Copenhagen

Copenhagen was the first place I went to overseas. Fresh out of university, I lucked into an AIESEC traineeship and got placed in Copenhagen, a city I could not find on a map if I my life depended on it.

Despite a disastrous first day of arriving four hours late, missing my orientation person, and mistakenly drinking a pint of very heavy cream (I thought it was milk), I really liked living there. When it was time to return to Canada, I was very sorry to leave. Thirteen years later, I found my way back to Copenhagen, and discovered that it was still the amicable place I had remembered.

It is hard to put my finger on what I like about the place, because Copenhagen is one of the less remarkable cities in Europe. You won't find many megalomanic works of some lost dictator, nor is it easy to view an ostentatious museum collection. About all that the city has to offer are some old buildings and a statue of a mermaid. Quite simply, there is really not much to see.

Maybe that is what I find so appealing. Rather than put the effort into grand spectacles like Disneyland, Copenhagen put the effort into making a very livable city. Just little things, like stair ramps for bicycles or displays of full parking lots in the city center. Everything seems to work, and the trains run on time. Of course, if that is not enough for the good life, they do make some of the finest hot dogs in the world.

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