The Final Count Down, Is This How It Ends?!

If you don’t know me very well then this next post might seem out of the ordinary. I am by no means a person who is emotional or a person who gets emotionally attached to things. Coming over here I knew it would be a roller coaster of emotions. You get here and you love everything because its cool and different. You then get bored and travel. Traveling ends and you start to study. You miss home and want to get back. Then as it comes to an end, and your friends start to leave you realize how good you had it. I am someone who loves home, but I know this has been the best 6 months of my life. I have made friends over here that can never be replaced.
In six months we have, travelled together, cooked together, made messes together, cleaned the messes up, gotten lost in forests, been thrown out of clubs, protected each other, carried each other home, gotten angry at each other, apologized, spent way to much money, missed flights, split cabs, made mistakes, laughed together, watched movies together, danced party rock anthem, screamed Barbara Striesand, fallen on bikes, played soccer, broke several bones, realized playing soccer in the rain is the worst and best idea, shared pictures from back home, played poker together, purchased the wrong groceries, slept in each other rooms, Bar B Qued together, tried to learn other languages, and most importantly made memories that we will soon never forget.
Well it all comes to an end. I guess this is where I look back and say WOW! I am so glad that I came abroad. I have made friends over here, who will be with me the rest of my life. It is hard as we all say good bye. I actually miss the normal parties. I am not a fan of the “Good bye Parties.”
I have learned a lot about myself, America, and the world. I know as time goes by people grow up and are influenced by the experiences they have. Studying abroad is one of those experiences I wish everyone could do. It forces you to let go of your home and make a new one, with people who you would never meet otherwise.
I now realize that classes are important over here. However, what I have learned over here is mainly from hanging out with other internationals. I know as much as I have learned about them, I have also taught them a lot about America.
I know Internationals say they don’t believe everything they see in movies about America. The truth is they actually do believe so much of what they see in the movies. So it is good to set them straight. I got a real reality check and have grown so much over here. I know I miss home but part of me will miss seeing these guys/girls everyday.

As you can tell by my writing that my thoughts are everywhere in this blog. The truth is that I am sitting here having a hard time typing this. I may not see these people again. I hope I will and know that thanks to technology they aren’t so far away. I still have to prepare my self for the sad fact that these may be our last days together. One of my friend’s mom after coming and visiting her daughter said the best quote to sum it up.

“It almost appears that you are closer to your friends abroad then your friends back home”

It is so true though. As the second paragraph shows there is so much we have been thru together. I have left so many things out for contractual reasons and because there are to many to list. I realize that in the world we are so very different. The differences lead to wars and hatred. I can see now that while we are different and come from all different walks of life, we are however the same. We share so many similarities.
To think I made the decision to come abroad last minuet. I am so glad I did though. My friend Michael broke his ankle playing soccer. Patrik and I helped him to the train station. It was hard because he has become one of my best friends here. Patrik, Michael, and I sat there and toasted to a great 6 months. We made plans to see each other in 5 years. Also, to invite each other to our weddings. I told them they will be waiting awhile for my wedding. Its crazy to think though that I have 1 more year of college then the real world. We wondered if due to globalization and outsourcing will be be closer together?
I was told one time in middle school by a counselor that, “These are the best years of your life!” I was convinced for awhile, even though I don’t know why because middle school was awful. However, I then got to high school and thought those were the best years of my life. Soccer, girls, parties, classes didn’t matter, fully supported by my parents, and we always got away with warnings. College seemed even better then high school, and going abroad has been amazing.
If could go back in time or if I ever saw my middle school counselor again I would tell him he was wrong. I think the best years of your life are yet to be determined. When I was younger I did think it was as good as it was gonna get. I now know that it always gets better.
So where will I be in 5 years? Honestly, I don’t know... I find the more I plan for things the less they happen. Senior year I though I was either going to LSU or TCU. I never thought I’d be at Centenary. I never thought I would have stayed at Centenary after freshmen year, but then I grew to love the professors and the friends I have there and the memories we have shared, and the best part is it’s not over yet.
I have had so much time to think over here about everything. I now notice that the best things in my life have been when I have taken a risk. I didn’t follow my friends to the “Stratford Americas”(a lot of people from my high school all go to the same colleges and never make new friends) I love my friends I grew up with, and they will always be there. The truth is that everyone grows up and changes. Less and less friends return home after your first summer. You find your true friends after the first year away. I have realized that some one my best friends in life; the people who will be there for the important events later in life, are some of the people I have met in the last 4 years of my life.

Six months seemed like an unbearable time to be away from home. I know that I made a separate home abroad. I found my self traveling and actually getting excited about coming back to Denmark to hang out with my friends. I am glad my life has gone the way it has. Nothing could have prepared me for coming here and nothing can prepare me for leaving.
I know I usually have a problem with assuming things are as good as they’re going to get. Often they actually get better. I seriously think that it can’t get better then this. I have a hard time imagining that it will. I am glad that the risks and decisions in my life have led me too Denmark. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I could sit here and write more and tell you how amazing my life has been over here but I think you get the picture. I would close with saying, take a risk! You’ll thank yourself for it later.

As I look back at how I did my blogs I think I might have left a huge part of me out. Music is a huge part of my life. I feel songs can express so much more. I realize what I take from a song is often different then the true meaning. Just bare with me and enjoy. You’ll get the picture hopefully.

Losing A Whole Year - Third Eye Blind
So much of my time here has been laying around with friends. It seems like we lost a whole sixth months but I realize we didn’t. I’ll look back and remember the time we spent together.

Yogi - Starting Six
The chorus goes, “I know we met last night and partied till the sun went down, but what happens when the sun comes up.” If you don’t know the sun in Denmark now sets at 22:30 and rises at 3. Even before it did this literally is a typical night. We met at night partied till the sun comes up, but what happens when it comes up. Hopefully, the memories we made when the sun came up and at night will always be with us. Nothing beats watching the sun rise together on a beach.

Skinny Love - Bon Iver
Patrik my friend from Finland may be the funniest person I have ever met. He loves Bon Iver, and this song has rubbed off on me.

You will Leave A Mark - A Silent Film
Everyone here will leave a mark in a good way!

Lights - Journey
When The Lights Go Down In The City, Do I Wanna Be There In My City. I think this is an underrated Journey song. I listen to this song and know that I will one day want to get back to Aarhus, the city by the bay. The place where a group of internationals had to survive together for 6 months.

Your Love - The Outfield
So if you don’t know, know this I love this song! I have always and will always love this song. Now the song is about cheating. I know what your thinking what does that have to do with Denmark. A lot. We sing this song all the time when we’re out and about. Daniel my german friend even made the mistake of playing the awful Techno remix in front of me..... Ya that didn’t go well. Either way nothing beats singing this song loudly at 3 in the morning.

Barbara Striesand - Duck Sauce
A really tight club song that I knew about long before Denmark. The best part of the song is the fact that they say the words “Barbara Striesand” really loud. Nothing beats being in a club and everyone yelling it out on que!

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO
I would recommend watching the music video to get this one. Youtube it, its worth it. So there is this dance that goes along with the song. Spencer one of my American friends lovessss this song so much. So much so that he has memorized the dance to the song. Since its introduction some time in march it has taken the place of Barbara Striesand under songs we request at clubs. The reason being is nothing beats doing the shuffling dance with all your friends. It is amazing. In fact in London when the song came on, it just wasn’t the same without Spencer.

Jack Sparrow/Golden Rule/I Just Had Sex by Lonely Island
Any lonely Island song is hilarious to see the internationals sing.

About Rain - Sequoyah Prep School
A great song by a band that played at Centenary my Soph year. I know this song is about a girl but to me its more about the weather over here and some of the struggles we have abroad. Everything isn’t always perfect. Often things go wrong, its sunny then it rains and ruins your plans. The key is to not let the rain get you down. Rain has caused two broken ankles and many plans to be ruined. In the end though we’re fine and the rain turned out to be the best thing it brought us together.

My Life Is Amazing - Right Side of The Tree
I think this one is pretty much self explanatory. Listen to the song and you will get the picture. My life is amazing!

Nik og Jay - Fest
An amazing danish party song. Fest means party, and this is one of me and Brandon's favorite songs. It always gets us in the mood for the night.

Det Burde Ikke Vaere Sdan Her - Xander
Another Danish song. Its about how there seems to be a glass wall between Xander and his lady friend. He doesn’t want it to be like this. Det Burde Ikk Vaere Sdan Her means It shouldn’t be like this. I realize when I leave there will be 7 hours between me and the a lot of my friends abroad. I wish it wouldn’t be like this but I know its just a fact of the matter.

Jessies Girl - Rick Springfield
If you want Jesse to get mad, throw this song on when he least expects it. If you are Patrik, start singing this song loudly in a large group of people right next to Jessie. Just do it, its funny.

Save Tonight - Eagle Eye Cherry
Save Tonight, Fight the Break of Dawn. I wish I could go back to some of the nights. I wish I could have saved them forever. Honestly, tomorrow people will be gone....

Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
First, we are a motley crue. All of us are very different. We are all now on our way to our separate homes. I know we won’t forget each other.

Coming Home - Dirty Money ft Skylar Grey
Tell the world I’m coming home. I know that my mistakes abroad are forgiven and I am finally coming home. It has been fun and I am glad I went abroad but TELL THE WORLD I’M COMING HOME. Well July 7th that is.......

Download those songs listen to them to further understand what I mean. You might not get all the songs. A lot are inside jokes, sorry if any of the music is not age appropriate, listen to the age appropriate song, but remember, “music is an expression of ones self.”