26/4-15: Jekyll Island/District Conference/Last GRSP get2gether

Huge bbq by the beach the first evening with music, games and more

The part of the Danish gang who could make it for the weekend

I starten af året blev vi hele tiden fotalt om den fantastiske distriktskonference sidst på året, hvor GRSPerne fra alle tre distrikter blev inviteret, så vi kunne have en sidste weekend sammen. 

Og lige pludselig var den der! Den berygtede "sidste weekend"..

For dem af jer som måske ikke kender Rotary så godt, så er distriktskonferencen et årligt weekendarrangement som afholdes for samtlige klubber indenfor et distrikt. I løbet af weekenden præsenteres det næste års distriktsguvenør, man samler op på året der er gået m.m.

Weekenden på Jekyll var helt forrygende. 

Vi havde en masse tid til at hænge ud ved poolen, spille fodbold, gå på stranden osv., og rammerne på Jekyll Island var super flotte. 

Det var lidt vemodigt at skulle sige farvel til nogle af GRSPerne om søndagen, især fordi man vidste at mange måske ikke ville se hinanden igen. 

Selvom der var næsten to måneder til jeg var hjemme i Danmark, synes enden på mit GRSP-år pludselig at være meget tæt på.

::::

In the beginning of the year we were always told about the amazing district conference at the end of the year where all GRSPs from all three districts usually were invited so we could spend one last weekend together. 

And all of a sudden it was there! The infamous "last weekend"..

For those of you who might not know Rotary too well, the district conference is an annual weekend event, which is held for all clubs in each district. During the weekend next year's governor is presented, you look at the year that has passed etc. 

The weekend on Jekyll was amazing.

We had loads of time to hang out by the pool, play soccer, walk on the beach and more, and the settings for this event on Jekyll Island were just beautiful. 

It was a bit sad to have to say goodbye to some of the GRSPs before leaving Sunday, especially because you knew that some of them might not see each other again. 

Even though there was almost two months until I would be back in Denmark, the end of my GRSP year all of a sudden felt surprisingly close. 

23/4-15: Fairytales in first grade

The man to the left is rotarian Nathan Brown, who's granddaughter, Belle in the striped dress, is in the class

Allerede da jeg i efteråret gav min første præsentation om Danmark ved Rotary, blev jeg spurgt om ikke jeg ville komme og fortælle lidt i en 1. klasse - i april lykkedes det endelig at få en aftale på plads. 

Med fokus på H.C. Andersen og kongefamilien gik præsentationen rent ind ved børnene som til sidst kunne vinde en præmie ved at være den bedste til at sige "rødgrød med fløde". 

Efterfølgende fik jeg mulighed for at snakke lidt med børnene, hvor pigen på det sidste billede f.eks. spurgte om min mor var gode venner med dronningen, og om jeg da ikke kendte hende personligt? 

Der var mange andre nysgerrige spørgsmål som f.eks. hvordan jeg var kommet herover, hvor min mor var, og især det med hvordan man blev prinsesse. 

Jeg behøver vel ikke at sige at Frozen-sammenligningen gik rent ind ved pigerne..? :-)

::::

Already when I gave my first presentation to Rotary about Denmark during fall, I was asked if I would come speak to a 1st grade class - and in April we finally managed to make it happen. 

Focusing on Hans Christian Andersen and our royal family, the presentation was a huge success with the kids who at the end could win small prizes by being the best at saying "rødgrød med fløde" (which is the name of a Danish dessert). 

Afterwards I had the chance to talk a bit with the kids, and the girl on the last picture asked me if my mother was good friends with the queen, or if at least I knew her personally?

There were a lot of other curious questions like how I had gotten over here, where my mom was, and especially how you become a princess. 

Needless to say the Frozen comparison was a winner too.. :-)

17/4-15: Bienvenidos a Miami

For at samle op hvor jeg slap skal vi helt tilbage til slutningen af april! Hold da op.. Men det gik simpelthen for stærkt de sidste par måneder "over there". 

Eftersom min første tur til Miami var lidt en nedtur (se her), besluttede jeg at give det en chance til, og arrangere en ny tur med pigerne = genial beslutning!

Denne gang boede vi på South Beach, 5 minutters gang fra stranden, og under 5 minutters taxa fra alle de store clubs, som man i øvrigt kommer gratis ind på som pige :-)

Så hvis der er nogle piger som står og gerne vil i byen i Miami, så kender jeg nok et sted eller to ;-)

::::

To pick up where I left, we have got to go all the way back to the end of April! Wow.. Time just passed by way too fast the last few months of my time "over there". 

Since my first trip to Miami was a bit of a downer (see here), I decided to give it another shot and arrange a new trip with the girls = brilliant decision!

This time we stayed on South Beach, 5 minute walk from the beach, 5 minute cab from all the big clubs, which you by the way, get into for free as a girl :-) 

So if there are any girls out there looking to go out in Miami, I probably know a place or two ;-)

Catch up - Wrap up

Det er ved at være længe siden jeg stod i Kastrup lufthavn og skulle starte min rejse mod Valdosta, Georgia, men nu har jeg endelig fundet tid til at begynde at samle op på min tur, og desuden færdiggøre bloggen :-) 

Hermed altså en public service meddelse om at der er risiko for lidt spam i indbakken hvis man er skrevet op til at modtage mine indlæg pr. mail. 

Fra nu af kommer der forhåbentligt et par stykker eller flere af gangen, indtil jeg har været igennem mine mange fantastiske oplevelser. 

:::::

It's been a while since I was standing in Copenhagen airport about to begin my journey to Valdosta, Georgia, but I have now finally found some time to begin catching up on my trip and finish this blog :-)

Therefore, here is a public service announcement that there is a chance of spam in your inbox if you have signed up to receive my blog posts via mail 

From now on I will hopefully publish a few at a time until I have been through all of my amazing experiences. 

15/4-15: Throwback to: The time I was a scout

Efter vores backpackingtur til Cumberland Island i marts, havde Nadine og jeg fået utroligt meget lyst til at lave snobrød!

Så på en regnfuld onsdag havde vi fået lov til at lave lejrbål ude ved Jim og Theresa. 

Jim havde heldigvis sørget for lidt tørt brænde, og med lidt (meget) tændvæske lykkedes det at få lavet et flot bål..

Flora havde aldrig lavet snobrød før, men det er jo heldigvis ikke så svært ;-) 

Selvom jeg for det meste hader bål fordi tøj og hår altid kommer til at lugte så forfærdeligt, så er det nu altså meget hyggeligt når man kommer i gang :-)

::::

After our backpacking trip to Cumberland Island in March, Nadine and I had gotten an incredible desire for making twist bread/snobrød/schlangenbrot!

So on a rainy Wednesday we had arranged with Jim and Theresa that we could make a bon fire out at the house. 

Luckily, Jim had made sure we had some dry firewood, and with a little bit (a lot) of lighter fuel, we finally got the fire going..

Flora had never made the bread before, but it is very easy ;-) 

I have no idea how common it is in the US, so in case it's not, here's how you do it: 

Dough: 

1 package of dry yeast dissolved in a bit of water with salt and sugar

1-2 tbsp. of salt

add flour and water until you have a good smooth dough (about 2 pounds of flour)

leave to rest for at least 1 hour

Twist the bread tightly around a stick, and bake the bread over the live coal - remember to turn it ;-) 

When the bread is ready it will sound hollow, and come off the stick fairly easy

Eat as is or with ketchup or butter

Even though I mostly hate bonfires because of the way it makes your hair and clothes smell, it is really nice once you are in it :-)

9/4-15: The weekend I discovered a hidden talent

GRSPower

April er fløjet forbi hurtigere end jeg troede muligt. Formentligt fordi særligt weekender har været spækkede med fantastiske oplevelser som denne: en tur til smukke St. Marys og Cumberland Island. 

GRSP-weekenden i Camden County i den sydøstligste del af Georgia, var den sidste GRSP-weekend. 

Jeg fandt selv vejen derover i honda'en - nu med ny GRSP frontplade på, og god musik i højtalerne på turen igennem Ofeekanokee Swamp. 

Fredag kunne vi vælge imellem et tur på stranden ved Fernandina Beach, Florida, kajaktur langs kysten, eller at komme ud og skyde lerduer!

Jeg skulle naturligvis det sidste.. 

Efter et par forsøg med mindre held, begyndte jeg pludselig at få lidt tag på det, og inden vi sluttede af nåede jeg op på at ramme gennemsnitligt 3/4. 

Som dansker har man lidt et anerledes forhold til det med våben end her i Georgia, men jeg må indrømme at det altså var virkeligt sjovt at skyde lerduer! 

Eftermiddagen brugte vi på stranden inden vi alle mødtes til pizza, poolparty og lejrbål. 

Lørdag blev det til en tur tilbage på Cumberland Island hvor jeg tidligere var på backpacking tur (læs her og her). 

Denne gang lykkes det mig at komme fra øen uden et frygtelig solskolning - til gengæld fik vi set langt flere heste end sidst, og denne gang også føl :-) 

St. Marys er den hyggeligste lille by, og jeg boede ved Beverly og Tom Cyphers som var utroligt gæstfrie, og endda tilbød at mine forældre kunne komme forbi når de besøger Georgia. 

Camden weekenden var klart en af de bedste hele året, så det var en skam at blot 25 GRSPere var kommet. Men de af os som deltog havde en fantastisk weekend med nogle søde og meget dedikerede rotarianere. 

::::

April flew by faster than I thought possible. Probably because the weekends were all filled with amazing experiences like this one: A trip to beautiful St. Marys and Cumberland Island. 

The GRSP weekend in Camden County in the southeastern part of Georgia was the last GRSP weekend. 

I found my way over there in the Honda - with a new GRSP front plate, and good music as I took the scenic route through Ofeekanokee Swamp. 

Friday we had the choice between a beach day at Fernandina Beach, Fl., kayaking along the coast, or skeet shooting. 

I chose the latter, of course. 

After a few tries at first without hitting a single one, I all of sudden got a feel for it, and by the time we finished up I was making 3/4 almost every time. 

As a Dane you have a different relationship to guns and weapons than you do here in Georgia, but I must admit that it was a lot of fun shooting clay!

We spent the afternoon at the beach before we met up at night for pizza, pool party and bon fire.

Saturday was Cumberland Island-day where I have been backpacking earlier (read here and here). 

This time I managed to get back off the island without a terrible sunburn - instead we got to see a lot more horses, and also foal :-)

St. Marys is the cutest little town, and I stayed with Beverly and Tom Cyphers who showed great hospitality, and even invited my parents to stop by when they visit Georgia. 

The Camden weekend was definitely one of the best all year, so it was a shame that only 25 GRSPs had shown up. However those of us who came had so much fun with some sweet and dedicated rotarians. 

3/4-15: A peaceful weekend by the lake

Efter en travl uge efter spring break hvor der både blev søgt om optagelse på kandidat hjemme i Århus, samt skrevet og afleveret to franskstile, så glædede jeg mig til endnu at gang at skulle afsted i weekenden. 

Denne gang skulle vi igen til Lake Sinclair i midten af Georgia hvor vi havde booket et stort hus ned til søen. 

Vi blev omkring 15-16 GRSP'ere, og så endte jeg i øvrigt med at invitere Flora med da hendes weekendplaner gik i vasken i sidste sekund, og hun ellers skulle have brugt hele weekenden alene på værelset. 

Endnu en gang havde huset en smuk udsigt ud over søen, og denne gang var vejret varmt nok til at ligge i bikini nede på broen, spille bold, og også hoppe en tur i søen for de friske :-) 

Lørdag lavede vi forskellige konkurrencer (med ansigtsmaling) i løbet af dagen og grillmad om aftenen.

Alt i alt, så var weekenden rimeligt perfekt. 

:::::

After a busy week after spring break where I both managed to apply for my master's back home in Århus, as well as write and hand in two French papers, I was looking forward to once again heading off for a weekend trip. 

This time we were going back to Lake Sinclair in the middle of Georgia where we had booked a big house on the lake side. 

We were 15-16 GRSP students and I also ended up inviting Flora since her plans for the weekend got cancelled last second, and she was looking to spend the whole weekend alone in the dorms. 

Once again the house had a beautiful view of the lake, and this time the weather was warm enough to do some tanning on the dock, play ball, and jump in the lake for those who wanted that :-) 

Saturday we did different competitions (with face paint), and at night we made grilled chicken.

All in all, this weekend was pretty perfect. 

26/3-15: A weekend on the countryside

Gucci bag

Versace and Louis Vuitton wallets - perhaps a Cartier watch

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I kølvandet på min vilde rundrejsen omkring Orlando, Savannah, Boston og New York (m.fl.), var min Spring Break næsten ovre. 

Først havde jeg dog en GRSP student weekend i Pelham ca 1,5 time fra Valdosta. 

Der bor ca. 4-5.000 mennesker i Pelham, så det er jo næsten ligesom Ry derhjemme - og så alligevel ikke. 

I løbet af weekenden var vi på alligatorfarm hvor man opdrætter alligatorer til at sælge til firmaer som Louis Vuitton, Versace, Gucci m.fl. som bruger skindet til tasker, punge, bælter osv. 

Farmen er den største producent i verden, og har altså flere tusinde alligatorer af gangen. 

Vi var også forbi et statsfængsel hvor vi endda fik mulighed for at komme ind og se cellerne i forskellige afdelinger, og stå øje til øje med de indsatte - godt vi også fik lov at gå ud igen ;-) 

Så kan man da tale om skræmmekampagner!

Om aftenen var der barbecue, fried chicken, fried alligator, og naturligvis mac 'n cheese. 

Vi var også ude og spille et par huller golf. Jeg vil ikke prale og sige at det gik godt, men det var jo også min første gang :-)

Pelham (og Camilla) Rotary har en lang historie for at holde GRSP student weekends, og for hvert år bygger de på deres collage som går tilbage til 1965. 

Det er tydeligt at rotarianerne her gør et stort stykke arbejde ud af at få alle de studerende helt ned til South Georgia og ud i en lille landsby, hvert år. 

Lørdag aften underholdte vi alle sammen med forskellige sketches om livet i Georgia, og da vi nåede søndag morgen var alle enige om at det havde været den bedste student weekend hele året :-) 

::::

Following my crazy traveling around Orlando, Savannah, Boston and New York (and many more), my spring break was almost over. 

However I did have one weekend left to spend in Pelham for a GRSP student get2gether.

Pelham has around 4-5,000 inhabitants, so it's almost the size of my hometown Ry - and then again, not at all like my hometown!

During the weekend we visited an alligator farm where they raise alligators to sell to companies like Versace, Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc.who uses the hides for purses, wallets and belts.

The farm is the biggest producer of alligator hides in the world, and they have thousands of alligators at a time.

We also visited a state prison where we got the opportunity to go inside and see the cells, and stand eye to eye with some of the inmates - good thing they let us leave again ;-) 

Maybe a visit like that will keep us all on the straight and narrow.

In the evenings we had barbecue, fried chicken, fried gator and of course mac 'n cheese.

We also played a few holes of golf. I can't brag and say I was great, but it was my first time playing :-)

Pelham (and Camilla) Rotary have a long history of having GRSP student weekends, and every year they build onto their collage, which goes all the way back to 1965. 

It is clear that the rotarians here work hard to make sure that the students make a trip all the way to a small town in South Georgia every year.

Saturday night we entertained everybody with sketches of life in Georgia, and as we got to Sunday morning we all agreed that it had been the best student weekend all year :-)