Hello everyone! Just two days until I leave for Copenhagen, and I am a mixture of nerves and excitement! At home and when I travel, I try to reduce my waste as much as possible. This includes bringing my own reusable containers, utensils, and cups everywhere I go. It was hard to know what to pack for a semester in Copenhagen because I have only so much room in my suitcases. Copenhagen definitely has the reputation of being a sustainable city, but I still have my concerns. To help with reducing my waste abroad, I decided to pack two water bottles, a few stasher bags and some reusable containers, a set of utensils that can fit in a purse, a collapsible cup, and a few grocery bags and produce bags. Additionally, I packed a shampoo bar, conditioner bar, solid body lotion, solid face and body wash, and a toothbrush made from recycled yogurt cups that I am hoping will last me the semester (links included down below). Other than that, it appears everything else I will need, like cookware and bedding, will be provided by DIS. A lot of my friends have told me that if I forget anything, I can just get it there, but I rather not buy something I will only probably use for my four months there and Copenhagen is expensive! I am hoping that if I do forget something, that I will be able to buy it used there (I am really hoping for some good thrift shopping). Another thing I am worried about is the food. I have been vegan for over four years now for the environment, and I have no idea how vegan cooking will be in Copenhagen. I know there are a good amount of vegan restaurants and restaurants with vegan options, but eating out, especially in Copenhagen, is expensive. It is hard to know if my vegan staples, like tofu, lentils, and red curry paste, will be in most grocery stores, and how expensive it will be.

In terms of transportation, I am so excited to be living in a city with great public transportation and amazing bike lanes! I come from a suburb of Chicago and go to school in Atlanta, which is not known for great public transportation, so often times the only way to get somewhere is to drive or share a lyft. I will be living only two miles away from DIS, so I am planning to get a bike in addition to my commuter pass. Bike lanes in the United States are definitely more of an afterthought, so I have never felt safe biking through a town, but I am hoping Copenhagen will change that. It will be amazing not having to rely on cars and biking will not only help me reduce my carbon footprint, but also give me a workout!

Even with all my worries, I could not be more excited to be living in Copenhagen for four months. I chose Copenhagen because my interest in environmental science has always been focused on environmental policy and how humans can live with their environment. I considered other programs in South America that focused on ecology, but decided I wanted to go somewhere that is not about conservation through separating humans from ecosystems, but learning how we can better live in our ecosystems, because after all, humans have to live somewhere. I am hoping I can bring ideas about city recycling and composting, urban design, and how to engage citizens back to the United States.

Links:

Water bottles I’m bringing (decided to bring a bigger one and smaller one): https://www.swell.com/products/swell/sip-by-swell/sip-bottles/top-dog/ and https://www.swell.com/products/swell/bottles/lily-wood/ in the 25 oz

Stasher bags (microwave safe!): https://www.stasherbag.com/products/reusable-silicone-half-gallon-bag?variant=19694101332054

Bamboo utensil set: https://www.to-goware.com/collections/to-go-ware-utensil-sets/products/classic-bamboo-utensil-set

Collapsible cup (perfect to put in your purse and use to get a cup of water or use to share a drink): https://www.amazon.com/Collapsible-Travel-Certified-Silicone-Drinking/dp/B0754FXQCM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=collapsible+cup&qid=1578530728&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE5MlY1Vjk4MjhKV0gmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5NTc1NzYzMkZVRzBJMkg4Sk5YJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzNzYzNzQxNDZBTFQ0RzVTVlEzJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Shampoo bar (looks like Walmart has them online for $10 + free shipping): https://ethique.com/products/pinkalicious-shampoo-bar-for-normal-hair

Conditioner bar (equivalent to five bottles of liquid conditioner): https://ethique.com/products/wonderbar-conditioner-for-oily-to-normal-hair

Bar soap: https://www.lushusa.com/shower/bar-soap/sleepy/09696.html

Solid body lotion: https://www.lushusa.com/body/body-lotions/little-pot-of-energy/08483.html

Face wash: Buche De Noel from Lush. Sadly is a limited edition face and body cleanser only available around Christmas time!

Toothbrush (I purchased from Trader Joe’s): https://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Toothbrushes-Lightweight-Bristles-Packaging/dp/B009S7OJ6C/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=yogurt+cup+toothbrush&qid=1578531310&sr=8-1

Reusable produce bags (not the best for keeping produce fresh but they work): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ISYOL40/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1