Welcome to Denmark! Jeg heller Adika, hvad med dig

Hej!
So it's been 6 months since I moved to Denmark since I accepted my job as an International Teacher. I thought it might be a nice idea to blog and perhaps share my experiences which hopefully might be helpful to some if they are thinking of moving here.

So far I have been super fortunate in my journey through this whole experience of moving to Denmark from New Zealand which is thousands of miles away! Not only is that it is a big move and change, it has been the best decision that I have ever made in a long time and I am gaining so much learning, new experiences, opportunities and meeting new people.

I have an amazing job in a wonderful International School in a great city in Denmark. Esbjerg is the 5th biggest city in Denmark and is also an Energy metropolis where a lot of expats move here from all over the world to work for Commercial giants such as Semco and Maersk. Despite this, Denmark is still a very "Homogeneous" nation which makes it all interesting.

As a result, after 6 months now, I can converse in basic everyday Danish when shopping, at the gym, at the restaurants, and new people. I have even been to a Danish concert and watching sports every week and of course in Danish! My silver lining is German. With my knowledge of German, I am able to get by and make sense of a lot of Danish tho there is a huge difference between the two languages.

Secondly is the cost of living and taxes. It is very expensive to live here in Denmark as there are a lot of taxes and things are quite expensive compared to living in New Zealand, Europe or America as the Danish Kroner is quite high. For example, eating out can be a luxury or even to the movies. Cost of food ranges as the fresh ones are cheaper depending on the shops. Despite this, medical care is free and a lot of good benefits for education and care for the people living in Denmark.

Unlike Copenhagen which is the capital and more dynamic and diverse in cultures as well as more dense, Esbjerg is the perfect city for families and couples who loves a calm, beautiful, nature, picturesque and pleasant city to live in. The weather is like Wellington, windy as we are by the sea and on a nice sunny day, a breeze feels so nice and lovely.

Travelling within Denmark is pretty easy with a good rail network and buses too. Only down side is that they are not as regular and some destinations are not a direct connection. I am so excited to travel and explore more of Denmark especially Northern part of Denmark as its got more nature and exciting things to do.

Some of the attractions that I can recommend from first hand experiences so far include Legoland, Tivoli, Copenhagen's highlights such as The Little Mermaid, Palaces, Gardens, 4 White men Beach, Hjerting beach, Fiskerie Museum, and a few more which I will write about the next time.

So until the next entry, we say hej hej or farvel in Danish for now.

Vi ses i gen (See you soon).

Ciao