Highlight Reel: Copenhagen — backpack schlac

Leaving the comfort and the “familiarity” of Stockholm was really hard. I set the bar really high because of a great hostel, awesome people and an overall positive experience.

I hopped aboard a 5.5 hour train from Stockholm to Copenhagen, courtesy of my Eurail pass. Note to people who are buying a pass these days: I found the researching and purchasing process of this pass very overwhelming! If you have questions about it just let me know.

Once I got out of the train station, I walked to the hostel. It was a little more than a mile from the station, so I was definitely sweating by the time I arrived (25lbs of backpack doesn’t sound heavy until you’re navigating foreign streets), but I already feel myself pushing my physical abilities since I started this trip.

I chose the Sleep in Heaven hostel (the name didn’t dawn on me until after I booked it, seriously). It was cute and clean, but not as great as City Backpackers. Given the recent incident with the gentleman in my last hostel, I was relieved to remember that I booked an all-female dorm room at this place. It already smelled better as soon as I walked in.

This leg of the trip was a little different because my little brother had previously been to Copenhagen and met some friends, Helene and Ea, who he introduced me to ahead of time. We met up one morning and they graciously decided to do some of the touristy sites with me – like the canal tour, looking at the Little Mermaid statue, climbing to the top of the tower at Church of Our Saviour, drinking gallons of Faxe Kondi and more.

We also visited Christiana, a unique area that is self-governed and to which the police have turned a blind eye. People build their own houses, sell their own weed (which is illegal in Copenhagen) and live on their own terms. It reminded me of a real-world Alice in Wonderland, with large colorful murals, lush green forestry with bright flowers, and the lingering feeling that the Mad Hatter was about to pop out from behind a tree at any minute.

Helene also took me outside the city to explore Kronborg castle. We jammed out, ate smørrebrød (open faced sandwiches) and enjoyed the scenery. Later that night, Ea’s mom cooked dinner for a bunch of us and I have to say that a homemade meal was exactly what I needed in that moment! Staying at hostels can feel a bit like Groundhog Day, constantly waking up and meeting a new round of people after previous roommates have already left. This dinner was the closest thing to home I’ve experienced so far on this trip and I was so grateful. I tried to keep up with the girls that night, proud to report I stayed out until nearly 2:00am, but this 31-year-old body needed rest...

One thing that stood out to me in Copenhagen was the intensity of local bicyclists (I wouldn’t dare take part in a bike tour after seeing how biking is their primary way of commuting), and how they got their kids involved at a young age. There were bikes with push carts attached to the front, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of them getting biked around after my feet hurt from so much exploring!

It was also interesting to see how people there seem to work to live, rather than living to work like most Americans do. Restaurant staff are paid decent wages and don’t rely on tips. Mental health care is offered in abundance to those who seek it (for example if you are depressed, you can leave your job to focus on your therapy/care and the government will financially support you for a long period of time). I know these come at high tax rates, and there are still plenty of community challenges like housing availability/affordability, but it seemed to create a different atmosphere where people worried about things other than work for a change.

I really enjoyed Copenhagen - special shout out to Helene and Ea for being such great hosts! Stay tuned for the Berlin highlight reel...