Moving from the USA to live with her Danish husband in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been a fulfilling experience for Becky. Since she sees her U.S.-based family regularly, there has hardly been any homesickness. Read on to learn what she does in her spare time, the importance of customs, learning to speak Danish, and immersing one's self in the local culture. She also has practical tips that will come in handy for those planning on moving to Denmark.

Becky

February 12 2007

-Where were you born?
California, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Copenhagen, Denmark

-Are you living alone or with your family?
Living with my Danish husband

-How long have you been living in Denmark?
4 years

-What is your age?
44

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Denmark?
My husband owns a software company here and he has two sons he would like to live close to.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
The temporary visa was just a matter of paperwork, and I think at that time you had to have a special bank account with $5000 set aside extra, but the residential visa requires a foreigner to take Danish language courses to achieve a certain level of competence. The language classes were the most difficult, and took me 2½ years. Only after that, could my residence permit be complete. Not only that, but if you are not a member of an EU country, you have to be approved to take the language courses. They approved me after 8 months of living here, and numerous interviews with social workers.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
No, because I was married to a Dane, I was immediately accepted for free medical.

-How do you make your living in Denmark? Do you have any type of income generated?
I work as a photographer and do website maintenance for a large antique store in Copenhagen. I had to be finished with my schooling before I could get a job because the schooling is so demanding.

-Do you speak Danish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Yes, it’s very important to UNDERSTAND the language (more later on speaking it). Although everyone speaks a certain level of English, you still need it for shopping, reading maps, sitting through family gatherings, and helping out at work.

Danes are extremely proud of their culture, food, and holidays, so it’s good to get involved, especially at Christmas. Eat their traditional Christmas food and go to all ‘Christmas lunches’ you are invited to. They are not a religious people, so if you bring ‘Jesus’ into it you will be looked at strangely. Also, they are not big on attending any church services at Christmas or Easter. You only go to church for weddings or funerals, or confirmations and christenings.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
My family is spread out over all of the U.S., so we relied on email to communicate. Now we use webcams and email, and my husband takes us to visit them once or twice a year. Sometimes I see them more now than I ever did.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Yes, we will eventually expand my husband's business to the States, and his projects take us all over Europe.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We started out renting an apartment in Copenhagen. It was very small and old and we paid over $1000/ month. We were very lucky to get it. You have to know someone to find an apartment here in the city. Then we bought a house on an island southwest of Copenhagen where my husband's family has lived for over 10 generations. The house is a 1970’s 3-bedroom tract house, with a 2½ hour commute to work every morning and again at night, for $230,000.

-What is the cost of living in Denmark?
According to the papers it comes in the top 10 cities in the world. It costs more to live here than in San Diego where I moved from.

-What do you think about the Danes?
They are not super friendly until they have talked to you for awhile. And even then you will probably not know that much about them. But they will help you in any way they can with directions. They are very good listeners and expect the same from you. Most visitors from the States will listen to a Dane talk, and interrupt all the pausing with ‘uh-huh,’ ‘yes,’ ‘ok.’ It’s a common thing we do in the States to show interest in a person's story they are telling, but they are not used to it here. It’s a little bit rude. They would rather that you just listen quietly. They also like to give their opinion, and expect you to give yours honestly. They like hearing the bad stuff along with the good. They’re not ‘fragile.’

It also depends on what kind of a foreigner you are. They like people from England, U.S., France, and Italy.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Denmark?
One positive is the very high standard of living. We have more spendable income here. Family life is very tight knit, and friends are entertained every weekend, so you can expect a constant party atmosphere if you are suddenly related to a Dane. That can also be a negative. There is always a lot to do, and gifts to shop for every weekend. They are not big on going out to restaurants. Entertaining is done at home, and guests do not leave until 4 AM.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Denmark?
Don’t go to the language schools unless you have to. If the Danes ask why you don’t go to school, just tell them you don’t want to. They will respect your honesty and laugh it off. They don’t really like all the foreigners trying to speak their language. This is the first time in the history of Denmark where so many people are moving to their country and trying to learn the language. The accents just hurt their ears. When they hear you speak Danish, and then they start to speak English to you, it is a hint that they truly cannot listen to you butcher their language, so please speak English.