Odense 🇩🇰 - Copenhagen 🇩🇰 - London 🇬🇧 - Oxford 🇬🇧

A travel day for me today with 2 X trains, 1 X plane, 2 X busses

Well, after nearly 5 weeks in Denmark I left it's sunshiny shores and have landed back in the UK.  I went for a walk around the block this morning in Odense on a crisp zero degrees sunny morning, a visit to the supermarket to stock up on lunch food and travel snacks and a bakery stop for treats to take to share.

Denmark - my reflection

This visit seems to have flown, but also feels long enough to have etched a spot in my heart.  Five weeks ago i landed in Aarhus for some sightseeing, and then travelled to Horne Efterskole where I spent a month as a part of the school and workaway family.  As I said to a friend recently, I'm intrinsically a people person and solo travel has been a challenge for me.  I'm outgoing enough that I'll chat to anyone and so have been ‘topped up’ as far as human interaction goes, but had missed the connection of friendship that comes from spending extended time with people.  To be in a team in the kitchen, to laugh, sing to music, join in activities, interact with staff, teachers and students and my fellow workaway volunteers was enriching.  Then to loan different bikes and be able to go exploring, be out in nature, mountain bike either by myself or with Timo, filled my adventure cup.  I cried as I walked to the station as I really hadn't realised how depleted I was.

Then I met up with Matty and Bronte for a wonderful week of chats, hugs and hanging out together.  

I now feel emotionally ready for the next adventure chapter to begin.  

Denmark itself is a dream destination to visit.  Spotlessly clean, fresh air, cycle paths galore, rugged coastlines, forests and fields, reliable and frequent public transport, Wind farms, healthy food, complex language and signage, quaint buildings, stylish cities, an absolute feeling of safety, and people who take a little while to warm to you but can be cracked 😂. On the expensive side and on a par with the UK for those with Aussie $, with Switzerland just topping them as my most expensive so far.  Workaway gave me an opportunity to immerse in the culture affordably as food and accom provided.  

There's so much continual time and effort that goes into logistics, planning, booking transport, keeping track of visas, contacting people, applying for different opportunities when travelling long term and being regularly on the move.  Often I have spanners in the works and have to pivot to plan B, C or D and then make sure those plans can definitely work from a visa, budget and time perspective. 

I feel incredibly blessed to be able to seek out and to have such a variety of experiences on my gap year.

I'm at wonderful Julie's tonight where I'll collect my camping gear and a few other items she has kindly stored and then tomorrow will head to my next housesit for Jeremy and Al who have lovingly serviced and stored my bike over winter.  I will look after their gorgeous doggies Reggie and Indi this week while they head off on a break.  I received such a lovely message this morning from Jeremy asking what tyre pressure I would like in my tyres. 

Jeremy knows I'm keen to get back on my own bike this week.  Their kindness this year has felt like family too and so I'm feeling well supported 😊

Blessed 🙏