After flying 16 hours from Portland to and then Germany, I finally made it to Copenhagen. I arrived at nine PM and felt a rush of excitement as I boarded the Metro to the city center. I’ve honestly never been a great navigator but was surprised by how easy it was to locate the hostel. After getting a late dinner, besides the fact that it was still light out, I passed out by midnight. I woke at nine the next morning eager to start the day. I met up with a few other students that I recognized from the pre-orientation meeting and we ventured out into the winding streets to find breakfast. We ended up at a small cafe right near the hostel. There wasn’t a cell phone in sight and it was refreshing to see people engulfed in intimate conversations.
I almost didn’t want to leave the comfort of the cafe, but was eager to get my bike. Our instructors told us to observe the local cyclists before meeting in a nearby park. We were also told to go with only one other person and to use a paper map-something I’d never done before. As soon as I hopped on my bike and exited the hostel, I noticed that almost everyone was biking in professional clothing. It was slightly before five, so I assume that people are commuting home from work. The streets were packed. I felt like an annoyance, constantly getting in the way and slowing people down. One of the most confusing aspects of bike riding here is making left turns. Instead of making a left turn at the closest crosswalk, you go straight to cross the street and then make a left turn from there. There were a few close calls on the ride. It’s definitely going to take me a few days to get used to this.
To my surprise, I didn’t get lost! I did however have trouble using the paper map because I couldn’t locate my starting point. I only found where I wanted to end up. I shamefully resorted to google maps to make it to the park. The ride lasted 15 minutes. It’s amazing all that you can see in such a short amount of time. We ended the ride by biking over a cycling bridge. The bridge was a two-way cycle track with plenty of room for multiple bikers on each side. I felt more safe and protected than I ever have because there was no busy traffic and blasting horns by my side. We ended the ride at an airplane play structure and ate delicious pizza, something different from my usual Dominos order. It was a restful way to end a stressful, yet eye-opening ride.
After observing local cyclists for the first few days, I’ve noticed that people will carry anything on their bikes, especially ones with cargo carts attached to the front. I’ve seen people carrying musical instruments, food, delivery bags, pets, and even children. I can imagine the excitement of a child sitting in a cart and feeling the wind on their face. I’ve also noticed that it stays light extremely late and the sun rises very early, which is helpful for those with a longer commute to work. I really love it here so far and already admire so many wonderful aspects of this city.
(This was taken at 10 PM for reference).