Whenever I mentioned to people that I was studying in Copenhagen for the fall semester, I was met with widening eyes and warnings about the weather. The infamously harsh winters of Denmark seemed to dominate people’s impression of the city, and I arrived with a suitcase full of winter clothes. But sitting here, as the sun is shining on the water and a light breeze rustles the tall grass on the shore, winter feels like a distant dream.

Here in the Castle Garden, the wind blows gently and rustles the pages of my journal. The lake is almost still, except for the small disturbances that swimming ducks and falling leaves make, rippling to the water’s edge and back. I can hear bird calls among the small shrubs and short patches of trees that stand at the water’s edge, and small white flowers that grow on the forest side of the path. 

I have to remind myself that this idyllic day is only going to become rarer as the days get shorter and the trees begin to lose their leaves. I remind myself not to take for granted swimming in the canals, biking through the park, outdoor seating, and light before seven. It’s truly a privilege to have beautiful natural spaces so consistently accessible, and paired with the impermanent nature of this season, I’ve been motivated to spend my free time in the many beautiful outdoor spaces that Copenhagen has to offer. Running through the park behind my housing with no certain destination has been one of my favorite ways of getting outside on a sunny day. I’ve wandered across apple orchards, community gardens, hidden park cafes, and small, overgrown suburban streets. I even once encountered a group of sheep grazing in the shadow of a windmill a half mile from my apartment.

Knowing that the nights are only going to get longer and the weather cooler, I’ve been contemplating ways that I can continue to engage with the outdoors. On the days it has been gloomy and overcast, or even down pouring, I’ve been happily surprised by my friends’ willingness to go out regardless. We venture out, maybe not to swim or run (although biking in the rain is a Copenhagen classic), to counter the day’s misery with optimism and a raincoat. And maybe I’m naive to think that this park, community, and a good attitude can get me through the winter. But is it so wrong to be hopeful?