Towards the end of September, I received an amazing email. It was from my 'Cool Aunt' Nan, stating that she was going to use some of her vacation to come see me in Denmark! Now, Nan received that nickname from me after she visited our family in St. Louis. I believe I was about 10 or 11 years old, and our parents let us skip school that day to hang out with Nan - which was unheard of. So, from that day forward, she lovingly became Cool Aunt Nan.
But back to the email, we were going back and forth, trying to solidify plans. The whole trip was hush-hush. She wanted to be able to surprise people by posting pictures of her on Facebook surrounded by my Danish friends, to sort of have people think, 'Wait, what?!' Nan told me that she would be arriving on Friday, and I was out of the office on a team-building day for work. I had organized it so that my friend Lonnie would pick Nan up at the train station, because I could not be there. But I never heard any confirmation from Kaity or Larry as to whether or not Nan made the flight (as an employee of Continental Airlines, she flies free, but flies standby, so we don't always know the exact flight she will take). I was starting to really worry that she was going to be lost in Denmark somewhere by herself - I managed to call Vegas and wake Larry up in the middle of the night (Friday AM, so Friday afternoon for me). Turns out, her flight left on Friday, so she thought she arrived in Denmark on Friday - but because of the timezones, she actually loses a day and was scheduled to arrive in Denmark on Saturday. So, Nan was asleep in her bed in Vegas when I was frantically trying to find her in Denmark!
It was a great experience to have her over there. I have been able to show some of my immediate family and some of my friends a glimpse of my life over here. But that was while I was a student, and had a bit more of a carefree, laid-back lifestyle. Nan was able to visit after I had graduated and was working full-time, so it was great to be able to show a different perspective of my life over here.
I was so excited for the visit, and planned some special things, as I always try to do. From dinners in my friend's homes, to two road trips (one to the north of Jutland to see the seas meeting, and one to Funen the big island next to me, to visit Lonnie and Chanett's mom's), to nights out on the town, down to just day-to-day life, it was a great time.
I was able to take a few days off to spend some more time with Nan, which was great. But what was even better was while I was working, my Danish friend's took care of her. They would come over to my apartment and pick her up, take her to lunch, take her shopping, whatever the case may be. It just truly warmed my heart. Nan had some time alone as well, and I taught her about the bus system and which stops to get off at if she wanted to go around by herself. She went to the neighborhood grocery stores by herself and explored. We had nights on the couch, just watching tv or movies. She came with me to a friend's apartment for a soccer party, where she was able to see a lot of the gang from the summer in the US. It was just very nice and comforting experience to have a family member come visit. And it was her first time in Europe as well, so I think she enjoyed it!
I think the trip to Denmark solidified your title of Cool Aunt Nan.
Rudbjerg Mile - part of our road trip to the north - to be honest, some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life are in Northern Denmark
It was really windy at the top of the sand dune
Dinner at Susanne and Kasper's house - Susanne always goes above and beyond when my family and friends are in town - they served a great pork roast with traditional potatoes and a dessert that Nan loved! She got the recipe for it all - Susanne even bought her a box of the rice pudding to take home with her and translated the Danish directions on the box into English for her
Climbing the mountain!
An old cemetary
Walking around an old castle on Funen
A castle
An old time Danish village on Funen
Beautiful
So pretty
In the northernmost part of Denmark, Skagen
Den Tilsandede Kirke - the sanded up church; this part pictured is actually the steeple of the church - the rest is buried underground by sand
Learning old time lace weaving
Drinking a snaps shot with Lonnie's mom - they really hit it off!
At the soccer party
Surprise! There is Nan!
Cool Aunt Nan
Anette, Kenny's (Chanett's boyfriend) mom; I really like Anette, and she attempts to speak English to me when I see her. Nan and Anette hit it off very well; this was on Nan's last night, and Anette gave Nan a bracelet - it was so sweet to me, and again, I am continuously surprised by the kindness of 'strangers'
Lonnie wanted to meet Nan at the train station when she arrived, but Nan got on a faster train and did not tell us that, so we were a little late arriving - we did not greet her on the platform, as we had hoped; but we did greet her with Danish flags (traditional), and the American flag Granny brought with her when I first moved over here
The bracelet Anette gave Nan
Seeing Nan for the first time at the train station
Nan and Chanett having Galliano hot shots!
Chanett making Nan have an awful Danish shot - Underberg
Big trash bags on the side of the road
I thought the handles in bathrooms were cool, and how you had to lock them
The Nobel Museum
Lonnie and the little streets
This is a Swedish classic that I did not try - a snappy hot dog with fish, rolled in a tortilla
Check out how he has to get out of the car to open the garage to park
A cute park
Dome of a church
Out at the local 'club'
A dorm building
It was hilarious - this dog was scared of the fur and kept barking at it
Swedish phone booth
Near the castle
Chanett and Lonnie with the palace guard
Changing of the guards
The palace
Cute little narrow and short passageway
Strollers outside with babies - in Sweden too!
Love the accessibility for strollers
These are all forms of cheese - in a non-refrigerated section
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