Autumn Activities

 

National Arboretum

National Arboretum

Greetings folks & happy 2019! This is a very belated post about autumnal happenings because I had been having issues with WordPress for the longest time. So here we are —finally!

So back in September I ventured out to the National Arboretum in D.C. It was still quite warm out, but most of the summer humidity had left. It is a massive place! If you go, it’d be wise to make a day of it.

There is a bunch to see! Great for kids, pets & everyone in between.

Bonsai

Bonsai close up

Onto October…I had found ARTECHOUSE a while back, but was never quick enough to get tickets for any of their exhibits. I got tickets with my friend to see the New Nature by Marpi exhibit. Unlike the Smithsonian museums, you actually have to pay to get in here, but I’d say it’s worth the money. Honestly would consider going again to another exhibit because it is THAT cool.

ARTECHOUSE cocktail

ARTECHOUSE

They have cocktails if you go at night, but day time slots are also available.

VA Wineries: 

Hillsborough Winery

A friend from Jersey kindly visited me in mid October & she brought her car with her! We ventured out to Virginia’s wine country! Our first stop was the adorable Hillsborough Winery — it is a must see. The gorgeous fall day didn’t hurt either.

Clearly you don’t eat that part…I was kidding

The Barns

We made two more stops before zipping back into the city. The Barns at Hamilton Station was quite nice as well. There was even a wedding set to begin shortly after we left!

Overall 10/10 for the Virginia wineries. Wine, cheese + carbs — what more could you want!?

Mikko restaurant in D.C.:

Mikko exterior

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In case you didn’t know, I went abroad to Denmark (that’s how this whole blog started), but my friend also studied abroad there.

Coincidentally, we are both still in D.C. When I found this Nordic restaurant, Mikko, I knew I had to go with her!

Braving the cold

Salmon benedict!

Because of the tiny interior, my friend & I braved the chillier weather for a seat outside. It was fine, though, thanks to their handy blankets! I ordered a feast: salmon benedict (so GOOD), a cardamom bun & coffee.

Located around Dupont Circle, it’s a great place for weekend brunch, but I’ve been wanting to try out their happy hour, too! Twas a good excursion for the girls who went abroad to Copenhagen…

Thanks for reading! Until next time.

Final Year in the District

Washington, D.C. is a particular place for a couple of reasons. It’s where North & South meet. It’s got more prepsters than I’m used to plus a ton of workaholic college graduates. Located on a swamp, it’s humid even in the winter, but seeing as it was my last semester in the district, I decided to make the most of it.

I had a “D.C. Bucket List” if you will, which included things such as: going to Roosevelt Island, Capitol Hill Books, DC Brau tasting, Gavelly Point, the Renwick, Dumbarton Oaks, kayaking on the Potomac, cat cafe, Caps game, The Wharf, ice skating at the Sculpture Garden, National Cathedral Flower Mart, and Danish Embassy Open House — just to name a few.

So if you’re new to the area, or just visiting for a week, here are the highlights & worthwhile things you should experience.

A Concert Hall

Georgetown facade

Bad Suns concert at the 9:30 Club

What better way than to start chronologically? Back in October, I got to see one of my favorite bands at the 9:30 Club (a concert venue I frequented my 4 years in DC). It was quite impressive to see the Bad Suns headlining(!) since as a freshman in college, they were only the opening act.

Onto the next thing!

Gardens

Hillwood Estate

Hillwood Estate

I was also lucky enough to be visited by a few friends this year! Above are photos of Hillwood Estate, located inside the district near the Van Ness metro stop. It’s quite a sight so I recommend checking out the hidden gem.

Catch up with friends

Tea time

Watergate Hotel

Cherry blossoms

Luckily, some of my friends from study abroad went to Georgetown University, so I got to catch up with some of them from time to time. I recommend all the activities we did! We went to a tea salon in Georgetown called Lady Camellia. We saw the cherry blossoms at peak and we tried some drinks on the rooftop (Top of the Gate) of the Watergate Hotel!

March for Our Lives

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I had never been to a march in Washington before. Seeing as it was my last year, this was the time to go. I went with my one friend to film for a class and it was quite an experience. I’m happy I got to go and talk to march attendees.

Cat Cafe

Cate Cafe

Cady’s Alley in Georgetown

I finally got to go to the cat cafe! When you lack the affection of a fluffy animal while you’re away at college, a cat cafe is the perfect antidote! It is a bit pricey, but the time is well spent if you don’t have a pet of your own.

Go out on the town

If you’re gonna go out in D.C., I’d recommend the following in Dupont Circle: Madhatter and Decades. The U Street scene is a bit more hip. Though not as a familiar with that area, if you just wander into places, it’ll still be a good time.

Capitol Hill Books

Colorful homes

Local quirky bookstore

There is a cantankerous old man who runs Capitol Hill Books and it just makes the place that much more charming. After exploring the cozy store, trying not to knock over precariously placed books, I left with one new book. There’s lots of little shops nearby that you can check out. On this dreary day, I had gotten coffee, checked out Eastern Market (right around the corner), and grabbed some pizza.

Grab a drink

Beer flight

Lupo Verde gin cocktail

“Go to the DC Brau Brewery” had been on my DC bucket list so I did just that! Unfortunately, there was an IPA hops festival going on so we couldn’t do a tour, but just as well, we got to try a flight of their beers. It was a fun little time hopping over to Northeast DC.

*Visiting via car might be the easiest

Kayak & Visit an Embassy

Kayaking on the Potomac

Danish Embassy Open House

-Usually stinky hot in the summer, mid-May was a glorious time to go kayaking on the Potomac. I went to the Key Bridge location, located right in Georgetown. I’d say it’s quite cheap — $22 per hour for a tandem kayak. So only $11 each for my friend & me!

-On May 12th, there was an EU sponsored “Embassy Open House” event. Seeing as my parents never got to visit me while I was abroad in Denmark, I thought I’d bring it to them. It was a great event (though, atrociously hot) where they got to try Danish Carlsberg beer and flødeboller.

Gravelly Point & Dumbarton Oaks

Gravelly Point

Dumbarton Oaks

Looking to be outside? These are the spots for you!

Gravelly Point: Watch the planes take off from Reagan National Airport. A great place for families and couples alike, the planes are a thrillingly short distance from your head.

Dumbarton Oaks: This quaint estate nestled in Georgetown hosts beautiful flowers, fountains, and pools. With plenty of seating options and lounge areas, bring a book to enjoy the day (no picnics allowed unfortunately).

See some art (+ The Wharf)

The Renwick: Burning Man exhibit

The Wharf art mural

Home to a plethora of Smithsonian museums (hellooo free!!), D.C. is a great place to soak in some art. I had actually never been to the Renwick, so during a free day I knew I had to check it out. Though a small space, it packs a lot of punch.

The Wharf is also a great spot to visit. With new restaurants, bars, and more you could easily spend a whole day wandering and lounging around there. Plus, there’s a new concert venue called The Anthem — looks like it would have amazing views of the water!

Graduation

Jefferson Memorial at sunset

And then the time to leave D.C. soon arrived. Graduation weekend was a whirlwind and came to a speedy end — with graduation lunches and attempts to find friends to say goodbye. I’m happy I attended a university in a city for I think I would have lost my mind anywhere else! Also, very grateful to have had the chance to study abroad since that was a dream of mine since high school.

It has been a journey, but I’m sure the next chapter will be as well. Congrats class of 2018!

Borough Corner: South Williamsburg

So this is a quick little glimpse into South Williamsburg — the arguably grittier and more authentic part of the oh-so hipster Williamsburg part of Brooklyn. This seems true for the most part as the neighborhood consists of large populations of Hasidic Jews and Hispanics. North Williamsburg is definitely for built up (claim to fame: Smorgasburg).

 

Sticker on door

Coffee shop type

I had rarely ever ventured out to Brooklyn before (minus a hand full of times), but my Brooklyn summer internship changed that. Not like I spent a large amount of time there, but I am probably better acquainted than the average visitor. While there, I mostly visit coffee shops before work starts and try new lunch places.

 

Williamsburg Bridge

Oh yippee!

One day before work, I walked part of the Williamsburg Bridge which connects Brooklyn to the LES of Manhattan. Tip: there is a bike lane for those who prefer 2 wheels to 2 legs.

There are a lot of cute lunch spots and boutiques along Bedford Avenue. So if you’re in the area ever, I recommend strolling around there for a bit.

I do have a good café recommendation, though, that is conveniently right by my office. It’s called Marlow & Sons. It’s an adorable little spot with a sit down restaurant in the back and a grab n go bakery in the front. Fantastic food every time. Oh, and get a latté.

Plus, if you sit outside of M&S you have a lovely view of the Freedom Tower.

 

View of the Freedom Tower by Marlow&Sons

Funny street art

There are also some really good lunch specials (a Thai place with an $8 lunch special for a meal & appetizer!!) as well as happy hours around the area, too.

I’d say south side is worth a visit if you want to see another borough besides Manhattan.

Comment if you have any other advice about the area!

Spring in CPH

Good morning, early morning Copenhagen! So this will be a mini post, as not much has been outrageously exciting since London haha!

It’s weird that the semester is practically winding down – I blinked & it was gone!

For two classes of mine, we’re beginning to work on our final group projects. Besides that, I’ve been trying to hit up the gym as often as I can while volunteering at Studenterhuset as a barista.

I have even still been applying to a bunch of summer internships…with little luck. I will persevere, though!

I have two Netflix recommendations for you guys (yes, I am abroad but not every second is a wild adventure – disappointing, I know).

#1 Amy Schumer’s The Leather Special – raunchy & hilarious

#2 The 2nd season of Chewing Gum (a UK show) – truly a bright spot of my day…my cheek bones hurt from laughing

As for my DIS videography team, we have stopped shooting footage and are moving on to the editing process. This is very exciting; I just hope that it will turn out as good as we have hoped.

So these have just been some photos of CPH that I’ve snapped while walking around. The (still sparse) Danish sun has been the most wonderful thing to grace this city.

Starting April 12th, I will be on spring break, but I’ll be staying in Cope. Fingers crossed that the sun makes an appearance or two!

Vi ses (see you!)

London Calling

March 19 @ 8 am – listening to ‘London Calling’ by The Clash

Travel week two has arrived! For this whole week I would be traveling with my core course class, strategic communication, to London. I cannot tell you how excited I was. I had heard that London is pretty similar to NY & I was pumped to experience this world class city.

After popping over to the UK (& waiting in the long border control line) we settled into our hotel in Kensington before setting off to ride the London Eye.

*Just 3 days later the attack on Westminster happened. We were so lucky not to be near there at the time. It was shocking to hear from my friend who got a news notification on his phone. So sad to hear about these acts. Nowhere is safe, but I think London is a resilient city & they did not let this hinder their daily routines. The families affected are in my thoughts.

We then had dinner as a group at a Turkish restaurant – so yummy! Three others and I popped into a pub at night to embrace the English way.

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Buckingham Palace

Monday: Our first scheduled visit was to Wimbeldon. Seeing as I played tennis in high school and I’ve been to the US Open, I was beyond ready to see Wimbeldon. It was incredible hearing about growing the grass and their seating lottery. We also had a very funny guide. I got myself a strawberry mug (strawberries n cream hello!?) with a Wimbeldon logo on it – I couldn’t resist.

Afterwards, we got fish n chips (classic) and then went to The Guardian. It was awesome to hear about their analytics and coverage…so shoutout to The Guardian – I’ll need a job in a year, hit me up!

With the rest of the day free, some classmates & I hit up Topshop (their flagship store!) & Primark. My one friend and I also decided to test out the London night life. We had heard this place called Mahiki is lit on Mondays…little did we know Drake would be in the same club later! Crazy times guys.

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Hyde Park

Tuesday: We had the first half of the day to ourselves so three others and I had a long list of activities to cross off. We started off at Buckingham Palace, strolled through Hyde Park, popped over to Camden Market, visited Abbey Road, and then took pics at Harry Potter’s platform 9 & 3/4!

We then had to meet our class to participate in a public speaking workshop before seeing Les Mis! I had never seen it before, but I am glad I got to experience London’s theatre scene!

Borough Market: I wrote ‘write a book’!

Tate Modern

Wednesday: We had one activity in the morning. We talked to the Comms&Marketing department at QBE, an insurance company.

After that, though, we trekked through the rain to see the Tower of London! Once done with that, we walked over the London Bridge to eat lunch at Borough Market. The English are apparently big fans of markets…but hey I’m not complaining. They’re excellent!

The Tate Modern was really close so we went to check that modern art museum out. Plus, it is free!! Check it out if you can – very cool pieces.

Oxford Uni

Oxford Uni

Thursday: Off to Windsor Castle & Oxford we go! I think I enjoyed Oxford more than Windsor to be honest. It is a quaint town with lots of history. While there, I of course had to buy an Oxford University sweatshirt – pretending I’m a scholar, ya know.

For dinner, two friends and I traveled to Shoreditch once back in London. Box Park is another modern market where we got sushi and falafel. So. Good.

Soft Serve Society

Fortnum & Mason tea

Our main goal though was to try a dessert place. A friend had found these AMAZING milkshakes on instagram, so we had to try them! Look at them! MASSIVE. We got chocolate, matcha, & strawberry. We also made some English friends who asked us about the Cheesecake Factory (too funny) & Trump (a true horror).

Check out Soft Serve Society if you’re in the area.

Friday: Our final day in London came all too quickly. We had two guest speakers talk to us. One worked in government communications which was fascinating to hear about, and the other speaker was a very inspiring author. Both amazing!

Our final activity was high tea at Fortnum & Mason. It was delicious not going to lie – I think I could live off scones & clotted cream. The server was not the best, though. In fact, he was quite rude & I did not appreciate the service. I did not want to stay, which was sad because he ruined a great experience!

Oh well. And with a blink of an eye, it was time to go back to Copenhagen.

Thank you, London! I had a wonderful time & I’ll be back 🙂 xo

-Chloe

Belgium: Brussels & Bruges

‘The beautiful view’

Bruges

March 10-14

My friend Mary & me did not have much down time in Copenhagen before catching a flight to Belgium. We actually stayed in an Air BnB; it was my first time and quite nice!

The first day there, we took an hour train ride to Bruges. We got so lucky while there…the whole weekend was warm & sunny – yessss!

We wandered around the small, sleepy town….grabbed delicious Belgian waffles & fries…we took a boat tour (the tour guide switched between Flemish, English & French – so impressive), and went to the French fry museum – not kidding.

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Boat Tour

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Such a lovely town. I highly recommend going 🙂

Brussels

While there, I got to utilize my minimal French skills, but not gonna lie I was impressed with myself. There is undoubtedly room for improvement, though ahah. I probably said only 20 French words the whole time. Better than nothing.

Brussels street art

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We spent our time strolling bright Brussels. Our schedule was essentially eat, sit, then eat some more.

We saw the square, a chocolate museum, and the famous Delirium (a bar with an obscene amount of beers on tap).

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Amazing park

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Belgium. I think if I were to go back soon I would want to check out Ghent.

Trash that says “I exist”

Flea market

It was so much fun! Strolling through a sunny city can be quite peaceful, actually. Bisous!

Busy Bee

Hellooo again,

Diving right on in, last Saturday I went to the Design Museum with a friend. I was a fan for two reasons: it’s free for students (oh yeah) and there were such cool designs in there from everything from tea kettles and bikes to lamps and clothes. Later that night some friends and I were going to try this place called the Greasy Spoon, essentially an American style diner so I didn’t think we would need reservations. Wrong! They were booked for an hour, but luckily we ran into our SRA who suggested a Thai place (Green Mango) in Christianhavn. Eating much later than expected, the curry and pad thai were welcomed sights.

Chairs in the Design Museum

 

Sign found while wandering for dinner

Skipping right over Sunday (because who wants to hear about laundry and cover letters? – it isn’t all fun & games while abroad!), the first half of my week was Core Course week.

Now what is Core Course week exactly? Well, it is a week off from classes when you travel with your core course class (Strategic Communication for me) and go on educational field trips. Incredible!

My class started off in Odense (about a 2 hour drive from CPH) to see TV2, which is a government funded channel like PBS or BBC. An anchor even chatted with us for a little bit! I also got a free pen – woohoo! We also saw the local DR news station (also a government funded network).

Tasting of 5 microbrews!

Dokk1 in Aarhus

That night we went to a microbrewery called Midtfyns Bryghus, which is owned by this crazy American guy named Eddie (married a Danish lady hence his presence in Denmark!). He was great and had many funny stories to share with us – all while we tasted 5 of his beers. Couldn’t have asked for a better night with tasty beers and delicious food! Quite a cool experience. We even got to keep the glasses :O

Tuesday: We traveled north to Aarhus (Denmark’s 2nd biggest city). We got a tour of Dokk1. None of us really knew what it was or what to expect, but it was actually quite unique! It is a library, basically, but also a gathering place…business space…it adapts to people’s needs. I liked hearing about how design was used as a communication tool. A pleasant surprise for sure!

Pink feathered heli

Homeless signs from around the world

Wednesday: On our last day in Aarhus, we explored ARoS. This place is an absolutely awesome art museum. So. Much. Fun! There’s so much movement and interaction throughout it.

“Low Key”

Andy Warhol

I think my favorite piece (tough call) would be the keyed Lambo called “Low Key.” And of course, I had to see the iconic 360 colorful roof…

*Also, it was flurrying snow the whole time – quite scenic…but also very cold haha.

Overall, the trip was fantastic! I loved all the visits and it was a nice break from the typical classroom setting.

Core Course continued today with two different guest speakers, but a friend and I found a hidden gem during our lunch break! It’s a little café called ‘Voulez-Vous?’, and we chatted to the store worker  – from Lyons, France! We practiced our extremely minimal French, but it was nice to discover a quieter space with less students. I’ll be going back for sure.

There is one last visit tomorrow to cap off Core Course week, where we will go to the Mystery Room which is the Danish equivalent to Escape the Room.

Coming Up >> This weekend I venture out of Denmark! I’m going with a friend of mine to Stockholm, Sweden. Catch ya on the flip side…

-Chloe

So far so Good

Another week down!

This past Saturday some floor mates and I got to explore Paper Island, which is essentially a warehouse near the water with various street food vendors. It is a seriously amazing eatery ranging from Korean cuisine and  falafel to home made pasta and open face sandwiches. I tried some Korean spicy chicken and a lager – but I will be back to try more in the future (& I can imagine it is great during the springtime)!

“Paper Island”

Art installation by the water

Our floor had some bonding time Sunday evening. We watched Drive with Ryan Gosling because apparently it’s a Danish film – I had no idea! Our SRA’s made us hot chocolate and brought Danish pastries/candies…quite hygge (hehe).

Boat house artwork

Walking to class one morning

Seeing as my visiting host has not answered my email, I decided to give her a call so that we could finally meet up sometime, and she seemed very sweet! She apologized for her English, even though it was perfectly fine; I assured her not to worry. She told me she has a 29 year old son who goes to Copenhagen University so I’m excited to meet them soon.

My friend, though, invited me to see her visiting host family (thanks, Lauren haha)! I happily agreed as who could turn down a free, home cooked meal? Plus, I wanted to mingle with the Danes! The family was extremely welcoming (they’ve worked with DIS 11 times before!) and the food was super yummy. It was nice to share American and Danish experiences with each other.

I also now know how to get to my classes from the Metro alone – progress, eh!? Hopefully, I can navigate my way around more of Copenhagen as time goes on.

On Wednesday, I experienced my first field study with my core course class (Strategic Communication). We visited the IT University to learn about design thinking; the architecture was stunning! My other field study was in my International Advertising class, where we had a producer come in and talk to us about shooting commercials. His insight was very helpful, and I have a new found appreciation for the cinematography of commercials – who woulda thought?

IT University lobby

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Later that day there was a DIS activity fair. When I had been talking to a gym rep, I asked if the fitness classes were in Danish and he said they were (duh, Chloe) but that it is pretty similar to English…I’m not so sure how easy that will be for me to understand, but if I do join I will surely blog about how that adventure goes!

-Chloe