The Oxford Dictionary defines hygge as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or wellbeing” but I’m pretty sure most Danes would say it’s much more than that almost clinical definition. High season of hygge is Christmas but nevertheless, I am extremely excited about creating some summer hygge in Aarhus. While Sarah and Oliver spend their long Danish summer holiday visiting friends back in Canada, I am "house sitting" (what a lovely euphemism for friends who generously let a homeless person crash in their apartment).
I yearn wholeheartedly for a sanctuary to promote rest and relaxation and give me time and space to regroup... to shake this feeling that I've "failed" because this grand adventure is taking some unscripted detours. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I am from the ambiguity of not knowing what comes next, of having to improvise what life looks like week-to-week, day-to-day. Prone to boom and bust cycles, I am craving a slower pace and routine. Two days into having a home base has already made me feel calmer, braver and ready to dig in. I’ve made a list of things I want to do with my three Danish weeks, ranging from practical steps to secure a next ‘gig’ as well as a list of creative projects that I always say I’ll do “when I have time.” Curled up on Sarah and Oli’s sofa in the playful twinkling of the coy summer sun, I am admiring the stunning danish design. It radiates care, calm and warmth. (Although according to real Danes, their house would have too much colour but to me, it looks like it belongs on the revered pages of Apartment Therapy). The bookshelf is lined with an impressively large collection of smart people books... ones I wished that I had read. There is a slightly dusty piano in the corner, just like the one in my old apartment that signified my misplaced desire to play piano, not practice piano. The dining room has a big table for hosting candle-lit dinners with friends, a sure way of driving away the blues during the exceptionally long winter months. Book in hand, having devoured my first snegel (a delicious Danish pastry that tastes like a cinnamon bun and croissant had a baby), I already feel hygge-bliss. I think I’m going to like this.
1 Comment
7/10/2022 05:53:58 am
Represent reveal song add scene. Society item one.
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Follow AlongNice to meet you...I'm Andi (hence the blog name). I'm a travel aficionado, passionate eater, tireless explorer of internet rabbit-holes, and amateur thinker. Join me as I give it all up (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration) and go around the world on a mid-career "soul sabbatical" & year-of-learning to figure out what to be NEXT when I grow up. Won’t you grab a cup of chai and stay a while?
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May 2018
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