adventure begins

I am packing and in the process of selling my car before the big trip. Truly it is a distinct reminder of my American self...How is it possible to be so attached to a physical object?  I put more time and, honestly, money into my degree and teaching certification, yet leaving behind a teaching position was less stressful than selling my car.  As mom so astutely pointed out--Callie, you can't be snobby about the man who buys your car.  True enough, but I was much happier to find a different buyer in the form of a daughter starting college with a father who actually seemed to care about my baby/Xterra.  (yes, I realize how silly I  am.)  

As far as packing goes, I'll add more on that in the next post.  Hopefully this year will truly teach me the art of minimalism.  Because I'm pretty sure I need that.  Efficiency, competency, capability, etc I have...but minimalizing my stuff/life...not so much.  


Cheers.
-Callie

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In case anyone wanted a taste of any of the many quirks of life in Denmark as an American that I will be experiencing, here's a link to a great moron's guide to American's visiting/living in Denmark.  Even in my limited experience I can already appreciate most of his very candid and apt descriptions of life and idiosyncrasies there.    My favorite lines include:

medicine: Danish doctors like to tell cold and flu patients to drink chamomile tea, which isn't what most Americans want to hear.
pedestrian travel: Whenever I'm visited by someone from the states, I inevitably end up having to grab their arms and jerk them back to stop them from stepping directly in front of an oncoming bicycle.  You really, really need to be aware of those bike lanes.
dress: You can wear distressed clothing, if that's your look, but you had better wear it well.
smørrebrød or open sandwiches: Then the Danes will laugh at you and tell you what you ought to have done, even as they inform you that, of course, you're free to put whatever you want on your bread. Snicker, snicker.
drinking: Danes are definitely drinkers by nature, but they're beer and wine and snaps drinkers. Learn to be one.
recycling: Denmark is extremely environmentally conscious.   Pathologically so.  It's practically a religion with them.  There are recycling bins for everything, everywhere.  The sorting of garbage is virtually an art form.
transportation: So you basically pay three times the MSRP for the privilege of operating a vehicle you don't really need that runs on a fuel more expensive than beer.  You'll want a bike.