I was sad when I left Sydney. During my time there, I had made some really good friends. One in particular was my running buddy. Despite our cultural differences– she’s from Denmark, I’m from the US– we got along really well. It was one of those friendships that would last a lifetime.
She wasn’t kidding. Several months ago, her family planned a trip to New York City this October. New York City isn’t too far from Boston, so I made a vow:
And I, too, was serious. My friend gave me the dates that her family would be in New York. I booked the bus tickets. I could only visit her for two days, because school– but it was better than nothing.
So that’s how I, Vy, was adopted by my friend’s Danish family for the weekend.
And it was an interesting experience for all of us. I’m used to traveling out of the US and having to adjust to new cultures. Now, the roles were reversed. I’ve been to New York countless times since I was young. My friend has never been to the States before.
Watching someone from a different country react to the US with is highly amusing. In the hopes of sharing my amusement, I present to you…
MY DANISH FRIEND GOES TO NYC
And gets surprised by a bunch of things
1. Copious amounts of sugar.
Americans, for some reason, like to put extra sugar in just about everything. Other countries are not used to this. My friends were no exception.
2. Jamba Juice.
Some foods weren’t as disappointing, though. When I met up with my friend, she enthusiastically told me about a great breakfast place her family went to.
Sometimes I forget how many fast-food chains are only common in the US. I was expecting her to name some fancy, NYC-exclusive froyo shop, but no. It was Jamba Juice.
3. Times Square.
4. Everything is tall.
My friend hails from Denmark and has traveled much of Europe. She’s seen a lot of cities. She’s even been to Sydney. But they don’t really compare to the skyscrapers of NYC.
The scale of everything in NYC is simply bigger. She excitedly described to me some of the stores her family visited.
I, the United States native, wanted to impress her even further. At the Rockefeller Center, I pointed out one of my favorite childhood stores.
5. Everything is cheap (in comparison to Denmark).
By my standards, shopping in Manhattan isn’t cheap. I’m used to being in the ‘burbs, where the strip malls are plenty and the sales are season-round. In Denmark, though, consumer prices are sky-high. America seemed like a bargain basement to my friend and her family.
They knew this would be the case, and came prepared.
We all felt a bit bad for the men of the group, since shopping isn’t their thing.
But, how often would these gals get to shop in the US? They took advantage of the opportunity.
6. And finally, the squirrels.
My Danish friend and her family visited Central Park. Do you know that Pixar movie, Up? And the one character, Dug?
It was kind of like hanging out with six Dug’s.
I didn’t get it.
My friend and her family even tried to unload their ultra-sweet Dunkin’ Donuts on the squirrels.
But those cute little guys are feistier than they appear.
Yep, it was a fantastic weekend. It was refreshing to see a foreigner visit my home country, rather than the other way around. Though I too had my own moments of surprise. We visited two locations in New York that I had never been to before.
The next location was even more stunning.
And, of course, it was great to see my friend again. She’s the greatest! I swore to visit her.
So, hopefully, we’ll have more of this happening in the future:
Central Park!
Brooklyn Bridge!
Top of the Rock!
Because some friendships can span continents!