DENMARK - COPENHAGEN

 Arrived in Copenhagen - a city that welcomes you with a friendly, lively atmosphere. A place to feel good. But how does this feeling of happiness that you can experience here come about? In the following blog, I will tell you how I got to know the Danish capital and the way people live here.

The time I have spent so far and the impressions I have been able to gather have shown very clearly: The people at this place strive together to contribute to the well-being of everyone. They want to enjoy life together. This is evident in a wide variety of situations in daily life. These include serenity, striving for coziness and quality of life, politeness and the togetherness of society.

Walking through the streets of Copenhagen, one senses a certain serenity and calm. Despite more than half a million people, busy traffic on various levels and visitors from all over the world, a hectic or stressed situation is rarely seen. One day, which was my first at the university, I was able to experience this relaxedness in another way. At 09.30 in the morning, thirty minutes after the start of the scheduled lecture, the professor asked how long we should normally wait in this group until everyone has arrived so that we can begin. This situation was surprising for me but quite normal for the other half of the group, who then arrived one after the other comfortably with fresh coffee. The punctuality suffers a little from the relaxed atmosphere, which presupposes a certain looseness in dealing with it. I have also experienced this sense of serenity in other situations outside of the university. Nevertheless, I keep on being ready on time for the lectures. But instead of wondering about the flexible time frame, I now use this time with friends or just enjoy it for myself.

A closer look reveals an almost constant striving for small things that enrich the ambiance with coziness and well-being. That can be a hot drink, friendly people, the lighting, good food, music and also the historically rooted and at the same time enlivened architectural experience. In addition, the weather has a strong influence on how people feel. When it's cold in winter, everyone is looking forward to the warm, cozy indoors. But when the weather is sunny, everyone is drawn outside, and you can see the joy of people celebrating the beautiful day. Summing up, the Danes even have their own word to describe these moments of happiness: Hygge. Its concept can be explained with the following quote from Judith Friedman Hansen: "To be in a situation characterized by hygge is to be in a state of pleasant well-being and security, with a relaxed state of mind and open enjoyment of the immediate situation in all its small pleasures." (The Proxemics of Danish Daily life, 1976).

Another part of the Danish way of life is politeness. This means friendliness and respect toward everyone. However, for the Danes, it also means avoiding unpleasant topics to not destroy the good and positive moments of being together. I think this approach is controversial in some areas, but so far, I have only had good experiences and therefore I can understand why this is part of their way of living.

Whether it is the traditional ice bathing, the mindset or even in the traffic behavior, the togetherness and trust of society are of great importance in this country. For example, it can be observed in urban spaces how most of all bicycles are parked with only a simple lock around the tire. With the presumed trust towards others that the bike will still be there when you come back. This general trust in such simple things of everyday life is for me on a different level than I knew it before. After some initial hesitation, I now lock my bicycle in the same way.

All in all, the way of living that one can experience in Copenhagen is a joy for me. There is time to savor important things in everyday life that are often quickly neglected or even forgotten. Sometimes that is just catching a few sunrays, exercising, or having a coffee with friends, which creates a feeling of happiness. I’m looking forward to the upcoming time in this inspiring culture.