A European education

Waking up my first day in a completely new country felt the same as waking up in Chicago, except I knew somehow that I was an outsider here. Riding my bicycle through the city I noticed the normal signs of an evolved civilization: traffic lights, sidewalks, gas stations, and 7-11's, but everything was just a little bit different from America. In Denmark, they seemed to have a sense of economy that gave the landscape a more open feel. All the street lamps hung from thin wires attached to the facades of buildings, which didn't require the need for clumsy posts hanging over the street. There were fewer cars and more people riding bicycles than I had ever seen. There is an extensive system of bike paths in the city, each the size of a car lane and slightly elevated like a sidewalk. I would be learning much more about the ideology behind these systems in my class, Design and Society in Denmark.

After three long years at UIC I had often felt like my education existed in a bubble, physically separated from the rest of functioning society, but connected by the artificial realities of the Internet and its possibilities of instant knowledge. It feels like YouTube and Wikipedia have taken the place of a self-determined, hands-on educational experience, in and out of the classroom. Or maybe it was just the doldrums of Chicago winters finally taking effect. Either way, I felt like it was time for a change, and I had heard about a fantastic faraway magical land called "Europe." This is where the Study Abroad Office at UIC inspired me to consider studying a semester outside the friendly confines of the United States.

Sometimes school isn't enough and you have to travel. You have to see what the rest of the world is seeing with your own eyes. You have to touch the soil, taste the air, and drink the water. I couldn't do that from a computer in the Student Services Building. I think many times students want to know immediately what they are going to be doing with the rest of their lives instead of giving themselves the time to learn how to live.

My experience studying in Copenhagen has renewed my sense of purpose for education. Education should be two-fold, part learning specific and exciting information about a subject in the classroom in order to apply that knowledge to a function in society. Studying abroad in Denmark incorporated both of these goals into my experience along with the challenge of relying on my own knowledge and instincts to navigate and engage with a new culture. It blew a much needed breath of fresh perspective into my life.

As I flew back over the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps never to return again, I knew I would never be the same. I had experienced things that I would remember forever, but more importantly I had learned how to see and feel all over again. The days in Copenhagen never seemed to end because in the summer they have 18 hours of daylight. You could go to class at eight, get out at noon, and explore any of the museums, churches, cafes, bookstores, fruit and flower markets, cemeteries, and gardens all while strolling down an ancient cobblestone street with a beer in your hand. My fondest memories seemed to be the most mundane activities: a few classmates and I would usually head to a park after class where we would sit for hours and talk while the endless Scandinavian sun glimmered along the lake.