Autumn arrived in Copenhagen as I expected, in one long rainstorm. The city is known for a rainy autumn season, and I’ve been warned of a plunge into cold darkness. I felt my homesickness for Boston ease this week-the chilly air and wet cobblestones reminded me of Harvard Square in the fall.

It began to rain in the cemetery as I examined the waxy leaves of an orange jasmine shrub. I notice that the small shrub is able to withstand the wind, which is picking up, which makes me wonder what its root system looks like. It is adorned with small orange berries, and its small branches are a lively shade of green. Orange jasmine apparently thrives in rainy conditions, though it is non-native to Denmark. I wonder what the ecosystems of this cemetery look like. On my way over, I passed a snail inching along the gravel path, one small member of the ecosystem. I wonder if any species have flown outside the hedge walls and entered an unfamiliar environment, perhaps away from the shade of the trees and the course gravel, into damp soil and into the sun.