Homesickness or Stranger in a Strange land

So June 20, 2013 was a difficult day for me. Frej was leaving to go back to Brussels and my SIM cards weren't working. I felt like all my lifelines were being cut. I spent most of the morning with Frej traveling to my amazing couchsurfing host's home. It really wasn't far, but apparently Frej, who'd worked in that neighborhood, forgot how to get around. So we took a LONG walk from the train station to the apartment when there's a bus that stops just 2 blocks away...oh well, live and learn.

(Cemetery next to the apartments) Frej and I were supposed to see the sand castles and the Round Tower...we took so long, both being emotional, that after we found the apartment that was to be my home for 2 more days, we had time for coffee and a bit of a wander...no more. He was realizing how much he loves Denmark and how he realizes he doesn't think he could live there again, and I was realizing I'm really on my own and super homesick. I finally let the tears fall...quite embarrassing really, as we were in the city center of Copenhagen. So we walked and talked and cried and laughed. It was good, therapeutic, helped us both. We took some pictures of this day.

Have I ever mentioned how I met Frej? Yeah, crazy...I once was on Yahoo personals, it was new, it was free, and some friends and I wanted to see what kind of losers hung out in online personals. We thought it was for desperate idiots and we wanted people to make fun of. (We were younger.) Well one night I get an email from this crazy Dane living in Scotland. He'd decided to search US zip codes on yahoo personals just for fun. He happened to randomly enter my zip code, saw me, thought I looked interesting, and wrote me. We have now been friends for 10-12 years now...something like that. We've never met. Until now. Meeting Frej was not like meeting someone new, it was like seeing a good friend I haven't seen in years...so that may help explain some of the feelings I was having. Frej is amazing by the way. Such a positive happy person that brings joy into everyone's lives he meets. OK, so now you know the story. After these photos were taken, I wished Frej adieu and we parted ways for now. (I will see you in Brussels in a couple of weeks Frej.) So Frej left and the person that let me crash on his couch, Mak, met me and we went for an adventure to find Bernstorff palace. After much searching we found it. There we found the rose garden that my great great grandfather worked in as a gardener for King Christian IX.

Mak made some Indian food (he's originally from India, so he understands some of my homesick feelings) and brought it with him. We had a picnic in this rose garden and it was really peaceful and nice. It's really cool to walk in an ancestor's footsteps. I found out that this garden is from the original gardens of this estate and has been maintained since then. I don't know how long roses, if cared for correctly live, but maybe there are plants there that he even tended to. I wonder if that house was his quarters...but regardless I walked where he once walked. How cool is that? Mak and I headed to his place and checked out the cemetery.

Mak and I talked into the evening after that and he seemed to love my emotions. I guess Scandinavians don't really show emotion much and he likes the openness of people. What a cool guy Mak is. So open to meeting new people, telling his story, hearing others' stories. He is such a laid back, open minded, cool person. Overall, the rough day still ended well.