One Year in Denmark

🎉 🥳 It's been a year!! 🎉 🥳

One year ago, we stepped off an airplane and into a totally different world, and it was the beginning of the most amazing adventure we've ever been on as a family.

Here's the video Vibe took as we strolled into the CPH airport as a family for the first time on August 4th, 2023.

It's fun to go read the blog posts from the very beginning. We were scared and excited, stressed and overjoyed, and basically just riddled with anxiety. We had to read and plan and guess without actually knowing anything, and it was a wild time. We did have a solid plan, but you know how the saying goes: "The best laid plans..."

Deviations from the plan

Before we moved, we tried our best to plan our lives abroad. Of course, none of us had ever actually lived abroad, so there were bound to be a few things that didn't pan out the way we thought. Looking back on some of our early posts, we've identified a few deviations.

The car:

We didn't think we were going to buy a car for a long time, if ever. Our rented home was located directly on a bus route, we figured our transit cards would get us everywhere we needed to be, and if we needed a car, we could always borrow one or join a car share service. I was OK with this plan, but Zac got spoiled immediately when we arrived in Denmark by the number of generous people offering up their cars for our use as we made a hundred trips to IKEA and got settled in. He wanted a car ASAP, and he got one.

Keeping in touch:

We thought it would be easy to keep in touch with friends and family. It turns out that the 9-hour time difference makes that pretty challenging, especially for the kids. When the kids get home from school, it's like 06:00 or 07:00 the same day in the U.S., meaning all their friends are either getting ready for school or going to school. When their friends are getting home from school, it's like midnight here. So really, they only have weekends to try to chat in real-time. At least they can send WhatsApp texts and Snaps and stuff that can be answered anytime!

I have the same dilemma with work. In the evenings after dinner, I have the opportunity to try to contact my family members who don't work, which is nice, but I rarely get to talk to my sister. My brother is sometimes going to work when I am getting off work, so we can chat for 10 minutes or so, but it is really a lot harder to keep in touch than I thought it would be.

At least we have WhatsApp video calls!

I had all these delusions about writing letters and sending cards all the time, too. Psshhh. That's not happening. Not because I don't want to write, but because it costs about 5 US dollars to send a postcard or letter from Denmark to the U.S. That is a habit that just isn't financially viable.

We also thought we'd send cute little packages to people to let them know we were thinking of them off and on. Same deal. If you think sending a letter costs a lot from Denmark, imagine what it costs to send a little package of licorice and a mug or something!

Anyway, I'm sorry about the lack of mail and cutesy gifts and phone calls. I do the best I can!

We aren't coming home every summer.

We thought we'd come home for three weeks every summer to see everyone and run around the U.S. and visit places we hadn't been...nope. There are lots of reasons.

First, Zac isn't allowed to take too much time off in a row during the main summer vacation. His team has to work when everyone else is out of the production areas, so it would be really challenging to take the time off. (They *do* get ice cream and candy all day every day during this difficult time, I found out.)

Second, the summertime is our opportunity to explore! We've been to north Idaho. We have not been to Croatia or Turkey or Germany or Italy. If we only get to spend a week during the summer together off work and school, we want to see new places and take the kids on adventures some of the time.

Finally, it's ridiculously expensive! To purchase plane tickets during high travel season all the way to Spokane, Washington costs so much money. Plus renting a car, plus boarding the dog and cat...it all added up so fast as I tried to plan things, and it just seemed so crazy to spend like $15,000 when we hadn't even really built up our savings again from the move.

We can drive to like six different countries in less time than it takes to drive from Post Falls, Idaho, to Boise, Idaho, and while fuel isn't cheap, at least the whole family can pile into one car. (If you're wondering...Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, Prague, Poland), and in 12 hours or less, we could also drive to Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Finland, Austria, Czechia, and Slovakia. It would even be feasible to drive to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Montenegro, Albania, or Greece if we stopped to camp along the way once.

Anyway, we miss everyone and we love any opportunity to see you, but with five of us and the animals, it's a big hit to the bank account, and it's clear to me that I didn't think that all the way through before we left.

I thought I'd lose weight and eat better.

Denmark is full of active, trim, healthy people, and I really thought when I arrived I would somehow instantly become one of them. I thought I'd be riding my bike to work every day and eating super healthily because there aren't so many processed foods or junk foods, but I actually gained weight after moving here.

The bread is amazing and it's everywhere. I was suddenly consuming more bread than ever, and it was super. Also, they definitely still have Ben&Jerry's here, and the other ice creams are really creamy and delicious. And there aren't really giant Costco-sized bags of Cheetos or anything, but we did find these great chili cheese rings, and Zac and I (mostly I) can put down an entire bag of them in bed while we watch a show at night. We definitely picked up some habits that contributed to the problem.

Another thing is that I heard Denmark had crap for beer selection, but the thing you need to know about Denmark is that Carlsberg, the Budweiser of the Danes, is actually so amazing and flavorful. It's very good beer. Plus, there are a bunch of craft breweries in the area and huge selections in some of the stores. You usually purchase it by the can, so you can try all kinds of new beers or brewers without buying entire six-packs. It has been a fun experiment since we moved here, and we still find all kinds of new ones. Unfortunately, it's not the best for health and weight loss. <<shrug>>

In the fall of 2023, I only biked to work a few times. It was a struggle on my free, rusty bike, and it took a long time to prep and get ready in the morning for biking, and I had to figure out how sweaty I could be without being sent home. Since April this year though, I have biked to work 43 times and it's now become standard practice. I have even biked in the rain (though I haven't biked on any super rainy days yet), but I'd like to hit 100 days before the end of the year if I can.

I also quit taking bread at lunch, and I eat less bread at our morning bread meeting on Fridays. I eat less bread at dinner, and I have tried to quit snacking so much when I go to bed to watch shows in the evening. Small changes!

We thought we would be renting for at least five years.

Before moving here, we read that foreigners couldn't buy a house in Denmark until they had lived here five years, so we assumed we would rent this great house for 1-2 years (depending on how long our landlords stayed in the U.S.) and then find another place to rent long-term.

After talking to some of the parents at the kids' school, I learned you actually can buy a home in Denmark before the five-year mark. You just need permission from the Danish Justice Department. We talked to a few realtors as we browsed a few houses around the area for kicks, and learned that this is common practice, and they really just want to see that you have the money to do it, you aren't just going to buy a house and then Airbnb it out for the rest of your life, and that you have made some kind of ties to Denmark. None of the realtors we talked to thought there would be any problem with it for us. (This is good for us, but it also opened my eyes to some of the ways the bank system can be racist or biased against people with darker skin or from countries that aren't the U.S. or located in Western Europe. Many people described to us that it would be easy because we are white and from the U.S. That makes me feel gross.)

We have now looked at maybe five houses, some in our neighborhood and some farther away. We've talked to a few realtors, discussed finances with the banks, and learned a lot from Vibe about different types of loans, insurances, and down payment strategies. It was confirmed a few months ago that our landlords were going to stay one more year in the U.S., meaning that we don't have to get out of our little paradise anytime soon, but we are definitely planning on buying rather than renting when we leave this house. I mean, look how cute old Danish houses are!!

And before you ask if we have decided to stay forever, the answer is no. We will still assess everyone's feelings and future plans at our 2-year milestone, and if the consensus is that we want to leave this place, we will work as a family to figure out where to go next and how to make it a reality, but that will likely take time, and we'll need a place to live while we sort it out. Therefore, we move forward with buying a house. Maybe we'll live in it for the rest of our lives and maybe we'll sell it soon after we move in, but either way, we'll have invested in something that's ours instead of existing in a home that really belongs to someone else.

* * *

So other than all that, things are going pretty according to plan! Life here is pretty freaking awesome, and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

* * *

Q&A with the Family

I thought it would be fun to ask the family a series of questions to help us all reflect on where we were and where we are now.

1. What were you most excited about when you learned we were moving to Denmark?

Harrison: Not really anything.

Khloe: Probably decorating a new room.

Kaden: The house, because I thought it looked cool in the pictures and I thought the garden opened up directly to the lake. Probably getting a phone, too. 

Zac: I was excited at the prospect of a better music scene with more variety and more things that I like!

Lindsey: I was super excited to start my new role at work because a lot of the reason we moved was to grow personally and professionally. I was excited to immerse myself in a new culture and explore new places. If I'm being very honest, I was also excited to get a little bit of a reset. I was spread so thin in the U.S. at work and with volunteering and everything. I was excited to leave it all behind and kind of start over a little.

2. What were you most sad or worried about when you learned we were moving to Denmark?

Harrison: Our house.  

Khloe: Leaving my people. 

Kaden: Us not having our house anymore. 

Zac: I was worried about how much money it would cost to move and how much we would have to spend. I was sad at the idea of not being able to see our family as frequently.  

Lindsey: I was worried about how the kids would do. I was worried Zac wouldn't be happy or would dislike his new job. I was worried about a lot of ridiculous things because they were all trusting me so much. I was devastated to sell the house, too. It meant a lot to me, and it was really a physical reminder of how much I had overcome and risen up in life...it was hard to think about selling it.

3. What is your best memory from the last year we have spent here?

Harrison: Having a best friend.

Khloe: Mazvita [one of her friends]. Friends. School. 

Kaden: Going to Warpigs with a bunch of our family when they were here, or Christmas because it reminded me of Christmas in America. I also really liked going to Poland. 

Zac: I enjoyed going and purchasing our Christmas tree. Nice people, and it's fun to go out and find a tree at a farm. I enjoyed Copenhell, too.

Lindsey: All of it! Every moment. This past year has been amazing. I have so many good memories: riding my bike past the meadow and the wildflowers and the lake, hanging out with Zac in Copenhagen, watching how cute Khloe was watching the anteaters at the zoo, Kaden calling me to tell me about his exciting first day in Poland, and Harrison zooming around the garden and through the gates trying to best his own times on his racecourse. I think about Marabel and Han lazing in the sun on the terrace and how good I felt the first time I completed a transaction in Danish. I think about our super fun New Year's Eve and how kindly people have treated us when we were scared or unsure of what we were doing, and I think about how Vibe and Jacob and Lene took such good care of us and made sure we were getting along OK. We've seen such cool places and gone to LEGOLAND and Tivoli and concerts. There is no way to pick a best memory because every part of it makes me so happy.

4. What kinds of things do you like to do in your free time here?

Harrison: Eat fruit from the bushes in our garden. I like to play Roblox and Minecraft. I like to go on walks in the evening. I like building with LEGO. I'm working on a chef restaurant and I need a roof but it's almost done. I play outside too. Those are generally the things I do when I'm not in school.

Khloe: Guitar, more instruments, sing, and draw. And sleep. And watch movies.

Kaden: I like going to the bike park. I like going to sleepovers because those are really fun.

Zac: I like to take walks to the lake. I think it's very peaceful. I like going jogging because it's a good place to run with nice scenery. I like to listen to music.

Lindsey: I like to take walks with Zac, listen to music, and talk to friends and family back home. I puzzle and sit out on the terrace drinking beer. I play guitar sometimes, I read sometimes, I blog sometimes. I practice Danish by doing Duolingo or trying to read the local paper or by watching this old Danish TV show called Matador.

Are they different than what you used to do in your free time in the U.S.?

Harrison: Yeah. I didn't have Minecraft in the U.S. I did go outside in the U.S., but it was different. In the U.S., I would play with my friends out there or ride my bike in the cul-de-sac or climb on the snow pile.

Khloe: Yes. I used to play with toys more in the U.S.

Kaden: The things I do are pretty similar here, aside from the bike park.

Zac: Listening to music is the same, but here, I can enjoy nature easier. It's right out the door. I also don't see any stupid political bullshit, which makes me happier.

Lindsey: It's a lot different than what I would do in my free time in the U.S.! I spent most of my free time in the U.S. volunteering or just lying like a lump listening to podcasts because I didn't have the energy for anything else. I did still play guitar and drink beer and listen to music there though. :)

5. What are the biggest differences between school/schoolwork (or workplace/work tasks) in the U.S. and Denmark?

Harrison: I don't have that many friends in this school, and I had a lot of friends in my other school. I learn Danish here. We had like two lessons in the U.S. and got a lot of free time to work on puzzles or things like that. Here, we can have free time at the end of the day sometimes, and here I go on more trips. Definitely more. I used to get to school by car and get home on bike or scooter, one of those. And now I go home on the bus and go to school on the bus.

Khloe: Well, I guess in science, they were teaching us more about geography and here, they teach us more about science-y stuff. I take public transportation to school here. And we don't switch classrooms here. They give us lots of breaks during the school day and school year here. The school is all on one floor and they call them "Years" instead of "Grades". A third of our school building has businesses in it, a third of it has the Danish school in it, and a third of it is ours. Oh yeah, and we call our teachers by their first names.

Kaden: We don't have lockers here, you don't move classrooms and you're stationary most of the day. You don't eat in a cafeteria, you eat in your classroom. Hot lunch is expensive, like going to a restaurant but it's just your average cafeteria food. There's also a lot more diversity here.

Zac: Here, the equipment I get to work on is more varied. I get to learn new calibrations and new techniques. I also get to walk to the coffee machine in my socks and no one cares or even looks twice. I also like that during the busy time, there's always a freezer full of ice cream.

Lindsey: My overall job function is the same as it was in the U.S., it's just at a different stage of the product. My tasks are fairly different though. In the U.S., I wore a lot of different hats. I project managed, I designed studies, I executed studies, I did some analytical work, I wrote protocols and reports, and all kinds of random other things. I never had time to really think and consider problems or strategies as much as I wanted to. I have a lot more time for that now. Technicians do all the analysis here and execute the studies. I do have to have a lot more analytical knowledge here to advise on how to set up assays and things like that though. I miss knowing everyone in the building and knowing exactly who to go to to ask a question - that was a perk in the U.S. Our Danish site is waaaaaaay bigger and I barely know a fraction of the people who work here. I had/have amazing colleagues in both places though!

6. How do you think we have changed as a family since the move? Are there differences in behavior, the way we spend time together, or the way we interact?

Harrison: I don't really know about that one.

Khloe: More travel-y and active. I think we get along more. Oh, and we are healthier. I do more hobbies, Dad plays less video games, and Harrison plays outside a lot. Kaden plays more video games, and I see more of what Mom does. And we get into more sports here.

Kaden: I think we've all gotten healthier in some way. Mom and Dad seem a lot less stressed here. We don't hang out together outdoors as much because we don't live in the cul-de-sac.

Zac: I think I'm less grumpy and less inclined to snap or speak sharply to the children because I'm in a better mood every day when I come home from work, and just less stressed in general, so I don't think I take that out on them in any way. It's rare. I also think we typically enjoy our family outings now, overall. I don't think we really went anywhere as a family in the U.S. unless it was to visit family.

Lindsey: I think Zac and I get angry at the kids less. We still get annoyed when they half-ass chores or step over their folded laundry on the way downstairs for three days, but I think that we are a lot more even in our response to these annoyances now that our mental health is in check. I think we go out and do more things as a family here, and I think I get along with the older kids better. We can talk pretty openly, and it feels nice to not yell as much.

7. What has been the hardest thing for you to deal with in the last year?

Harrison: Not really anything.

Khloe: Difficult friend dynamics, and I miss my U.S. friends. Ever since I got a phone, I've been talking to the people from my old school way more.

Kaden: Teachers and my behavior at school.

Zac: I don't know. Is anything really that hard? Maybe the cost of groceries. We spend a lot of money on food.

Lindsey: It was hard to figure out things like paying bills and learning the different logistics here. Like you have to read the gas meter and report it yourself, and you have one company that sources natural gas and another that supplies it, so you have two gas companies that bill on different cycles. It's hard to read contracts for those kinds of things, or like when we bought the car, in Danish. It was a little struggle to know what to do when I needed a dentist for some tooth pain. Oh, and for some reason, I cannot park our car straight. Pulling in, backing in, it doesn't matter. I can't get it straight. WHY?!

Have you found a way to overcome it? 

Harrison: N/A

Khloe: Yes. I dropped the people that were making my life difficult, and I talk to some of my U.S. friends regularly on SnapChat.

Kaden: I think I just shaped up at the very end.

Zac: Not really. I could spend more time shopping for deals, I just don't want to take the time. I could stop drinking beer. That would save a lot.

Lindsey: I've overcome the tricky contracts and stuff. If I'm really worried about it, I just sit and translate things. I try not to read notices or emails from companies when I'm tired, I just wait until I feel like I can face it. More often than not, it's nothing that actually needs attention and then I feel dumb for waiting. Most of the tough stuff was at the beginning of our journey, so it's less frequent now.

I still can't park the car straight though.

8. Have you met new people in Denmark?

Harrison: A few at school and home and other places.

Khloe: Lots!

Kaden: Yes, I know my classmates.

Zac: Just people at work and our naboer (neighbors).

Lindsey: Lots of people! We've met the people who own the home we are renting, and through them, several of the neighbors on our road. I've met other people in the neighborhood through the Facebook group to set up playdates, and I've met lots of parents and teachers from the kids' school. I've met new colleagues, I've met the families of colleagues I've known for years, and I've met new people around town.

Have those connections had an impact on the way you feel about living here?

Harrison: Not really.

Khloe: Yes. They make me want to stay.

Kaden: Yes. I like hanging out with Louis a lot. He has introduced me to new things and he pushes me out of my comfort zone sometimes.

Zac: Yes. Our neighbor very quickly showed how much trust he had in us, and it was apparent when I needed the shared lawnmower, and while they were gone, they just gave me the code to their key box and let me go into their garage.

Lindsey: Yeah, I feel like the more people we connect with, the less we have to lean on the few people we knew here before the move. We still have questions and need advice sometimes, and I think I felt more like a burden when it was always split between Vibe and Lene and Jacob. I can spread it out a little more now. It's also really nice to get to know people in a completely different cultural setting. I feel really supported here the more we get to know everyone.

9. What's something we sold or gave away before the move that you wish we had brought with us?

Harrison: Bed. That's kind of the only thing. My bed.

Khloe: All my toys. I feel sad about leaving them. I know I wouldn't play with them, but I feel sad about them. And the electric guitar.

Kaden: For some reason, I miss my TV a lot. 

Zac: Our freeze-dried food stash. I feel like we could've brought like almost everything we owned and it would've been just fine, but we didn't know what we were doing and kind of panicked. Now, we have to buy more wine glasses. Still haven't done it.

Lindsey: Um...most of it? We TOTALLY should've brought our beds and mattresses, our bikes, our camping stuff, my desk, and our decent bookshelves. We should've brought the file cabinet and all the kitchen stuff and all of our costumes and all of our office supplies and art and craft stuff. We should've brought our barbecue tools and nightstands and the rest of the instruments and video game stuff. We should've brought my rower and our emergency dehydrated food and our tools. It has been very expensive to try to replace some of those things here, and the money we made selling some of that stuff certainly did not make up for what we have spent. We haven't even replaced most of it yet. It would've been a few thousand dollars more to bring it all, and we just should've done it. We were just scared and we didn't know what we were doing. We didn't know how to choose or cut costs, and we were just kind of flailing.

10. What do you miss the most about our life in the U.S.?

Harrison: Having better connection with my friends there. Even though I have the same amount of friends here really, I just knew them better.

Khloe: Our house and my friends and my school.

Kaden: Family and friends and the house. 

Zac: I kind of miss our truck. I liked our truck. I miss the mountains a little bit.

Lindsey: I miss getting to help my grandma out with things and invite her over for dinner. I miss the little pop-ins from my mom or my dad, and basically just how easy it was to get together with family. I miss summer evenings drinking beer and chatting in the cul-de-sac with our great neighbors while the kids played. I miss my houseplants.

What kind of foods, restaurants, or businesses do you miss the most?

Harrison: Walmart. I just liked it and it had cool stuff in it. I miss peanut butter cookies. And Wendy's.

Khloe: Wendy's, Sweeto Burrito...I miss Target and Walmart and Super1. I just loved asking to go there with Mom.

Kaden: Roger's Burgers, Walmart, Costco, Target. Everything was cheap. That's where I'd buy everything from.

Zac: I miss Piccolo's. I miss Doritos a little bit. I kind of miss the easy access to go snowboarding in the winter. I miss Zips' Bacon Double Cheese.

Lindsey: Oh, I miss Piccolo's pizza and garlic knots. I miss the cauliflower tacos from Republic Kitchen and Taphouse. I miss Target and Home Depot and Costco. I think I miss Target and Home Depot because it was so easy to just go and get what you needed, and I think I just haven't quite figured out all the best places for everything here yet. I miss buying in bulk at Costco. Things are less preserved here, and houses and fridges are smaller, so you really just shop like every 2-3 days for what you need. I think it would still be nice to buy toilet paper, paper towels, vitamins, dry goods, etc. in bulk, and that's not really a thing here unless you own a business and have a membership at a special place. There is also just more variety in a grocery store in the U.S.

11. What does the U.S. do better than Denmark?

Harrison: I can't think of anything.

Khloe: I feel like they give more options for elective classes in the U.S.

Kaden: Um...I don't know.

Zac: I think just the sheer variety of everything. There's just so many options in every aspect of what you're looking for: groceries, food, restaurants...

Lindsey: Grocery stores and dentists. The dentists in the U.S. are great. The hygienists are friendly and gentle and take their time cleaning your teeth. They chat with you about all the different deodorants you've both tried and where you buy your clothes and which concerts you're going to. The dentists come in for a second and check you out, also so gentle and friendly, and then you leave feeling clean and smooth and like you just hung out with a friend for an hour. Dentists here in Denmark are very get-in-get-out. It's rough and fast. Also, the grocery stores are stocked so well with so many choices in the U.S., and they're huge. You can almost always find everything you were looking for in one store. So yeah, grocery stores are better in the U.S.

What does Denmark do better than the U.S.?

Harrison: I don't know how to explain it.

Khloe: Educate. 

Kaden: Food is better. Education is better, I think. And the whole Danish ecosystem is better. I'd say everything is better in Denmark. Except the car situation. They are expensive and that's gonna set me back on my goal to buy a car.

Zac: So far, dealing with healthcare is pretty straightforward. We don't get several bills that say we are past due before we even get the original bill. I think the drivers here are better quality overall. They are not so quick to road-rage. In a year, I think I've seen two instances where people were clearly mad at each other instead of every day in the U.S. I think they know how to enjoy the little things more here. They take their time and enjoy what they're doing while they're doing it.

Lindsey: I think Denmark is better at transparency and ensuring taxes are used in a way that benefits people the most. I also think their political system is more effective in some ways. It's not a two-party system, so you don't end up so polarized. People have to work with all the other political parties cohesively because the party in power changes all the time and you never know who you'll need to be friendly with to accomplish your goals next time. I think it helps maintain better working relationships in the government. I also think that most people we've interacted with in Denmark really take pride in their jobs. The guy at the utility company, the guy who sold us the car, the guy at the bike shop...they all just really want to help you and do a good job. No one seems like they're phoning it in or smooth-talking you into a sale. They also take care of their most vulnerable citizens much better. It's very rare to see a homeless person here. Denmark is better at encouraging cycling. Denmark also has way less sugar in everything, which is so incredible.

12. What has surprised you the most about living in Denmark?

Harrison: Not really anything. It's just, I like it here.

Khloe: That most of the houses don't have air conditioning.

Kaden: I don't know.

Zac: I expected Khloe would have the toughest time adapting, but I was surprised that Kaden actually faced more challenges. I was surprised with how well all of our kids adapted. They just did it in different timeframes.

Lindsey: How light it stays at night in the summer! Also, I really felt like we would maybe feel lonely or something here and I don't think any of us feel lonely ever. It has surprised me how supportive and kind people have been. You hear a lot that Danes are kind of closed off, and I can see that, but I have never felt isolated or like people were unfriendly in general.

13. How are your Danish lessons going?

Harrison: Good. I mean, not really good because I'm kind of new in the school. My friends have all learned it in earlier years so I don't as much as them. But I do Duolingo and that helps me get better. I say phrases at home like "Tak for mad!" [Thanks for the food!], and I text things in Danish so that helps me kind of remember.

Khloe: I've learned lots of new words. So, good. Pretty good.

Kaden: I haven't done Duolingo in a long, long time, but I think I'm picking it up fast. I got like the highest grade you could possibly get in Danish class in school, so I'd say that's pretty good.

Zac: My Danish lessons are going OK. Jeg taler lidt dansk. (I speak a little Danish.) I could practice more, but I'm actually not surprised with my level of motivation. This is how I am. Lindsey will speak it in two years. It will take me four. She is determined.

Lindsey: I think they're going really well. I do Duolingo every day and I try to talk to my colleagues or follow along with their conversations in Danish. I try to read things in Danish before I translate them, watch Danish TV, and listen to Danish music when I ride my bike. Our Danish classes are intense but I always try to give it everything I have and study the homework. I can say small things in Danish and understand simple questions or comments and respond appropriately. Give me another year and I'll be really on my way to fluency.

14. Is there anything that still makes you nervous about living here?

Harrison: Not really anything. 

Khloe: No. 

Kaden: Just that I won't be able to learn Danish before I'm 15 so I couldn't work at a convenience store or something.

Zac: Standing on the spire at The Church of Our Savior? The thought of actually purchasing a home makes me a little nervous. I don't want to buy a lemon! Everything is pretty straightforward now. Maybe the thought of driving to a different country, like Sweden or Germany, because I haven't been there yet.

Lindsey: I get nervous that we'll do something wrong when we buy a house, like the paperwork won't be done in the right order or something and we'll lose our downpayment somehow...I don't know. It's nerve-wracking to do things you don't fully understand yet. I also get nervous that something will happen to someone in our family back in the U.S. and we won't be able to get there in time to help or support or say goodbye. But overall, I feel pretty comfortable. We have our ducks in a row. We have money in savings to ensure we are prepared for emergencies, and I learn more about housing and banks all the time.

15. How do you feel about the future?

Harrison: I don't know.

Khloe: I feel good about my future because of the way that they allow you to go down different paths in your educational journey. I'm considering zoology.

Kaden: I really guess that just depends on what the U.S. does in the next couple of years. I kind of want to be a Danish police officer, or I want to own my own business or something. 

Zac: I feel positive about our family's future. I think our kids will get a good education and we have good opportunities to expand our job skills and move up in our company. I'm a little concerned being so close to the turmoil in the Middle East and being so close to Russia. We used to live very far away and it seemed like we were a little safe from these things. It's on my mind, but I'm not stressed yet.

Lindsey: I feel really excited about it. I feel like we'll explore more countries, have more adventures, and hopefully get a super cool old Danish farmhouse to fix up. I'm excited about all the things I've learned at work and how far I've come with my Danish, and I just think good things are going to continue to come our way.

* * *

To celebrate our big milestone, we went into Copenhagen on Saturday and partied all day! We ate hot dogs with the works from a Danish hot dog stand, then we walked to Strøget to go to the LEGO store.

We each picked out a little set to put together as a family. We got ice cream and crepes, and then had drinks at a little sidewalk cafe before we walked to the canal to boat-watch for a bit.

We walked past Christiania and stopped to watch some people refreshing the graffiti art on the outer wall.

We even climbed the spire at The Church of Our Savior and took a pic as we towered over the city.

We walked to a new park near the Opera House and watched the boats again for a while, and then we had reservations at POPL, a fancy burger restaurant.

Dinner was amazing, the company was perfect, and we had a really awesome day. I can't believe how lucky we are.

* * *

Sunday, August 4th, actually marked one year since we arrived in this country. It rained, as predicted, and we were glad we went to the city to celebrate Saturday instead. We slept in, then gathered around the table to just talk to each other and build our LEGO sets all morning. We scavenged leftovers and made sandwiches kind of sporadically for lunch, and then when the LEGO builds were done, we sat back to admire our work.

The kids all hung out together downstairs after that so nicely! I did laundry, Zac went grocery shopping and running (once there was a break in the rain), and we were left with the most pleasant sunny/rainy evening.

Zac made delicious sandwiches for dinner and we had an ice cream sundae bar.

Then, just as we did when we first moved here and didn't know what to do or where to go, we sat on the couch together and watched a movie. We added a twist though! Instead of just watching a movie, we picked a movie we all knew well and changed the language to Danish (with English subtitles, of course)!

"Oooo-hoo-hoo! Penge penge penge penge!"

(Did you know that in the Danish-dubbed Toy Story, Andy is "Anders", Molly is "Mette", Sid is "Sven", and Hannah is still "Hannah", and Mrs. Nesbitt is "Frau Nielsen"? They change the names to be Danish names. Cute!)

* * *

Well, that's it! That's one year in Denmark for the Barber family. We did a thing!