Hjemme i U.S.A.!

Fourteen countries*, eleven official languages**, and eight currencies*** later, I'm home again.  I had to remind myself the first time or two I went to Starbucks not to start with jeg vil gerne have, and I still do a mental double-take when I need to excuse myself to a stranger.  And it's actually legitimately strange to see only green money (no joke!) and even more bizarre to think that I can't walk outside and get Israel-quality hummus at Hey Bagel!  I miss Thai Bo classes and my incredible roommates and my dried fruit stand on the Strøget.  On the upside, I have a lot of conversation fodder, a couple passport decorations (not so many thanks to the Schengen Agreement, but a Liechtenstein stamp and Danish and Russian visas aren't too shabby), and enough understanding of the European Union to process news about internal borders and Javier Solana and the Lisbon Treaty and Turkish accession and changing European identities.  (I'm still waiting for my transcript, but no matter.)  It was truly an incredible semester, from start to finish, with great people along the way.  And who knew I'd eat so well (except in Madrid)?  I think no matter where I could have been this semester, I would have had a wonderful time--be it back at Brown, or in Brussels like I'd originally considered, or taking the semester off as I'd also considered.  It's very good to be home, of course; I'm psyched to return to Brown in the fall (and not just because Dara and I will have hygge dinners and yak in our limited dansk) and I have a great summer ahead of me.  But I am so, so glad that this was my spring.

To everyone still reading at this point, tunsind tak for sticking with me this long!  I'll be back with pictures once those from Spain reach my computer.  In the meantime...vi ses til alle!

For anyone keeping score...

*Denmark, Sweden, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Russia, Norway, France, Spain

**Danish, Swedish, German, English, Dutch, French, Flemish, Czech, Russian, Norwegian, Spanish

***Danish kroner, Swedish kroner, Euros, pounds, Czech koruna, Swiss francs, roubles, Norwegian kroner