Djurs Sommerland-themepark

Sharing some ice cream with Daddy.

Can't get enough of those squirrely hugs...hehe :)

AND THEN.....

 A WORN OUT LITTLE GIRL :)

What a great day with Zoe, Ole and some close friends. No toddler meltdowns, beautiful weather, fun rides, and happy faces, what more can I ask for? AHHH, then the most restful sleep I've had in ages! I forgot to bring my real camera, so all these were taken via iPhone. Since this trip was a last minute decision you have to deal with the camera repercussions. Sorry!  

Homesick

     I, Sarah, THE MOM, THE WIFE, blah blah blah is homesick; terribly homesick. I'm not sure when the feeling of sadness and gloominess came about, but it sure did come! I've read in another "expat blog" (also living in Denmark) where she states that there are 3 stages of thoughts about living in a foreign country and I'm convinced this is true. They are:
    
     1st Stage-"This is so cool, and new! I love it!
     2nd Stage-"I hate this, I want to go home. MOMMY!"
     3rd Stage-"Ok, I can do this. It's not so bad."

     As far as I'm concerned there is no set time frame for any stage. When I think I've finally gotten to the 3rd Stage, I'm jumping back to 2nd. It seems one day the stages flucutate within hours, then a whole week goes by and I'm still stuck in 2nd. I'm sure these stages will always be relevant or active in my expat life; but then I can thank Skype and snail mail for uplifting my current mood.


Thank you Dad for the giant bottle of Ranch dressing. This simple sauce helps on days where I'm stuck in Stage 2. Cue Ranch photo...

                                                                            

Our Temporary Apartment

So we are now living in Flensburg, Germany...that's very northern Germany for those of you that are interested. But most importantly just over the border of Denmark. It's a fairly big town with roughly 100,000 people. We will be staying here for about 10 weeks, then it's back to DK! With Denmark having many restrictions with foreigners living in their humble country; we are forced to do this little flip-flop circus act of moving! It will be nice to finally settle down in Randers, DK where Ole is working. Keep your fingers crossed, that it goes quickly and smoothly.

Things I hate about Germany/Apartment:

-no dishwasher

-no AC

-crappy television, the language is just so ugly to listen to and with 4 channels I don't have much choice.

-lots of noise

-sketchy neighborhood 

-long commute for Ole (2 hours-one way)

-no freezer

-not knowing a single soul

Things I like about Germany/Apartment:

-it's downtown, so lots of shops and places to see

-its ours!

-knowing that I have the cutest baby in town :) hehe

-having a whole day with just Zoe and I

-lots of light, and character 

-its one step closer to DK

Babies are napping where?!

      Even before I visited Denmark, my husband teased me with the idea of putting our baby daughter outside to nap! I don't know about you, but this is an unsettling topic.
No one I know (that isn't Danish) puts there child outside, willingly. I don't know if this is the effect of America's constant instillment of fear in their media or if it's really a concern. My nightmares, consist of someone kidnapping her, her waking up and falling out of the stroller, or worse climbing out and running into the street. Oh the joys and fears of being a mother :)
This is such a touchy topic in my household. How can you tell a Dane (aka my Hubby) to not do what he has been told to do, what his mother did with him and what her mother did with her, and so on. Not to mention all of his friends and Zoe's (my daughter) daycare that carry on with this tradition as well. There is so much crime in the world...not so much in Denmark, but why put my daughter on a silver platter for all criminals or accidents to take advantage of.

      So even though my words say one thing, my actions say another. Translation: Zoe is sleeping outside in her stroller, as I write. It may seem I have been defeated, but I have compromised with a baby monitor and constant glances out the window at my beautiful and peaceful little girl.

Ebeltoft Beach

Although Ebeltoft beach isn't anything like Florida, it is magnificent. With it's rocky, not sandy coast and mostly cool waters, this is where Danes go to relax. Or at least Djursland, mid-DK for all of you that don't know the area. 

The picture above was taken on the shore of Ebeltoft.

The picture above is downtown Ebeltoft. With cobblestone walkways (and drive), different colored houses and shops with unique old architecture. A far cry from a cookie cutter scene I'm used to.

For those history buff's out there AKA my Dad, most of these houses and shops were built 1600's.

Ebeltoft beach, downtown and harbor (above) is 25 minutes from where we are staying now, which by the way is Pindstrup. This will of course change when we get a proper (permanent) house. You will be updated when this changes, I promise.

Danish Essentials

Number 1: "Smørrebrød" aka open-faced sandwiches

Number 2: "Carlsberg" aka The beer of Denmark

Number 3: "Frikadeller" aka flat meatballs

Number 4: My personal favorite, "Æbleskiver" aka round pancake balls 

Number 5: Last but not least...sarcasm, note the sarcasm? No picture for this one, we already know what Ole's face looks like :) 

Most of you who are reading this have enjoyed some of these delicious treats (via Ole and I). If not, hop on a plane and enjoy some of these staples of Denmark. Trust me they are worth every penny...or in your case every ticket.

What I miss and what I don't.

Things I miss:

• Outback, "Bloomin Onion"
• Friends and family, of course
• Shopping @ Target, and all other places
• Our red Audi A3
• Convenient 24-hour shopping
• Cable T.V.
• Good ol' southern hospitality 
• Cheap gas
• Ranch dressing (as simple as this is, I can't find it and can't live completely without it)

Things I don't miss:

• USDA "standards" on food
• Crazy, erratic drivers
• Always feeling unsafe, unprotected 
• U.S women with poor self image
• The lack of quality in everything (i.e houses, toys, clothing, food)
• Traffic! Oh boy, I will never miss that!