SEPT 1-6

MY FOLKS

I thought it would be nice to finally introduce some very important individuals I met (or already knew…) at Copenhagen. It feels appropriate to dedicate a full blog post to them because they have become my closest circle of friends here at Copenhagen, and I cannot fathom my experience abroad without them. They are my fifth floor Gasværksvej suite mates + honorary delightful homestay sweethearts. So here it goes:

HANAN TRAIBA

Hanan (heh-nen) is my roommate from Boston, MA. She goes to Wellesley and studies peace and justice studies with a concentration on immigrants and refugees within the MENA region (wow). I don’t think I really have the proper words to describe Hanan because she is such a gem (thank you DIS, I seriously lucked out and it sucks that those of you reading this don’t know her in person wah). I remember accidentally bumping into her in line while waiting for our bus on arrival day and she gave me the biggest, dashing smile (I mean look at that picture! Just blinding). I met her in person only 3 weeks ago, but it feels like I have known her for ages. She is perhaps one of the most selfless people I have ever met in my life. Her small, kind actions make me really admire the way she carries herself in this messy messy world. We call her Mother Hen because she really is a mother figure for all of us: scrubbing the kitchen, bestowing her wisdom on cooking, OPENING JARS, always asking about our days, giving us advice, and just always being there for us (Okay, this list sounds very domestic, but she is so much more than that), but most importantly, her presence gives me a sense of comfort and security. I would say she is undoubtedly my rock and I feel so incredibly privileged to have met this wonderful lady in my life. Some fun facts: Hanan is a ceramicist + her favorite ceramicist (studioarhoj) is based in Copenhagen! She is half German and half Moroccan. Her luscious locks are the softest things in this world (she also has soft cheeks). She is a runner and I have been joining her on some morning runs and I can feel that I am actively improving with her guidance <3. Also, she makes the best soups. She is a big tea drinker.

SOPHIA DAVIRRO

Sophia shares the middle room with Emma. She is an art and media studies double major concentrating in digital media at Scripps College (yasss 5ccccc’s lesssssgooo). I would say Sophia is the epitome of our Arts LLC because she is so so so talented and her aesthetic is beyond this world (shameless plug: find her ig to admire her work). I remember browsing through the profiles of my suite mates a few days before arrival day and feeling fluttery when I saw that she went to Scripps. Sophia makes me feel so comfortable in my own skin. I feel the silliest, the weirdest, and the funniest all in the best way possible when I am with her. I think I will be using the adjective “cool” multiple times in this post, but I am unsure how else to describe these folks here: Sophia is so cool. She is cool because she is just her idiosyncratic self and her art reflects that. Living with friends like Sophia at the Arts LLC allows me to constantly evolve my artistic expression and brings out my what-would-have-been-dormant creativity during the busy school year. Some fun facts: Sophia makes the most beautiful embroidery. Her natural curls make me so so happy. I love it when she ties it back with two pieces framing her face like lil antennas. She has two older sisters. Also a tea drinker.

HANNAH ZHUKOVSKY

Ah, yes. Hannah (Hah-nah) Zhukovsky. A history major at Carleton College from New York. This lady…never, never, NEVER fails to make me laugh. And it’s like the kind of laughter where I have to stop walking if we are on the street, the kind where I fall off my chair to end up on the floor, where I am clenching my side because it hurts so much, and I just snort until I cry. Hannah is convinced that her mother is paying me to keep her company (sadly, no). She also makes the best awkward faces ever. It’s great. She really knows how to feed energy into our group when most necessary, but also shares deep, insightful conversations when we feel hygge. She somehow has the best awkward dance moves that are apparently all just in the facial expressions. Fun facts: She is a libra (you make your own judgment on that). Her last name means town of beetles in Russia and no one, not even her, can properly pronounce it. The reason I ended every profile with a comment on people’s drink preferences is because of this lady. Our suite is a house divided: 3 tea drinkers vs 3 coffee drinkers. Hannah is a coffee drinker. The real deal coffee drinker. She drinks coffee with every. Single. Meal (what). Hannah really wants to change me into a coffee drinker, but she KNOWS the kind of effect coffee has on my body (so is this a scheme for murder? I don’t know).

EMMA JOHNSTON

Emma is a (newly switched from sociology) English major at Kenyon college from Los Angeles! Emma is the second person I met on arrival day after Hanan and I instantly gravitated towards her friendliness and sweet, sweet smile (just look how precious). I love hugging Emma because she is the perfect height for hugging. Her head fits perfectly on my shoulder and we feel hygge hygge always. I would describe Emma as this bright beam of energy just constantly bouncing around. There is something about her that makes me feel so positive as she radiates this innate goodness that I can’t really describe. Also, she is absolutely obsessed with dogs (you know you are a good person if you like dogs) and this has led to a few awkward incidents with Danes because she wanted to pet their dogs. Danes are really not that friendly in public, especially when it comes to petting their dogs, I swear. Some fun facts: Emma is a welder and a photographer. Blonde is not her natural hair color (but looks so good!). She is a big big coffee drinker.

ESMERALDA FIGUERAS

Esmeralda is a senior at Duke studying environmental science. She is from Florida. Esmeralda is probably someone who is most versed in Danish in our suite. I remember her doing her best to translate random Danish food words on our first day of grocery shopping at Netto. Because she has a lot of dietary restrictions, she had prepared herself in advance by memorizing all the terms (so impressive). One of our big grocery quests was finding milk and it took a few times of trial and error. We bought buttermilk and yogurt before coming across actual milk. You can find Esmeralda spending her evenings just working on her cape. That’s right. She sews her own cape. Made from scratch. People are just so talented here! Some fun facts: Esmeralda is a dancer (you can probably find her dances on youtube), can balance things on her head, and is a coffee drinker.

here are the honorary delightful homestay sweethearts:

TAELOR HANSEN

Although Taelor and I attend the same school back in the states, I only started getting to know her at Copenhagen (which was definitely a mistake because I wish I had met her sooner, but I am glad that I got to meet her through this experience). She is a theater major, media studies minor at Pomona College, and she has apparently taken every class at Pomona with the word queer included in the title (impressive!). Taelor is just the kind of individual who brings a bright smile on my face when I see her from afar. Some words that pop up in my head when I think about Taelor are pleasant, lovely, and fearless. From my short three weeks of encounter with this lovely lady, I can say with confidence that Taelor is unafraid to walk in her own skin and do what she needs to do, even if it means jumping into uncertainty (and often times, it just may be). What discerns her from others is the fact that she jumps in without hesitation and I admire her so much for that. Taelor is an investigator, a silent observer, a constant notes taker, sweets lover, kiss gifting, huggable, fantastic dancer, and I am so so excited to see our friendship blossom at Copenhagen and at Pomona. Some fun facts: Taelor is currently working on her own podcast project about her family and I am so so excited. Her outfits are absolutely out of this world and not from this era. She gives the best cheek kisses and she needs to drink her tea just right (she loves earl gray).

ELLA SCUDDER-DAVIS

Last but not least, we have Ella. Ella is a history major and a (hopeful) studio arts minor at Pomona College. She is the only individual here whom I knew personally before coming to Copenhagen. An observation I made about Ella is that her resting face is always smiling. It’s not an overbearing smile, but more of a soft, understanding, peaceful smile that makes my heart warm and my body relax. Ella is an extremely talented artist. Her favorite medium is clay and she makes incredible ceramics (shameless plug of her art ig: @ellaruby_art). She also sings. Every time I am in her presence, she blesses me with her beautiful hums and it’s like I have my own personal BGM for the day. There is something slow and steady about Ella that is just so beautiful. She goes at her own pace and it is reflected in the smallest things like her steps or the way she eats her packed lunches. We are both in watercolor painting together and making art with Ella surrounded by nature is the most tranquil experience ever. Some fun facts: Ella is taking a course at DIS on pornography and I love learning about the art and empowerment of pornography, especially in the context of LGBTQ+ communities. She is the captain of the 5C’s ultimate frisbee team. She drinks coffee and tea.

What a privilege to know these beautiful humans and experience Copenhagen with them. Next week, I will be on a study tour with my core class to western Denmark! Thanks for swinging by and if you would like to see more of these lovely folks follow our instagram @kobenhounds (shameless plug part III).

Until next time,

Eileen