I'm not scared

Cause I know there's something out there waiting for me

And I swear that I'll find it someday, just wait and see

I don't care that you call me crazy

I can't stay cause I need room to breathe

There's nothing left to say, better sorry than safe

We live in a world where we are constantly told what to do. Our families have some expectations that they expect us to live up to. We need an education and a job and a part from that they might expect us to start thinking about getting a family of our own. And if we choose not to we are told that it’s time that we grow up. I think it’s not about me not being grown up. In fact I think I am more grown up than a lot of people. I’m not scared of doing things on my own and it doesn’t matter if that means moving to the other side of the world. I’ll take the challenge. Tell me when you have grown enough to leave your comfort zone?

The kind of reaction I’ve had lately when I’ve realised how old I am is: Twenty-four is fucking young! And my standard question when people tell me that I am getting too old for this is: I’m not getting any younger. And that is fucking true! So if not now, when? Should we really settle for never? I think there are three kinds of people: The ones who jumps, the ones who just needs a little push and the ones who doesn’t even make it to the edge. And I belong to the one that jumps, because for me life’s too boring and depressed if I don’t. However we are not programmed to reach happiness in the same kind of ways. But everyone should do what they think they will regret if they don’t and no one should just settle with something because it’s easier or because it’s what is expected of you.

I’m sick of listening to people’s thoughts on how I should live my life. We don’t enjoy the same things so it’s pretty obvious that we don’t want the same things out of life. I don’t dream about buying a house and settling down to start a family. In fact what I want out of life at the moment is quite the opposite. I don’t want to be tied down with a mortgage and a house in a city that I don’t even want to live in with kids that I don’t even want and with a car that I can’t afford. So the question is: why should I strive towards that? It’s pretty easy to see why my family might think this is the right reason, they don’t know anything else. They’ve never had a different life and maybe not even the desire to want anything else. And maybe they just don’t understand why I don’t want the same things as they wanted when they were my age, because it was what made them happy.

I see a lot of people my age tied down with a family and a house and I think it’s great they are living their dreams, but a part of me think it’s a shame that they didn’t just take a year out to see something before they got tied down to charter holidays by the pool with screaming kids. But maybe that is me not understanding them.

I’ve said it before and I am going to say it again. I am restless and I can’t help it. But I’m just a person who needs to get out there and discover something new. I love to have a permanent place to stay, but I just don’t like being there for too long. Recently I decided to postpone my move to Australia and booked at three-week surf camp in Bali instead. I am going on December 26^th which means that I will be there for New Year’s Eve and I am already pretty-fucking-over-the-moon-excited about it. And of course I am flying solo! 

Am I brave enough?

Am I strong enough?

To follow the desire

That burns from within

To push away my fear

To stand where I'm afraid

I have a mind that is changing directions all the time. And this year I have changed my mind regarding my future three times. I mean it’s sometimes just such a tough decision and you don’t really want to be making the wrong one, but I guess you just gotta do what you gotta do – no regrets. I went from not wanting to keep studying to wanting to keep studying and my latest decision is that I don’t want to study any further. I’m sick of it and it’s hanging far out of my throat. I think that this time I want a life, but what kind of life is it exactly that I want? I know that. I want to be a seasonal worker and that might not sound like dreams in many people’s eyes, but it is in mine as it will give me the space I need for my own interests as travelling and writing, and I’ll not be held up anywhere specific. This year I’ll be working one month at a fish factory in my home town. It’s my sixth season there and then three and a half month as a site-manager at the company where I did my internship, which I am very excited about as it is in my field of study. So that is four and a half months of work already settled. So how amazing could it be if I could do it like this every year and then just find another or two companies to work for during Winter and Spring? I wouldn’t even need an apartment and when there’s no work I could go travelling. Why should you not follow your dreams when there is nothing holding you back? I’m free as a bird and the world is so big and I want to see it. My plan of going to Australia is still ongoing – I am going next year and it’ll be the craziest thing I have ever done. One thing was to move to Ireland, but Australia is a bit further away.

The only thing that is really stopping people from going anywhere is the way they look upon themselves. They don’t think they are brave enough to do it and it’s a shame because everyone is capable, you just got to jump the gun. I’ve heard it a lot of times it’s brave of you to do this. Especially when I moved to Ireland. So many people told me that they thought it was very brave of me to leave everything for the unknown and that they would never be able to do so. But to me it’s not so much about being brave it is more about what I have to do. Sometimes you just got to close your eyes and walk.

Danmark mit 

fædreland.

Definition of fantasy in English:

NOUN (plural fantasies)

[COUNT NOUN] A fanciful mental image, typically one on which a person often dwells and which reflects their conscious or unconscious wishes.

All my life I have lived in a fantasy; a fantasy about moving to another country. I was dwelling. It’s all I ever wanted because I thought anything could be better than Denmark. And I did. I moved to Ireland and it was great! I loved being in Ireland and I discovered a new person hidden deep inside of me. An independent person. I have never needed people around me so even though I didn’t know anyone I quickly felt home. I felt at home because strangers greeted me in a way they have never done before. I felt at home because when I was walking in the countryside people would wave even though they had no clue who I was.  I loved that going for a walk would always make me smile. I loved Ireland so much that I might even move back one day.

But it also made me realise that I love Denmark. I truly love Denmark and I am deeply proud of being a Dane. Before I wasn’t, I would do anything to escape it; in fact I just wanted to be English. That was my innermost dream! However it is funny how things work out, because I no longer want to be English. I want to be Danish. I don’t even like England anymore. Working in London for a month made me realise that English people have a different morality; one that I don’t like. In fact my love for the Danish nation has become so strong, that I find it hard to believe that there are any greater people out there.

They say that when you go to a foreign country the national feeling towards your own country gets stronger and I agree. I just never thought it would get so strong that I ended up finding it hard to see the good things in people if they are not from Denmark. I never thought I would get so negative towards foreign countries. Not all foreign countries though. I like the Scandinavian Countries and Germany, and the weirdest thing is that I always hated Germany. I also started to like Poland. I met some Poles and it made me realise that Poles and Danes are not that far from each other. Once I would judge Poles for stealing our bicycles (including mine), but now I want to go there. I want to get to know Poland.

I used to dislike Romanians because they would come here and steal our jobs. But I’ve come to know them because I have worked with a lot of them and they are really nice people. And I don’t judge them anymore; they come here in search of something better, just like we leave in search of something better.

It’s like my world has been turned upside-down. Everything I used to love and want has become something I could never dream of and all that I used to hate is now something I desire.

However I still enjoy going on vacation in foreign countries even though they are not like Denmark. I like expanding my horizon and maybe that is why I’ve learnt that Denmark is a goddamn good country. Sometimes you just need to see something else to realise what you’ve got. So maybe sometimes we should let go of our fantasies and instead open our eyes to what has been in front of us all the time.

“Hold me fast, Hold me fast

Cause I'm a hopeless wanderer

And hold me fast, Hold me fast

Cause I'm a hopeless wanderer

I will learn, I will learn to love the skies I'm under

The skies I'm under”

This is a story of not so long ago. A telling of an adventure to a country where they have their own language, but no one hardly speaks it anymore. This is a potato eating country that makes a spirit called Poitín out of potatoes. It is also a country that lost half their population in just ten years when their potatoes got a decease known as potato blight. They also lost a part of their country to the British Empire. This country is called the Republic of Ireland.

We look up at the same stars, and see such different things.

It’s weird to think that no matter where you are the sky will always be the same. We all look at the same moon and we look at the same stars, but still we do not see the same things. I love a bit of star gazing and no matter where I am I always look for Charles’ Wain. There is something calm about knowing that no matter where you are you are never far away from the stars.

Ireland, Denmark, it doesn’t really matter, because when you look up at the sky you can be anywhere and everywhere at the same time and maybe that is where our homes should be. Just like Bruno Mars sings in hopes you're on the other side talking to me too. Or am I a fool who sits alone talking to the moon?

I’ve been in Denmark for quite a while now and I am really enjoying it. It’s nice to be close to my family and friends again, but I miss being in Ireland from time to time too. I don’t care my stay didn’t last longer than around six months I would not have gone without it. I think that if people ever get the opportunity to go somewhere they really want to go they should never hesitate, because the things you discover and the things you learn about yourself are worth everything. I’m not saying I went to Ireland to find myself, because I think I know the basic things about myself, even though sometimes it feels like I don’t even know who I am. But I know I am the kind of person who sometimes says things that I shouldn’t say; like that time I used the words ‘big black’ in front of a black person. To my defence I was talking about a big black bin, but the person didn’t know that, because everything I said was in Danish, except ‘big black’ it was in English and I was in London and I did it twice to two different people. More than once I’ve talked about larger people when I’ve been hanging out with large people. It’s really awkward to say: ‘Hey look at that person,’ and then point (in secrecy) at a big person when you’re hanging out with someone the same size as the one you’re pointing at. And don’t judge me now, because I’m sure almost everyone looks when they see someone extra-large, just like we look when we see someone extra skinny. Everyone likes to gossip. If not then I confess my crimes.

I’m the person who gets drunk at bigger family gatherings (the few that we have in my family). And most of the times it feels like I am the only one who gets drunk. Like when I was at my grandmother’s 70^th birthday I was the only one who left with a six-pack when the party ended and then went to another party (and I wasn’t the only young one). I am also almost always the only single person at my table and too be honest it’s not always fun to be surrounded by couples (let’s face it they just don’t want to talk about who’s the hottest guy in Game of Thrones or the 25 most awkward things about being single). Being single also means that people never know where to place me at the tables because everyone else arrives with a partner. And let’s be honest, sometimes being single feels like a burden, when people instead should be thanking me for only having to pay for one ;)

I am a person who never shuts up. All the times I’ve been told to shut up by my friends are countless. And there is nothing worse than when people ask me to shut up. I have countless one-way conversations even with my family and closest friends. They might not notice that I notice when they stop listening to me, but I do and it’s really annoying and it actually makes me angry.

I’m the person who loves to drag conversations out. Start with one topic and then end with a fifth topic. I like to say the opposite of what people are saying just to make them annoyed or angry. I am really sarcastic and most of the times people don’t realise it and they believe that I believe in what I say, but most (some) of the times I actually don’t. And if you ask me I am the funniest person on earth!

Ireland didn’t change me and the person I am, but it changed the way I look at some things. Taking that one massive step all alone has made me a braver version of me. I believe that I have become much more independent and I am now able to push myself the last step up the ladder (unless we are talking about exercising, then I’ll probably need someone to slap me in the arse now and then). But in so many place I have grown. I am not afraid of what is out there (not that I ever was), but I know now that I don’t need anyone to go the extra mile. If there is something I really want I’ll do it and so should everyone else!

However Mullingar Diaries ends here. It might be that I will upload a few times to keep people updated but it won’t be often.

They say in every end, there is also a beginning and I have started my new adventure with an empty pocket but a great view.

The view I've got from my new living room. 

Bye bye for now at least...

"We are half alone, our hearts are leaving home.

Now that we don't belong to anyone at all."

Ygritte once said: “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” and if we all were as honest as Ygritte we would not fool ourselves into believing something that wasn't true. Last time I updated the blog I said that I felt like it was a waste of time just being here waiting to go home. I was deadly wrong when I said those things, because I might have had the nicest few days this week since I came here. J asked me if I would be interested in going to the West coast for a day including a sleepover. She wanted to take me there before I left Ireland and she thought it would be a shame if I left without seeing anything.

Connemara

Everyone has told me that I should go to the West coast and that I should definitely go to Galway, so I had heard much about the west coast but no one really gave me a detailed description of what it was like (well, except from J), so I was very surprised when I saw all the mountains and how remote it actually is.

We left Tuesday morning and went straight for Galway. The day was absolutely beautiful and the sun was shining all day. I had not really expected sunshine, because I have learnt not to expect anything but rain, so it was a nice surprise. We arrived in Galway around midday and the weather was still absolutely beautiful. We parked the car and went down the shopping street. And I have to admit that I really liked Galway. I loved that there were so many young people and so many different musicians all looking for a pit to play there music on the shopping street. The town felt alive and I can definitely see myself going back there one day. I even came to the conclusion that I like Galway better than I like Dublin.

Galway

Galway

After Galway we drove through Uachtar Ard, I saw The Twelve Bens and we had a break in Leenaun, which was a really small village, but it had such a pretty view over Killary Harbour. We stopped a lot of times so I could take pictures and the fact that the sun kept shining was great, because if it had been raining I would have seen nothing but misty mountains. And the only misty mountains I want to see are the Misty Mountains in Middle Earth. We stayed in a holiday home near the beach around Louisburgh, which was great because I actually miss the beach. I didn’t think I would miss the beach since it was probably the place I went the least when I live in Skagen as well as in Frederikshavn. But beaches just have a way of making you feel free, with the exception of “The Beach” from the movie The Beach; it makes you feel trapped instead.

On our way back on Wednesday we stopped for lunch in Westport, drove through Castlebar and went to the Famine Museum in Strokestown, which was a place I really wanted to go to. I was slightly disappointed though, because it was just a lot of reading. We went for a walk in the gardens at the museum and even though the flowers haven’t yet come out I can imagine how pretty it must look during the summer. So if not for the museum you can at least go for the gardens (but only when the flowers are blooming.)

But all in all I am so glad that I got to go on this trip, because it really opened my eyes to how beautiful Ireland is, and now I definitely want to come back. I want to rent a van and just drive all over Ireland.

In Uachtar Ard

I only have two nights left here before I am off to Prague, Germany and then back to Denmark where I have managed to get a flat from the 1^st of May in Nørresundby. Even though I have liked my stay in Mullingar, I think it was always just a stop on my way to find greater things and discover new places. However everything will be put on hold for a few years. I never really felt like I connected with the town properly, and it really doesn’t mean that I didn’t like being here. Making friends has been hard even though I have met a lot of nice people. But it just seems like a town where people are too busy to actually hang out with each other. Everyone is always working or busy doing something else. I think that might be the reason why I loved Galway from the very first minute. We were there around midday on a Tuesday but the town just felt so alive and happy and I kind of got the feeling that you wouldn’t have any trouble meeting people in Galway and I also think that it wouldn’t just be people you would only talk to at the pub, like it is here in Mullingar (at least that’s how it is for me). But I think the worst thing is that ever since the article was in the examiner a lot of people have told me that they agree with me and that it is really hard meeting people in Mullingar, because the Mullingarians (I just made that up) are comfortable with what they already have. But some of the people who have actually told me that have been the worst, and I don’t know if they have just tried to justify their own lack of interest by making it seem like all people in Mullingar share the same views on foreigners. But as I have already said then I have met a lot of nice people here, so luckily not everyone is like that, but sadly most people still seem too busy to actually have a life.

Also a lot of people tell me that my English is very good, but by coming here I have actually learnt that my English is not very good at all. I find it hard to express myself in a way where I put my personality out there at the same time. In Danish I know a lot of words and slang and I know exactly how I am going to say things, but in English I know the English I have been taught at school and I wouldn’t be able to express myself in the same way as I would in Danish. So in that way I actually feel like my personality has been hidden a bit because you only have a limited amount of words. I am afraid that I sometimes come off as quite boring. E.g. it is hard to try and describe something funny in another language as well as to actually be serious sometimes or just sound like you are interested in what people are telling you.

I have been coming to John Daly’s ever since my first week here and it has become the pub I go to when I go out. I like it in there and I don’t really feel that alone when I go there. One thing I have learnt is that a lot of people come to the same pub. Every time I got to John Daly’s I meet the same people in there and I think it’s great, because then I start talking to them again and again and everyone is also always so polite.

But I have actually been thinking about this quite a lot and I think that I want to try to go to a pub on my own in Denmark just to see if it is anything alike and if people are as polite as they are in Ireland. Personally I would think that you would feel quite alone if you went to a bar on your own in Denmark.

The last two times I have been out I have bought food to take with me home (in hope of fixing the upcoming hangover). And holy fucking shit the food from Lingi’s on Dominick Street is (excuse me for my use of words) fucking disgusting. Not only is it disgusting but the people working in there have a stick up their arses. The first time I got Fish & Chips and I have never seen a square fish before. The fish tasted so awful that I had one bite of it (luckily I was not sober when I tasted it). I have never tasted a fish that tasted so much of fish. Maybe it’s because I am used to eating fresh fish or at least just a fish that looks like a fish. The second time I got a chicken sandwich and I was so disappointed when I came home to find out that it was indeed a chicken sandwich. It contained bread and chicken. No dressing, no salad, which I kind of feel like are a part of a sandwich. But the worst thing is that so many people seem to go there when the clubs closes and I have no idea why.

I hope everyone is great and enjoying spring. 

“Just a small town girl

Livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train

Goin' anywhere”

The day of my departure is coming closer now. It has always been the decision that I was going back to Denmark on the first of April, but it was never the decision that I was actually moving back on that day too. Now that the decision has been made I actually just want to go home and I want to go home as soon as possible. Right now it just feels like I am just sitting in a waiting room waiting for a train that never seems to come. Much like when you are going on a vacation and the day of the departure never seems to get any closer and no matter how close you get to it, it just feels like time is moving slower and slower every day. No matter how much I like it in Ireland I just want to go back to Denmark right now. I can’t help but feel like it’s a waste of time just sitting here waiting and I feel like it would be a waste of time to go out and meet people that I would probably never meet again anyway. I’d rather just be on the plane back home so I can continue with my life and start looking for flats… and see my family again!

However as of lately I’ve been thinking about things that I am probably going to miss in Ireland. One thing is the range of food in the stores. There’s a larger range on almost everything and I like that as much as I hate it. It makes it much harder to choose but it’s also nice to have something to choose from. I find it difficult to figure out what sugar I should buy, because there are so many to choose from or which kind of flour is normal flour, because I have never seen so many different kinds of flour before. In Denmark I never had to stop up to figured out what kind of flour or sugar I should buy. Here I sometimes stand there looking at it for minutes wondering what kind I should get. It might be that the names just confuse me and that we actually have the same range in Denmark, but I just find it hard to figure out the differences because I only know the Danish names. Also I’ve learnt that there is something called self-raising flour and I definitely have to see if we have that in Denmark because it’s pretty amazing. Denmark is much simpler when it comes to groceries. I will however be glad to come back to a better range of fruit.

I am also looking forward to go back to street names, house numbers and postal numbers. No matter how exciting it has been living at a place no one could find it gets tiring having to explain the directions to delivering companies and taxis. I suppose I only have to do that one more time though and that is when they come for my stuff and my bike. Even though I have only been here for around five months it’s amazing how you somehow manage to get a lot of things and I have more than my suitcases can carry.

I was quite surprised today when I went to a tool shop just a few houses down the road and asked them if they had a cardboard box and tape. The woman in there found both things and I left without having to pay for it and that kind of friendliness I will definitely miss here. In that way I wish the Danish people where a bit more like the Irish people, because something like that just makes your day. I don’t think I have ever walked into a shop in Denmark and left with something without paying for it. Another great story I have from here was a few weeks ago when my mum and dad had sent me something and I was out shopping when a man from FedEx called me and told me he had a package for me. I did not know I was getting anything, but I kind of figured out it could only be from my parents. I told him I would be back in twenty minutes and he asked me what road I would be coming from. So on my way back I met him on the R393 and he stopped up and asked if I was Aprilia. Then he asked me if he should drive me home. So he put my bike in the truck and drove me home and I got my package – so I was (kind of) delivered by FedEx! I would never expect those kinds of things to happen in Denmark.

I have never been out on St. Patrick’s Day before so this year was my first year to actually go out and have a drink on that day. I met up with some people at Danny Byrnes and I actually had a really fun night. Not much happened that day though, but I expect things would have happened in the weekend when people wouldn’t have to get up and go to work next day. I have been told that they supposedly celebrate it better in other countries and I suppose things would be livelier in Dublin and probably Galway too.

A lot of people have told me that I should go to Galway, and I will definitely keep that in mind for the next time I come to Ireland – that will most likely only be on vacation.

In Danny Byrnes on Paddy's Day.

So apart from St. Patrick’s Day and a night out last Friday nothing has really happened. Now I have a weekend ahead of me of packing and sorting out which things I am sending back home with a truck and what I am bringing with me to Prague and Schwerin and after that it is back to living with my parents, once again, until I find my own place where I am going to stay for a few years at least!

“Often I lie wide awake,

Think of things I can make

But I don't seem to have the parts to build them”

It’s been a while since my last update and it’s not because I haven’t had anything to write about I’ve just not really had the time I guess. And this entry probably won’t be as cheerful as the others I have posted. I have unfortunately walked straight into a wall at a time where I didn’t really want to hit a wall and unfortunately for me I wasn’t able to break it. Ever since I came here I have been on a rollercoaster with the Danish government. It seems like in some ways that they don’t really know what to do or then they are just really slow at doing what they are supposed to do, but the thing is that they have lowered my grants from the 1^st of March, the reason is the fact that I moved to another country, and I can no longer afford to live in Ireland anymore. Well I might be able to pull it off, but it’s not really any fun if I can’t afford to be having fun and see things. So after giving it some thoughts I figured the best thing would be to move back to Denmark. I might have the same kind of money in Denmark, seeing as it is more expensive to live there, but I will at least have my family and friends around and I will be able to go to my parents in the weekends to eat dinner when I run low on money (what are parents for if not to help you out when you need it, though my parents have helped me out a lot more than I deserve, and that’s why they are the best and deserve a huge present, which I unfortunately can’t afford, so I will have to keep seeming ungrateful for everything they’ve done).

I never planned to leave Ireland after just six months. I had imagined that I would have been able to stay here for at least a year. But the thing is that things don’t always go the way you expect them to go and it can be the beauty in life as well as the ugly. There are pro’s and con’s about leaving Ireland. I hate the fact that I never got to travel somewhere and see anything, I hate that I only got to be here during the winter months. I would have loved to see everything in the summer and there are so many places in Ireland that I would have wanted to go, but I am glad that I get to be here on Saint Patrick’s Day at least.

On the other hand I am so happy that I get to be in Denmark when my nephew is born and see him almost as much as I want to. You see he will be the first baby in my family since I was born, so it’s a pretty huge thing and I’m glad I won’t be the strange aunt that visit two or three times a year. You see I plan on bonding with him and become his favourite aunt. I want to take him places when he grow up and babysit him (even though I recall my mother saying: “Do you think they will let you babysit?”). I don’t blame her for saying that. I’ve never really held a baby before and I am without doubt the weirdest person in my family (which I don’t mind being, everyone knows that being weird is funnier). It will also be nice to be able to participate in different things again, because I have actually missed out on a few things while being in Ireland.

I’m leaving Ireland on the 1^st of April and I will go straight to Prague where I’ll be meeting up with my brother and sister-in-law and then after two nights in Prague we’ll be driving to Schwerin in Germany where the rest of the Larsen’s will meet us to celebrate the 50^th year of marriage of my grandparents and after a few days in Germany we’ll drive back to Denmark and I will stay there for good (well at least for a few years).

I will be looking forward to go on vacations in Ireland and in time I might even move back here, you never really know, though it won’t be until I have an education and a job. But I will definitely come back to see some of the things I never got the chance to see while living here.

Now to something else. This Sunday I went to see the Spring Concert at the cathedral. I had dinner with J, her friend, her daughter and her daughter’s husband. We had chicken and it was the first time in eight weeks that I ate meat. I wasn’t a vegetarian I just figured I would actually save money if I didn’t buy meat and in the end it was fun to see how long I could go without it. But once you get used to it it’s actually not that hard. But I had a really lovely time and J’s family is really nice and easy to talk to. The concert was good; and even though it’s not what I really listen to when I am at home I think it’s interesting and fun to try something new. Though I must say that the cathedral has the worst benches EVER! (I am somewhat surprised that people go to masses again and again because even if I was religious I’m not sure I would survive weekend after weekend on those benches. Believe it or not, I care about my arse!)

I also never said anything about how I got a piece in the Westmeath Examiner. It all happened when I came back after Christmas in Denmark. A woman contacted me on Facebook and told me she had read my blog and thought it was interesting to see Ireland/Mullingar through a foreigner’s point of view. So she came by The Cottage one day to have a chat with me.  She even told me I could come by the office for a day and see how it was around there and that I could come to court with her too. I haven’t done any of those things though. I was planning on doing it, but now I don’t really think it’ll have the time. Anyway that was how the article happened. I’ve had some great responses on the article and it was quite fun to be the centre-point in an article.

And now to something that has been on my mind since my parents visited me in December. They stayed at Annebrook in Mullingar for two nights and at Davenport in Dublin for one night. Both hotels didn’t have any hot water in the mornings which I find quite weird. It’s rather normal to want to take a shower when you wake up, and I have to admit that it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of hotels that didn’t have hot water in the mornings. If that is just normal here in Ireland I think they should get it fixed, because there is nothing to say about it other than very poor service. I don’t know if we were just unlucky, but it’s just weird if something was wrong at two different hotels in two different cities.

I will now enjoy the last few weeks I have left here and hopefully I’ll be able to see a few things before I leave. However I promise to keep updating my blog as long as I am in Ireland. But when I get back to Denmark it’ll probably be the end of Mullingar Diaries, as it will be hard to write about my time here when I’m no longer here.

Take care x

“The rain came down and down and down”

I know I have written a few things about the environment in Ireland and that I think Irish people are really messy when it comes to throwing garbage away. I think they might have a secret saying that goes something like this: “Dump it in the side of the road no one will care anyway”. However there is one thing that is bothering me like crazy and when I say crazy I mean BLOODY CRAZY! This is something that is environmentally right, but in my eyes it should be banned and I’m pretty sure that I am not the only one who have this problem. You see so many Irish people keep asking me how I am coping with the weather/rain (this is where I tell them that it rains in Denmark too). They ask me how I find Ireland and its wet muddy ground with its dripping clouds drip-drip-drip hanging over me almost like they were stalking me. I tell them that I’m fine with it and that I don’t mind the rain. I don’t at least not if it would just rain all day. You see the weather here has me confused. I wake up in the morning to sunshine and birds singing loudly almost fooling me into believing that summer is coming, but then it starts raining and I’m torn out of my summer-like state only to be put in to a mood that has me believing that I am going to sit on the couch wrapped in a blanket and watch series all day or read the A Song of Ice and Fire series, drink coffee and just enjoy life with no makeup on and wearing my most worn-out clothes, because I have no intentions of going out when it’s raining. What’s the point? So as I’m reading or watching something it suddenly stops raining and out comes the sun again. This is where I begin to think that I should go for a walk when the sun is out and I finally have the chance, but the problem is that I can never be bothered to change my clothes and do my makeup knowing that it will probably take me 30 minutes before I am done and then it will most likely already be raining again. So I just wish that when it rains it will rain and when the sun is shining it will shine all day. But sadly reality isn’t always as we want it to be and we have to give up our dream of sunshine and accept the fact that rain comes when rain wants to come. So now that we have established the fact that it actually rains quite a lot in Ireland I can now reveal my innermost hate to the one who thought paper bags would be a great idea in Ireland. Who on earth, and I’m going to say that again WHO ON EARTH! came up with that idea? Does that person not know what water does to paper? It annoys me to come home with something new that has already scraped the ground before I even get the chance to get drunk and scrape it on the ground myself. It annoys me that the other day I went to buy a book and all I got was a paper bag and when I asked if they had a plastic bag the woman said no. A paper bag, a book and rain almost scream disaster. Luckily my book got home safely, but I cannot say the same for the paper bag. It ended up in the trash torn apart! 

“His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain, 
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. 
Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave, 
So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.”

I love animals. I love the joy of watching them and the happiness of being around them. But one thing that makes me feel really uncomfortable is dead animals. I hate dead animals because I would rather they were alive. Since my very first day here I have noticed that the dogs around here seem to walk themselves. Out in Walshestown as well as in Mullingar it is not unusual to see a dog out on the streets by itself or with another dog and it makes me really uncomfortable. Around four or five years ago I was out walking with my parent’s dog Molly when we met another dog. It of course wanted to come over and say hello, but Molly didn’t like other dogs so after saying hello it decided to cross the road again. It was in the evening and there was only one car out on the road at that time, but that car didn’t see the dog and it hit it. The dog didn’t die but it was bleeding badly and its bones where broken in more than one place. Luckily the car stopped and the owner lived on the same street and had heard the thud and thought it was his dog. I just stood there with Molly looking at the dog totally numb. I just couldn’t move. The owner said that he wasn’t going to move the dog, because it was so badly injured that it would die within a few minutes most likely. I felt so bad for that dog that I cried the whole walk home and I still have the picture in my head of it just lying there not being able to move; still alive. It KILLS me! In some way it was like I had seen it coming when it walked onto the road and I heard the car and ever since that day I regret not calling the dog to me when I heard the car instead of just standing there watching it getting hit, because maybe it would have turned around and walked back to me. So I get very wary every time I see a dog in the streets, because I just don’t want to have another picture burnt in to my mind and I wish people would consider these things and not let their dogs run free and I believe it doesn’t matter how skilled the dogs are (obviously it might help them if they are skilled), but it might not save them in worse-case-scenario.

Yesterday I went for a walk when I saw a puppy running around happily with the tail swaying from side to side eagerly and it was running around on a road where you are allowed to drive 80 km/h. I believe that the dog must have got out somehow, since I don’t believe it’s in anyone's interest to let a puppy out of sight especially not if it has easy access to a road. Luckily it went under a fence and into a garden when I walked by and I just hope it lived in there and didn’t go out to the road again. But the thing is that two weeks ago I was out on another walk when I met a beautiful golden retriever walking around on a 80 km/h road too. It was so happy when it saw me that it just ran across the road to greet me and it would not have cared if a car came by and the car might not have been able to stop in time since the dog didn’t seem to have any intentions in crossing the road until it saw me; luckily no cars came. But the point is that my heart always stands still whenever I see animals on the roads and I always hope that they don’t see me, because especially dogs have a way of getting overly-excited when they see human beings, so you can never really trust them to stay where they are.  

While growing up I’ve had two hamsters, one died of natural causes I believe and the other’s eye popped out and it had to be put down. I remember picking it up from its cage and when I looked at it its eye had popped out of its head. I wanted to just drop it onto the floor, because it looked really disgusting, but I didn’t because I couldn’t treat it like that. It was put down the same day. After that we got a sweet black and white guinea pig called Bimmer. Unfortunately he didn’t live long because his teeth kept growing (I think) and it prevented him from eating so he was put down too. When I was twelve we got a dog, a black and white spaniel (springer I think, don’t know if she had some cocker in her too though). She was called Molly and she was the nicest dog ever. She didn’t like other dogs or humans and she wouldn’t go near them. A good thing about that was that I knew she wouldn’t bother anyone when I was walking her. She lived for ten happy years before she was put down due to sickness. After she died in 2012 my parents got a cute black and white field trial springer, called Bianca. She’s a real bandit. She is very active and she doesn’t always like it if you go near her, but she is really the cutest dog on earth and just like Molly she doesn’t like other dogs, but she likes humans though and she is just so happy when she meets someone. Some dogs have a way of making it seem like they have known people for years even though they have just met them.

From 2009-2013 I had two guinea pigs, My and Nimueh. I don’t know if they are alive still since I had to give them away before I moved here. But the thing is that no matter how small the pet has been or how long it has lived I have got attached to them and at least I know that none of the pets we have had in my family has had a painful death like the poor dog that was run over, just because they had forgotten to close the gate. And I think one thing that I fear more than seeing an animal get hit by a car is to actually be the one who hit it. I just hope that at some point things will change around Mullingar (and in Ireland, because I suppose Mullingar isn’t the only place with dogs running around freely). I just wish people would put a fence up and keep the gates closed, so at least their dogs can’t get out and I wish there was a way to keep cats of the roads too and still let them enjoy the nature.

I'm glad I've always taken loads of photos of the pets, because they are truly amazing and you just create such great memories with them and it's so nice to have pictures to remind you of them. So if not to brighten your day, then to brighten mine and my family's when we look at this blog.

Bianca and I.

Bianca

Molly

Bianca, Nimueh (black/brown) and My (white/brown)

Raffi, my brother Morten, and me. Raffi was my grandparents dog.

And even though I was just a kid I have loads of great memories of him. 

Bimmer, back in the days when we didn't have a digital camera.

Me and Effie, my brother's dog.

I'd like to dedicate this entry to a very lovely and sweet cat who was hit by a car last weekend (I'm not gonna put any name and picture up, because I'm not sure if I'm the right person to do that since it was not my cat). I just want people to be aware of the fact that so many cats and dogs use the smaller roads too.

This turned out longer than I had imagined and I actually had something else on my mind regarding hot water in Ireland I would have wanted to put in this entry, but that will have to wait. I also totally forgot to mention how this happened: Mullingar, as Danish writer Aprilia sees it

“When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.”

- Anthony Williams

"And if we should die tonight

We should all die together

Raise a glass of wine for the last time"

Have you ever heard a song where you feel like throwing everything you have in your hands on the floor as hard as you can and not care about it breaking and just jump up and down in the middle of the floor with your hands in the air while screaming something like: “ARGHHHHHH!!”? A song that makes you so happy that it feels like your heart is actually going to explode with happiness. A song that no one (NO ONE!) can do justice. A song that makes you want to cry because it’s so beautiful. A song that makes you breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. A song that sounds better every time you hear it even though it’s the millionth time you listen to it and you don’t think it can get any better. Ed Sheeran’s I See Fire is that song to me.

Close your eyes, close your mouth and just breathe through your nose while listening to the song.

Last Sunday I saw Rugby for the first time. I went to the pub, which was a good thing because then I got the rules explained to me. I’m not even sure if they play Rugby in Denmark it’s always all about football and handball. I found rugby not too bad and it resulted in me watching Wales v Ireland yesterday too with J and I think it gets more exciting as I see more of it. So I’ve decided to at least follow Ireland in the Six Nations. So now that I have seen my first rugby game, next thing will probably be Gaelic Football and then Hurling. I had heard about Gaelic Football and Rugby before I came to Ireland, but Hurling is something I had never heard about and everyone keeps telling me that I have to see it, because it’s such a fast game, so I am looking forward to the start of the season, so I can finally see what all the fuss is about.

Also I’ve come closer to figuring out why I can’t buy Kilkenny at the pubs. Well, not that close, but I was told that you’d have to go to Galway (or Dublin or Cork probably) if you want to find it in the pubs. I don’t really know why that is, but probably because they prefer something else in Ireland like Guinness and even Carlsberg.

Another thing I have been wondering about since I came here is why 7up seems to be free at the pubs and why do people put it in their beer? If you don’t like the taste of beer you should probably buy something else. I’ve always thought that a beer is a beer and it should be downed as a beer and not a beer with 7up. It’s the first time I have ever seen this mixture in any country. Just like I have never seen fries with vinegar. I had that in Dublin and it was really amazing! On that note I’d like to say: “Keep up the good work Ireland, but stop disappointing me with things like 7up in beers.”

Now I'm off to watch Manchester United v Fulham!

“So I'm gonna sit right here

On the edge of this pier

And watch the sunset disappear

And drink a beer”

I have always been a beer enthusiast. I love tasting new kinds of beer from all around the world and some of the things I enjoy the most are to just go into a bar and tell them that I want to try something new or just sit outside with a cold one and enjoy it. This means that I am of course familiar with Irish beers. Before I moved to Ireland I had already had my fair share of Smithwick’s, Murphy’s, Kilkenny and Guinness – Guinness being my favourite though. But however there is one thing I find kind of odd in Ireland and it is something I didn’t even think about before my parents came to visit me in December. One evening we went to Druid’s Chair for a pint and my mum wanted a Kilkenny, but they didn’t have it. At that time I realised that I hadn’t even seen it at any of the other pubs I had been to either which I thought was weird since I was pretty sure it couldn’t be anything but Irish.

A while later I have now decided to look up the missing Kilkenny and what I found out when I googled Kilkenny is that everything has to be a bit more complicated in Ireland (Just like with Magners). First of all Kilkenny is owned by Diageo (the makers of Guinness), but the name ‘Kilkenny’ was originally used during the 1980s and 1990s to market a stronger version of Smithwick’s for the European and Canadian market, because apparently they had trouble with the pronunciation of Smithwick’s. So maybe that is why I have never seen Smithwick’s in Denmark. What I think is weird is that Ireland is the primary market for Kilkenny, and yet the women at Druid’s Chair looked like we were talking nonsense when we asked for it. Even though I tried to look it up I still don’t have a clue why I haven’t seen it at any pubs yet. But one thing’s for sure, I am going to figure out the mystery of the missing Kilkenny. I’ll walk from pub to pub if that is what it takes. The only conclusion I can think of right now is that they don’t serve it at some of the pubs because it’s similar to Smithwick’s. But to be honest I think that would be a horrible excuse, because it’s not the same beer and it’s a shame that I can’t seem to be able to get a Kilkenny at the pubs because I really like it.

That was just a tiny update and I hope to be back with a part two with some actual answers. 

One last thing. I met a really proud father at John Daly’s one day when I was watching football and I promised him to put a video of his son’s band on my blog. I actually think that they are really good. So give them a listen.

“A cold wind was blowing out of the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.”

Growing up with the Larsen’s was great. From the age of three I had to go to kindergarten to play with the other children all day. The only things I remember about kindergarten are that I once put itching powder down someone’s back (maybe not my greatest moment) and I was jealous of the girl who had trouble walking, because every time we had to go outside and play (let’s face it; I’ve never been an outdoor person) she got to stay inside and practise her walking. So I spent the hours outside with a big rock trying to crush the smaller rocks until they were nothing but dust (we didn’t need cell phones, tablets, Gameboys etc.). I started at school at the age of six and I don’t remember liking it not just even once. And it was like that for as long as I can remember. I still don’t like going to school but studying online makes it a bit easier.
When I was a child my parents took me to loads of places and I was that annoying kid who puked no matter where we went. So it’s unbelievable how we have managed to drive to Italy and France. I remember always looking at the wind turbines when we were driving and it’s something that I still do. I remember looking at them to see if they were Vestas wind turbines or something else. They always in some way fascinated me.

So growing up with the Larsen’s was great, because I had a pretty nice upbringing and nothing to complain about – and still complaining seems to be one of the only skills I have mastered to perfection. Sometimes I feel bad for my parents because they had to deal with me. And I think it is awful how you have to grow up to realise your life has always been pretty good. Imagine what it would have been like if we have always thought that? There wouldn’t have been any endless fighting on vacations with my brother or complaints about things that really didn’t matter.

My parents even bought a house in Sweden when I was around fourteen and it was probably one of the greatest places on earth. I loved coming there just to relax and hardly do anything. Sadly they sold the house in 2013. But whenever I was in Sweden I would look at their wind turbines. They look different from the once we have in Denmark – not in the shape though, but the colour. Some of the wind turbines in Sweden are green at the bottom. My point is that no matter where I go I always look at the wind turbines. And whenever I’m standing next to one I’m always fascinated by the size of it. They are huge and still they look small from a distance.

Ever since I came to Ireland I haven’t seen one wind turbine, all I see are signs with a drawing of one and a text saying no.

Those signs seem to be everywhere and growing up in a country like Denmark where wind turbines can be seen no matter where you go I find it pretty odd that it seems like the Irish people don’t want them or maybe there is a different explanation to the signs. So once again I have contacted my very very good friend Mr Google to do some research for me (I think that I might owe him a piece of cake for all the research he has done for me).

After a bit of researching it seems that the signs aren’t signs that says: “NO WIND TURBINES AT ALL” but more like: “No wind turbines near our homes”, which is understandable since they aren’t completely soundless.

I found this scheme which shows the noise levels of different things.

Although it seems like, from what I read in the papers and on the internet, that people really are against wind turbines especially here in the Midlands. It seems like some people think it’s wrong to build on some grounds due to the fact that they have a historical background. And now I’m going say something that might not be so nice! Screw the historical grounds (unless there is a historical building or something on the ground). Ireland is full of trash everywhere, EVERYWHERE! Recycling and sorting my garbage was taken to another level when I came to Ireland, but it seems like not a lot of people sort their garbage like I do, instead they just dump it in the side of the roads. So my point is ‘to hell with the historical grounds if they’re just loaded with trash anyway’. They might as well put up wind turbines; at least they do something useful.  

I’ve learnt that there are 199 wind farms on the whole island and that in 2013 18% of Ireland’s electricity came from wind energy, which means that Ireland should have reached its mandatory target by EU for 16% of Ireland’s energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. However Westmeath, Offaly, Meath and Longford are the only counties on the island of Ireland that don't have any wind farms. (That might be the reason I haven’t seen any wind turbines yet)

Also I think that some people think it’s too dangerous to have wind turbines near their homes since accidents can happen – and accidents do happen! (But hey, not that often)

Also in 2014 a wind turbine burned down somewhere in Denmark. But despite the fact the accidents happen I think they are amazing! As for Denmark 20% of the energy came from wind power in 2012 and it was improved to 33% in 2013 and for just December 2013 56% of the energy was delivered by wind power and there was also produced more power than there was used in December 2013.

I don’t see the big deal for anti-wind farm groups. Who wouldn’t want a greener country?

"I have heard it said that the first ingredient of success is to dream a great dream.”

Christmas is over and 2014 has begun. Time is really flying by right now and sometimes you really just got to hang on if you don’t want to be left behind. 2013 has been an important year in my life. It’s been the year where I’ve finally been able to move on and start looking forward. I finally graduated from school and began at University College where my studies are finally directed at my aims and goals. I was gone for seven weeks this summer where my visits included England, The Netherlands and Sweden and finally it was the year where my dream about moving to another country was realised. I can only recommend people to look things up if they have a dream and then try to do something about it. My dream about moving to another country had been going on for more than a decade and the most important thing is to do every possible thing within reasonable limits to realise your dream! It might take years and sometimes the dream simply just vanish, but if it keeps being a dream it’s probably because it is something you have to do! (Unless you dream of murdering someone, then you should probably just stay inside and watch soap operas. That will probably drive you mad for real though) Anyway just because my dream about moving to another country got real doesn’t mean that my dream about moving to another country isn’t still on-going. I am happy being in Ireland but I don’t think I am really a ‘one country´-woman. I’m probably a bit wild and the thought of actually settling down scares me and on the other hand it bothers me that everyone else seems to have settled down and moved on with their lives. I somehow feel like I am always a step behind, but that doesn’t really matter as long as I am the one conquering things!

Seen through my eyes 2014 will have something to live up to, but as for now it’s already looking good. I’m going on a short trip to Prague and Schwerin (Germany) in April and in the summer I’m going to be an aunt – and that is what I am most excited about! Also I have to do a three month internship where I am already planning on applying for a position in England. So for now I have some pretty great things coming up this year.

I arrived in Mullingar yesterday and the trip from Denmark was quite long this time due to the fact that I had to wait for flight/bus connections at both Copenhagen Airport and Dublin Airport. But today I woke up to a sunny Ireland.

I’ve had a great time in Denmark and it was really good to see my family and friends again.  I had just got used to being in Denmark so in some way it was a bit annoying that I had to leave, but now that I have got back to Ireland I’m just contented being here.

I’ll finish this update now to make up for the long and boring one last time. I hope you like the makeover I gave the blog and I’ll be back with something interesting (hopefully). And maybe that will be an explanation on why they have signs saying “no” with a picture of a wind turbine on it in Ireland. 

Back in Denmark

A lovely land is ours 

With beeches green about her 

Encircled by the sea 

Her hills and vales are manifold 

Her name, of old, is Denmark 

That’s how the Danish national anthem goes. Denmark is a flat country. It’s not overly green or overly brown and everything looks dull in the winter and the trees aren’t covered in multi-coloured leaves in the autumn. They don’t have different shades of brown, red and yellow like they have in Sweden. It’s windy most of the time and the beaches aren’t anything special even though we have so many of them. But of course Denmark has its moments from time to time. I think it’s amazing to drive in the summer on the narrow country roads and I love when everything is covered in snow in the winter. I’m in Denmark at the moment and it’s windy, grey and rainy. Not really what you imagine the weather to be like in the winter. There’s no snow and no minus degrees. The weather is mild and so Danish-like. But to be honest I don’t mind being back in Denmark right now because the weather in Ireland doesn’t seem to be any better anyway. In fact it seems like it is worse over there right now.

On the 19^th of December my parents came to Ireland to visit me. I had promised to meet them at the airport where we had rented a car. I had to take the bus to the airport from Austin Friar’s Street in Mullingar and normally I would ride my bike into town but that day I decided to walk. The weather was so bizarre that day. It had been raining, snowing and the sun had been shining.  When I began my walk into town it was really sunny and beautiful, but after five minutes big snowflakes came down from the sky. It wasn’t cold enough so they melted when they came into contact with something. Mostly it was just wet. My grandpa has told me about how they used to hitchhike when he was in Ireland a lot of years ago and how it was just normal to give rides to people walking on the roads. I was thinking about that as I was walking into town when a car pulled in and asked me if I wanted a lift into town. So that was how I got my very first lift from strangers.

I met my parents in the airport and unfortunately one of their suitcases was still in Amsterdam and the suitcase that made it to Dublin was filled with my clothes. So we were off to a very good start! We picked the pre-booked car up at Europcar and made our way to Mullingar. I think the clock was around five when we came to Mullingar. They were staying at Annebrook’s Hotel and it was actually a really nice and cosy hotel with a great breakfast buffet. The first night I stayed at my own place and my parents came to pick me up at 8 a.m. and we went back to Annebrook to have breakfast and it was the first time since I came to Ireland that I had an Irish breakfast. I don’ know why I like Irish breakfasts so much because I don’t really eat the sausages or the black and white pudding. But the bacon is AMAZING! AMAZING!

Most of the day we spent walking around looking at the shops in Mullingar and I invited my parents for hot chocolate and blancmange with jelly at my place. Mainly they came to Mullingar to see where I live and to see Mullingar. I have been waiting for them to come over since I left Denmark in October because I have longed for the feeling of having someone to share everything with. I can tell them all about it but it’s not the same as if they have actually been here. And now they have been here and I think they actually liked Mullingar.

When I told people that my parents were coming over to Mullingar just to see where I live they all laughed at me and said, “They are coming here?” Like what the hell are they going to do here? But I suppose it’s the same as when people come to Skagen and I’m thinking, “What the hell”. There are actually a lot more to do in Mullingar than in Skagen.

The photos are taken in Mullingar and this time the they're actually my own. I was really disappointed when I got back to Skagen, and saw that there's hardly any Christmas decorations. 

We also drove to Lough Owel which is around 7 km from where I live. But it was really windy that day.

In the evening we had booked a table at Dominick’s Restaurant and the food was really good in there. 

Definitely a place I am going to another time. 

On the 21^st we drove to Dublin in the morning. We dropped the car of at the airport and took a taxi to the hotel. We stayed at O’Callaghan Davenport which was a really nice hotel and it was in the city centre. It wasn’t far away from streets like Dawson Street and Grafton Street.

My mum and I with the hotel in the background.

 It was my first time in Dublin and in the beginning I was quite stunned by the lack of cars in the city. But on the shopping street there were so many people and it reminded me of why I didn’t want to live in Dublin. I don’t have the patience to be around so many people. All you really want to do is to push them. The weather wasn’t great. It was raining most of the time and the rain made it even worse to go into shops, because a lot of people had also sought into shops to hide from the rain. But apart from all the people I liked Dublin. It was nice and really pretty with all the Christmas decorations.

All the streets had really beautiful decorations.

My parents had to leave the hotel at 0830 on the 22^nd. Their flight was around 1100 and mine wasn’t until 1900. So I had a few hours to kill. Luckily I could keep the hotel room until 1400. I spent my time doing the last bits of Christmas shopping and after that I went to a pub to watch football and have a few pints before I went to the airport.

Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to call in at O'Donoghue's. It's the pub The Dubliners used to play at and I've read that it's worth a visit. But as you can see on the photo it was packed the day we wanted to go in there. Dublin is a crazy place around Christmas!

I came to Denmark at midnight on the 22^nd and by midday the 23^rd I was back in Skagen. I went to see my grandparents on my mother’s side first. It was only a short visit but it was so nice to see them again.

On the 24^th of December my grandparents on my mother’s side came to my parent’s house around 6. In Denmark we eat Christmas food and open presents on the 24^th of December. Each year we switch between all my grandparents. One year we celebrate it with my grandparent’s on my mother’s side and the next my grandparents on my father’s side and also every second year my brother and his wife join us. On the 25^th and 26^th we normally go to all the grandparents and eat some more Christmas food.

This is what we have for dinner on Christmas Eve.

Ris a la mande (rice pudding). This is want we eat for dessert. Normally one almond is hidden in the pudding and the one who finds it gets something.

The Christmas tree

On the 25^th I also met up with Zille, an old friend from school, and we went downtown for a few beers. I ended up staying out for quite a while though, because I wasn’t back in bed before 0430 which was a bit late when I had to be somewhere at 1200 the next day. But luckily I was alright in the morning and had a lovely day.

On the 28^th I went to my friend Anne’s house with Zille and my best friend Sabina. We had a blast and it was nice to hang out with them again.

Yesterday, the 29^th, I went to Frederikshavn with Sabina where we went to my local bar, Munken, for a Tuborg, just to celebrate the good old times. 

Sláinte! Skål!

After that we visited a friend I went to school with and we hung out at his place most of the afternoon and evening before we took the train back to Skagen.

Today, the 30^th, I’ve been hanging out with Sabina. We had lunch at Green’s Pub and Café in Skagen (the best place in Skagen) and then we went to her place to play Catan. I won 3 out of 3. She’s coming over to my parents tonight and we’ll probably just play some more Catan.

Sabina and I

I have almost two weeks left in Denmark before I fly back to Ireland on Januar 12. Tomorrow it's New Year's Eve and I'm having dinner with my parents and my brother and sister-in-law. Then I'm meeting up with Sabina after dinner.