Something pretty special about DIS as compared to other abroad programs is the schedule—DIS gives its students 3 weeks for travel throughout the semester—meaning that in February, March and April we have one week that we either have off or we are traveling with our class. In March, I will be traveling to Amsterdam for a week with my Prostitution & the Sex Trade Core Course, a trip I could not be more excited for. However, I had this week in February off, so I spent the week traveling with friends in Portugal. We started the week in Porto, then made our way to Lisbon. Over the weekend, we’ll also head to London. I was excited for different parts of the trip for different reasons. Going to college in Southern California means that the cold in Denmark was quite a shock to me and retreating back to the warmth in Portugal felt like the only logical way to spend my February Break. But I’m also thrilled to be seeing two of my closest friends—one from my time in college and one from my hometown while in London later on in the week.
Starting off in Porto set the bar extremely high. Porto is one of my favorite kinds of cities. Small, beautiful, and rich with stunning nature and an easy pace of life. We only stayed in Porto for 3 nights, and while travel guides will tell you you can do Porto in 2 days, you should know that that’s absolutely false. I don’t think there’s any place in the world—least of all Europe—that you should only do for 2 days. There was so much to Porto. From the Jardines Cristalos (Crystal Gardens) to spending time on the riverside, Porto gave me a chance to recharge and settle into a new place. It also gave me so many moments of awe-inspiring beauty. I feel like I can’t accurately describe them here, so please enjoy this photo montage as I silently weep over no longer existing in Porto.
One of the highlights of the trip was undoubtedly the guided tour we took with Porto City Walkers—shout out to Daniel if you’re reading this! The tour was incredible—this was the first guided tour of a city I’ve done, so I had no expectations, but the vibrant personality of our tour guide paired so well with the vibrant portside city we were exploring. We were extremely appreciative of his willingness to bring his own perspective (he was quite a successful actor) and his honesty surrounding the positive and negative effects of tourism on his home (including revamping the city but coming at the expense of gentrification and displacement of locals).
Another highlight of Porto was just hanging out around the water (especially around sunset), soaking in the sunshine, being absolutely shocked by the beauty around us, and taking a moment to slow down. We took what our tour guide called a Portuguese sensibility surrounding time management and managed to miss a lot of our guided tour just spending time unwinding and taking the city in. I have no regrets, though I know that I need to go back and visit the famous bookstore and porthouses in the city—next time! Because there needs to be a next time.
Our time in Lisbon was also wonderful. Getting from the bus to the Airbnb was a little stressful (always coordinate your path to your next destination before winding up in the Lisbon Central Station kids). It definitely had a bigger city feel to it than Porto, and at times we longed for the riverside experience (so much so that we found ourselves by the river for much of the first day), but it was a bustling, beautiful, still colorful city with plenty to see. My personal favorite ways to spend time were wandering into pastry shops and bookstores and going to the Alfama District to see the panoramic views of the city.
The Church at the National Tile Museum! 
Ler Devager 
Mural hunting in the LX Factory District 
Views of Alfama!
This trip taught me two really important things: sometimes the best way to experience a place is just to hang out, eat food, and take in the sights. Look up some things you want to do but you don’t need to create some comprehensive travel guide to find your way around a city. Wander into a pastry shop without looking at reviews. Leave if it’s too expensive. Let a city move you. Also—I love small cities. While I had a great time in Lisbon, I know without a doubt that I need to go back to Porto.
And at the same time, this trip was definitely moderated by the fact that corona virus is spreading across Europe. Partway through the trip, I got a call from my friend studying abroad in Florence whose program was shut down. The whole situation is pretty scary—especially to hear about while traveling in a brand new place. I’ll probably dedicate an entire post to talking about it because I’m definitely still processing what’s happening and trying to consider what it means for me and the rest of my semester.
In spite of that worry, sitting here in a book shop in Lisbon, I could not be more grateful for the week I’ve had and what’s to come. But also, being away from Copenhagen has given me a pretty powerful realization: Copenhagen feels like home! As I was running to St. Pedri’s Bakery to grab a pastry before my flight to Porto, I couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful colorful buildings and think about the things I’d miss while I was away (the beauty, my host dog, my host family, my friends. And yes, I did almost tear up upon realizing how anxious how anxious seeing me with a suitcase ). Overall, this week has left me with a deep sense of gratitude for all I’ve experienced—the travel, the sense of home, and all the adventures yet to come.
Hej from Denmark! 