Greetings!
Where to start with this post! The goal of this post is to set some intentions, goals, and hopes for my trip to the Netherlands and Denmark! As I begin to write this, I am on a 10 hour flight to Frankfurt where I will then transfer over to Copenhagen via another 2 hour flight! I am not sure what it is about airplanes, maybe it’s being so far from the ground and sort of feeling disconnected, but I feel like planes are the best place to reflect and just think. In fact, I was sort of waiting to write this post until I had begun traveling (partly because I always think people who are typing and doing work on airplanes seem super cool and studious)!
I found out about this study abroad program over a year ago during my first term at the University of Oregon. I am half Norwegian and have always been fascinated with Norwegian and Scandinavian culture, especially after my Grandmother (my closest relative who was directly a migrant) passed away. I searched on the UO study abroad portal programs about my interests located in Scandinavia, and behold, Sustainable Bicycling Abroad. From that moment on, the program was stuck in my mind; I knew I wanted to go. I then enrolled in a Scandinavian Studies class called Revision of the Scandinavian Dream taught by Michael Stern and was able to learn even more about Scandinavian culture. I am SO beyond excited that this trip is finally happening… it does not even feel real yet, even as I sit here on an airplane flying somewhere int he Atlantic Ocean!
I digress! Let’s get back to my goals, hopes, and intentions. To start, I hope to learn! And I know I will. I am already learning how to travel by myself, book hostels, and navigate being on my own. I hope to learn A TON. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so lucky to have a spot on this trip and am able to go! Now for specifics. I am a huge list girl. I made countless lists going into this trip to prepare. So here is a rapid-fire-style list of my specific hopes and what I want to specifically learn more about.
- Bicycle Design (I found great videos about differences in the physical design of bicycles. See Pre-Assignment Trip Post)
- Culture; I hope to learn about biking culture and just differing cultures in general!
- Sustainability; As an environmental studies major, this is always a focus of mine!
- Attitudes and People; I want to observe, talk to, and understand the people in these cities who live bicycle lifestyles.
- Innovations; I hope to learn about inventions and innovations about cycling planning and come up with my own creative ideas to bring back home.
Those are the main things I hope to learn about and have in mind, but overall I am just so excited for a new experience, place, and culture!
Yours,
Macy