A Trip to Cozy and Back
The Lake family embraces the beauty, climate, and culture of Denmark's capital in Suzy's latest blog post.
We recently spent some time in Copenhagen, Denmark. Our purpose was to move my oldest daughter, Avery, who begins her multi-city study abroad this month. We were also thrilled to “pick up” our middle daughter, Delaney, who finished her Italian study abroad this month. Our family feels a bit scattered right now, so having time with all five of us in one place, albeit far from home, felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up. We won’t have that again until she returns home at Christmas.
Copenhagen would never have made my list of “places to go.” I’m glad I was somewhat forced into visiting, as I can’t imagine not having seen it now that I have. I keep thinking about it now that I’m home, and I’ve wanted to get my thoughts written down before I forget them.
Here are some amazing things about Copenhagen and Denmark in general.
- It’s beautiful—both in aesthetic beauty and in a cool climate. It’s June, and the weather barely hit the 70-degree mark. There were a few rain showers, but it was mostly sunny and comfortable, and I don’t believe it gets much hotter than 80 degrees EVER. Nor does it snow and ice very much, but it does cool off in the winter months to the 30s.
- It’s SUNNY! This time of the year, it’s sunny from about 4:30 AM until almost 10 pm, and it’s not super “dark” until almost 11 pm. VERY STRANGE. I’m told it’s the exact opposite during the winter months. Can you even imagine that much darkness? From someone who LOVES the dark winter months here, even I feel slightly unsettled with that much of one or the other.
- The salaries there are high, but so are the taxes. Of note and different from America, there is an inherent TRUST in the government to manage their taxes well, and we never encountered anyone who felt resentful of the amount they pay in taxes. They are provided subsidized childcare, free education through the university/graduate level, including being paid a living wage to go to college, full health care, retirement salaries, and excellent unemployment benefits even though, surprisingly, the unemployment rate is very low.
- The entire city has a healthy feel. Biking and walking are common, and an incredible public transport system fills in for those who can’t do as much physically. We used the buses and trains all week and never took an Uber or taxi once. (We actually couldn’t use Uber because it was recently banned there. There is an Uber-ish option that utilizes electric cars, contributing to the country’s highly valued environmentally sustainable goals.)
- The country is filled with beautiful castles and churches, even though only 2% of the country actively attends a weekly church service. Interestingly, the government provides tax dollars to help maintain and fund the churches.
- There is a fantastic concept practiced throughout Denmark known as Hygge. Hard to pronounce, hygge (“hooga”) is difficult to explain, too. In brief, hyyge is about taking time away from the daily rush to be together with people you care about—or even by yourself—to relax and enjoy life’s quieter pleasures. Someone said if they had to pick one American word to describe it, it would be COZY. How fantastic is that? Getting to cozy is basically my daily goal.
Visit babyfocals.com to read more about their adventures!