Hvordan du kommer til DIS?

How do you get to DIS? (This happens to be one of the 8 phrases that I know in Danish!). I've decided to show you how I get to DIS every day, which will give you a better idea of what I mean when I say that I have so much stimulation by 10am.

Wake up (usually around 8:10am). Make my bed. Pack my bag.

Go into the kitchen for breakfast. Since my first day, Helle/Lars have left a bowl, spoon and cereal on the table for me

Time to make my lunch. Most days it involves cheese, chicken,
and/or salami. Today's lunch featured Mira's homemade bread

Junior and Baloo always watch me as I prepare to leave.

My bike! (Well, Helle's bike that she is letting me borrow). Some days I
ride to the station, but today it was reaaally windy so I decided to walk.

The walk out of Ibjy (pronounced Eye-bu), which takes about 8 minutes.

The corner leading into/out of the neighborhood
(where I cross for the bus).

This handy little sign tells me exactly how long it will be until the next bus arrives.
I can take either the 300S or the 300E (the express bus). I usually wait between 3 and 8 minutes.

The train station! Get off the bus (abt 6 min ride), walk down the stairs past a bunch of
bike racks and voila! (I took this picture a week ago when there was snow)

I can never tell when the next train is coming so I bolt from the bus to the station. I take the C or H train into the city. This sign shows how long until the next train, and on a good day I only wait 3-5 minutes (but if you miss it or are going into the city after rush hour, you're in for a wait)

Here it is! 

The trains are very comfortable and clean. Note the electronic panel (red writing) which shows each stop on the route and enables you to easily follow exactly where we are.

Passing the colorful buildings along the way. The total trip
is about 25 minutes. 

Pulling into Kobenhvan H (the main train station) 

Get off the train, check my watch, and pick up the pace!

Walk up the stairs and arrive in the main atrium. By this point in the morning it's
quieted down. The architecture inside is beautiful. 

Walk out of the station towards DIS. I turned around to snap
this photo. The giant building is the station (also note all the bikes).

Turning back around, this is what I see. 

Continue on route to my street. More beautiful architecture.

I had to include this as representation of one of the MANY bike racks
packed with bikes that you would find as you walked through the city. 

And here we are! This is the street of most of DIS's buildings.
Interestingly, in Danish it is pronounced with what they call
"soft d" (which sounds like an L)... vestergal

Rush down the street, checking for bikes at each intersection.
The total walk from the station has taken about 12 minutes (if I am walking fast)

Today my class was in Vestergade 5, where the
front desk and a couple of student lounges are located.

Swipe my ID card...

through the student lounge and into class! 

If I time everything right, my total travel time is usually about 50 minutes: 8 minutes walking to the bus, 6 on the bus, 2 minutes waiting, 25 on the train, 12 to DIS. I sit down in class at 10am feeling awake and surprisingly energized! I wouldn't want to get into the city any other way. :)

I won't do the whole reverse commute because it is virtually identical, but I will include a couple of pictures. 

I took this picture last week on my walk to the station. Beautiful!

Waiting on the platform in the station this evening.

Getting off my bus. It's 5:25pm and PITCH BLACK 

This is the walk back through Ibjy to my house.
It's a good thing that Copenhagen is so safe since it is rather dark.

And there you have it! There are small variations from day to day (I may get off at Norregade instead of Kobenhvan H, or I may take an alternative route from the station, or be going to a different building, etc), but now you have a sense of my morning. By 10am (when my classes start on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays) I have made lunch, walked/biked/bused and taken the train and walked some more. It feels wonderful to be active and a part of things at an early hour (although I do enjoy sleeping in when I don't have class until 1pm on Thursdays).

That's all for now! Mira and I played Just Dance on the Wii for about 45 minutes so in addition to being incredibly sweaty (well, I've just showered) I've got some reading to do for tomorrow. More soon!