Interesting Comment - Jante Law

The Jante Law is something I learned about after 3 months of living in Denmark. I went on a course with Susanne from work called Dealing with the Danes, and it was one of the coolest things I have been a part of. It really helped me understand why Danes are the way they are.

This law is comprised of 10 different rules, and the basis of it is essentially that there is one single theme:

Don't think you're anyone special or that you're better than us.

The ten rules are:

Don't think that you are special.
Don't think that you are of the same standing as us.
Don't think that you are smarter than us.
Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.
Don't think that you know more than us.
Don't think that you are more important than us.
Don't think that you are good at anything.
Don't laugh at us. Don't think that anyone of us cares about you.
Don't think that you can teach us anything.

And lastly: Don't think that there is something we don't know about you.

What is interesting about this concept is Danes really do abide by it in a sense - they almost believe in anoniminity. They are happy being content...and not necessarily standing out amongst the group and exceeding.

I bring up this point because of an interesting conversation I had with a girl I play soccer with - one who has become a good friend of mine, Lonnie Kristensen.

Our soccer team had a really, really tough game one weekend. We were winning the game, but then became tied in the second half. This particular game meant a lot to us, and we fought back hard to win with 10 minutes left in the game. The whole team had a tough game, but I can confidently say that the defense won the game for us - like the saying, offense sells tickets, defense wins game. This really was true for my fellow defenders and myself this day.

I knew how well the defense played. And in the US, it is okay to celebrate your successes. After the game, the 4 girls that played most of the defense that game were standing around each other. I made the comment that, 'Girls, we need to be proud of ourselves. We won this game today for the team.' No one really said much, and we just started talking about our plans for the night.

A few days later, Lonnie brought up to me that she thought it was so cool that I made that comment, or even more so, that I am able and capable of making that comment. That because of Jante Law, she would never, or any other Dane for that matter, would never think to say that, because they don't want to feel like they are better, they don't want to separate themselves from the group.

Just sit and think about that for a second. There is a pretty severe lack of cockiness here, and it is really cool. I never would have thought twice about making a comment like that....and now I do!

Oktoberfest - Munich, Gemany

I was pleasantly surprised by Oktoberfest in Munich!!! It definitely was not as much of a drunk fest as I thought it was going to be - it was much more family oriented. Of course, if you had a seat and a table in a beer tent, there was hard core drinking going on there. But if you were not in a beer tent and were just walking around the fair grounds, it was actually very difficult to find an alcoholic beverage. The fairgrounds were filled with amusement park rides, games, fun houses, etc. During the day, there were lots of children...it was very fun.

I loved the traditional costumes. The Germans seem to be very proud of their heritage, and most everyone is wearing a traditional costume, the young and the old.

The drive from Aarhus to Munich was a long one...we left Thursday night and drove through the night. We arrived around 8am Friday morning. We were with a pretty great group! It was myself, Rachel, Anne, Mathias, Kanne, Mads and Soeren. On Friday, the girls went sightseeing through Munich as the actual Oktoberfest did not open until Saturday morning...

My camera was a casualty of the weekend, so luckily my friend Anne gave me copies of the pictures she had taken.

As a whole, it was a great time, and I would definitely go back!

The two hour car ride back from the border (Flensburg, Germany) to Aarhus was awful when we came home. 7 of us crammed into one car, and Rachel and I shared the front seat for 2 hours.

The boys watching a soccer match in our hotel room

My gangsta impersonation. The guy next to us is a German guy who was a security guard at the fun house that Rachel and I frequented. He took us out on Sunday night after Oktoberfest closed.

Anne and Soeren

Our security friend handcuffed me

This was the greatest part of the whole Oktoberfest. The fast spinning tunnel thing in the fun house!

Anne

This random drunk Italian guy named Fillipo was hanging out with us and making out with all kinds of girls - we saw him make out with 3 girls within a matter of 2 hours

Me, Rachel, Mads, Kanne, Soeren and Mathias

Walking through the park, people passed out - notice the guy on the ground, behind the bench, by the car

Passed out Heidi

In the beer tents

The neverending line at the bathroom...but it went so quickly!

Waiting in line to fill up liters of beer

Part of the opening parade

Realization of Things I Miss about my Home in the US

Traveling back to the US is always exciting! I start a count down about 3 weeks before I go. It is always amazing to see everyone and everything and eat my favorite foods. But without fail, about 3 days before I head back to Europe, I always get sad. I want to fast forward my last days in the US and just be on the plane back to my 'home.' Another realization for me is that I HATE saying goodbye. I cry every time. It is just this awful pitted-knot in my stomach.


Who knows where my home is now? I love living in Europe right now, but the US will always be my home, and I am proud to say I am American. And I love to say I am from the Midwest, as well - good old Midwest values.

I was reflecting on the plane on the way back, and here are some things I realize that I miss a lot:

1) Family and friends. Duh, no brainer there.

2) Watching my friends' and family's kids grow - my god, Oliver was totally speaking to me, I have only seen Elliot when he was 3 weeks old, Whitney is a senior in high school, Kaity is in college! And I won't even get into my friend's children...one of my best friends had her first child while I was in Denmark, so I have now seen him as a 3 month old and an 11 month old. So much changes...

3) Being able to fully understand conversations around me. Even if I am not a part of them. Just being able to hear and understand what two people are discussing in a store is amazing. At times in Denmark, I feel like I live in a bubble - I am so completely in my own world. It is nice to feel more included.

4) Certain foods and restaurants and drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic). My favorite tv shows.

5) Knowing where to go to buy specific things you don't use everyday. For example, I have wood floors in my new apartment, and I wanted to buy those floor protector things (for couches and chairs, etc) that you would find at Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things. For the life of me, I didn't know where to go to find them here, and quite frankly, it was just too hard. So I bought them when I was back in the US!

6) One of the things that can be so deflating is to constantly ask someone 'Can you speak English, please?' I will absolutely never get used to that.

US in August

Ok, I don't know why this website is not allowing me to begin typing before this picture, but this picture is important enough, so here we go.

On my way back to Denmark, I was on a little plane from St. Louis to Atlanta. I was sitting right where this picture was taken. We were pulling into the gate in Atlanta when all of a sudden, you heard a loud noise, like the sound of metal tearing. If you look to the right of the wing, near the end (close to the blue), you can see that the metal did tear. The wing hit the catering truck and messed it up bad. I am glad I was getting off that plane!


So the US was great as usual. The main purpose of flying home was for bridesmaid duties - I was a bridesmaid in my good friend from SLU (played soccer with her) Anny's wedding. I started my trip in StL, headed to Vegas, then went to LA, and back to St. Louis for the wedding. Great times were had in every city, but sadly, that is the last trip I have 'planned' back home until after I graduate next June. Pretty much something I don't want to spend too much time thinking about.

I have also realized, I want to fast-forward the last 3 days of every trip home. It is the realization that the trip is ending and I am heading back...but am I leaving my home, or going to my home? I currently feel like I live in a state of flux, and am not exactly sure where I belong anymore. And this trip home has made me realize some of my relationships have changed, but I can only hope it is for better.

I love you and miss you all terribly. Please come visit!

Little D - Daniel - Naz's first baby. He is hilarious!

Daniel holding and wearing the Danish presents I brought home for his 1st birthday

Daniel with the well-known Danish (well, Swedish actually) backpack. How cute to carry that to daycare or wherever? Oh yeah, and Naz and Jon also :)

Naz and D with his first eating set

Christine, an old roomie from Dallas, flew in from Boston to spend the weekend with me! My friend Cathy let me borrow her wheels...we nicknamed her the Robinmobile!

Granny and I at the Cardinals game

Go Cards! God, I miss this! Nothing better than a baseball game in StL in the summer

Bride and groom at the Cardinals game

Tim and I

Christine and I at the game

Granny and Tim's girlfriend Jessica

Kiener Plaza - we took wedding photos here too

Bouquets at the reception - and two of Anny's three brothers are in the Marines

The wedding cake - bride and groom are soccer fanatics

My date down the aisle

Anny and her parents

Walk down the aisle

Showing off the big soccer thighs!

Anny and I

Christine and I after the rehearsal dinner

Kelly and I

Anny and I at the rehearsal dinner

My family surprised me in StL at the rehearsal dinner!

Getting the bridesmaid gifts

My friend Cathy's daughter Francesca - I think with this picture, I should be a professional photographer!

Anny and her aunt on stage at the Bachelorette

I always smile at the sight of this

Seeing my good friend Beth preggers for the first time

Out with some of the Neiman's girls

Naz and I

Me, Oliver and Brad at Venice Beach

Lissy is preggers too!

Dad and son with their sandcastle!

I was able to go for a ride in Santa Monica on Chad's boat

My best guy friend, Chad

A prison

Daddy-o and I

The Vegas crew, in the Huffer house for our last dinner together before I left

The aunts: Stacey, Nan, me and Suzy, enjoying a night out

My god, chicken fingers with wing sauce and ranch. SOOO excited for this!

The Young family tree that my cousin Whitney put together for her boyfriend Casey, to help him understand just who we are and who belongs to whom.

Granny and I at Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

The new bridge being built to bypass the Hoover Dam traffic. Suzy loves this architectural feat, and drove Granny and I there specifically to see it. The bridge connects the states of Arizona and Nevada

Grant and I - like my 3rd brother!

Grant and I

Kelsey and I and the puppies

'Uncle' Brett and Tony

The patio palace!

Granny, looking good!

Huffer's pool

View from Huffer's backyard

Abby, Steve and Nan

The girls on a day of shopping, aunts and cousins, both adopted and not

'Aunt' Stacey

Crazy cousin Kels!

Kaity getting some sugar from Sugar

Hot mama!

Cousin love!

You should have seen Kaity helping her get on and off this thing!

Kelly, one of my bf's, at one of the best restaurants in StL...Pueblo Solis!

Kelly's daughter Emma