home for the last 6 years. Me and Rosen couldn't be more different but through Couchsurfing we had a unique opportunity to bond over our past and future. I am thankful for his kind hospitality and the words we shared and will forever be grateful.
As I said my final goodbyes to Rosen, I headed towards my Hostel. I was exhausted from touring the city but knew I should get up and make some friends in the hostel, but I was interrupted when someone joined my hostel dorm. We quickly exchanged the typical "Where you from?" and "What brings you to CPH?". Alvaro was from Madrid, Spain but was currently studying in Lithuania. I was surprised to hear those words and immediately shared the fact that my background was Lithuanian and had been going there almost every summer since I was a little kid. By now it was late afternoon and I was ready for dinner. I invited Alvaro to come to the nearest supermarket and see if we could cook something up fast. If you are not familiar with Scandinavian countries they are very and I mean very expensive especially to backpackers and foreigners. So it looked like a pre-cooked meal and some pasta was what we could afford (more like splurge on!). After our bellies were full, I went back to our dorm to find a new member join us. I had found some mini chocolates in my backpack and immediately got a little ounce of energy and ended up talking the poor girl's ear off (bless here for not running out the door haha).
The newest member to my recruitment was Lucy from Northern England. With no set plans for the night we thought we start at the bar downstairs at the hostel and see if we could recruit more backpackers. As the night progressed Jaiegh from Utah, Lucy from Northern England, Alvaro from Madrid, a Aussie living in London and another girl from London, lastly myself we formed one big group in the bar that night. We all came from different backgrounds, cultures, and personalities, we were one unique group. With most of us wanting to see the nightlife in CPH and the urge to leave the comforts of our hostel we decided to head out to some bars. We ended up in German bar in CPH, how ironic. We shared beers, laughs and strange conversations with people along the sidewalk who bumped into our collective group. With half the group leaving the following morning they headed back "early" at around 3am while the rest of us made some friends along the way and didn't quite make it till around 5am (myself included).
My final day in CPH I was ready to explore more of the city but since my less than 24 hour friendship and bond with Lucy formed we came up with another plan for our day together. Everyone thinks solo travelling is lonely but I think it's quite the opposite. Since arriving in CPH I had not spent one minute on my own. This was because I had opened myself to more people and conversations that I would normally not be so open to. The rest of the day me and Lucy went on a hunt for a particular artist of sorts. But we both agreed to not share exactly what happened that day. Our little secret Luce :)
My time had come to a wicked end in CPH. After 2 flights, 1 bus, 1 car ride, 5 new friends, and a memory forever on me inked, it was time to go back to my hectic life in London.
