They say one of the best parts of a vacation is to do absolutely nothing, I completely agree.
So I spent the day settling into my cosy Airbnb in desperate need of rest after flying from San Francisco to Denmark doing absolutely nothing.
The pitter-patter of raindrops on the window pane were relaxing and added to the hygge factor.
All I am missing is woolen hyggesokker!
Danish culture places emphasis on the idea of hygge, which roughly translates to "coziness" or what is considered warm, comfortable or a sense of togetherness.
It's a concept hard to define because it encapsulates a wide range of emotions and feelings.
"It's the pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow," according to Jeppe Trolle Linnet, who studied the Danish cultural phenomenon at Syddansk Universitet. "Laughter is an important part of it, too."
"Laughing is a way of showing or inviting empathy with, and participation in, the experience of succumbing to a given desire."
You can read Linnet's research on the subject here:
After a nap, I grabbed a late lunch at the first Italian restaurant to serve pizza in Copenhagen.
I gained 5 pounds afterwards...
It's common for a tourist to re-visit a destination and ask themselves: How did I fall in love with this place?
I never find myself asking the question when I revisit Copenhagen.
Copenhagen is hard to compare to San Francisco, I wouldn't dare. But of course I only come during the sunny months, hehe. So I'm sure San Francisco beats Copenhagen on better weather.
There are no heroin needles laying on the streets.
Few noticeable homeless people.
No one shits in public spaces like San Francisco.
And, well, all the beautiful people.
So many beautiful people.
As I stumbled back to the Airbnb, a Snapchat friend pinged me asking, "But it looks so shabby. Why not stay at the Hilton?"
I cringed at the thought of the question. How do you explain hygge - or coziness - to an American?
Sometimes what is expensive is actually worse, I replied.
The place I selected is authentically Danish. And the apartment comes with a refrigerator and the best European shower I experienced so far. Plus, I brought my cat Pepper Jack.
The apartment is in the heart of Copenhagen in walking distance to everything, including the gay district.
All the gay bars are around the corner, I simply have to exit the front door.
So I value the hygge factor over the American concept of more and lavish. But in Denmark, especially in Copenhagen, what is cosy is also very expensive.
