Ask Magpie: Watcha doin’ in Denmark?
Today’s Ask Magpie question is from Jen Luit of Hollyhouse Studios via Twitter (mine: hers):
“How do you split time between 2 countries? What’s the deal with that? Any why don’t you have anything in your Etsy shop?”
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It is nearly 9pm and the Sun is still holding on to the sky by her fingertips. After a short nap, she will start creeping up again around 4:00am, when I will dig my sleep mask out from under my pillow and hope my tendency towards insomnia will not be triggered by this unseemly light.
This is one of the things I love most about our Scandinavian life – these long days of light which grace us now, trying so diligently to make up for the 6 hours of half-light that haunt us all winter.
We moved to Denmark in February ’08. Microsoft has an office near Copenhagen and we’ve always want to live in Europe, so Paul lobbied for a transfer. We were warned that Danish culture is notoriously difficult to break into – sort of like we were warned about how hard it was to raise children. Since at one point we had two kids under 2 years old, I think you can see how good we are at heeding this kind of advice. So here we are living Life Abroad in Copenhagen, trying our best to avoid acting like “ugly” Americans. (As the saying goes, “In Denmark you are free…free to conform.)
We still have a house in Seattle, where our 19yo adopted-by-affection still lives. But I can’t really say “split our time between 2 countries,” since we haven’t been stateside since we left. Our British pals are constantly shocked that we haven’t been “home” in 18months. But once we reminded them that their plane tickets home are $150US and ours are $1,000, they start to get the picture. After a year and a half in Europe, the girls and I will spend seven weeks in Seattle this Summer. (Paul will come for part of it.) While there I’ll spend a small fortune on migraine treatment (blech) and host our first ever Soulsister’s retreat on a beautiful island in the Puget Sound. (yeah!)
I closed my Etsy shop when I left my Seattle studio, but last week I floated an idea for a joint project past soulsister Jolie Guillebeau, and I’m hoping my sister-in-law’s Magpie necklaces will be sweeping the nation sometime soon. In the meantime, if any of y’all want to go Etsy shopping here’s a little link love:
-Stacy at Bella Wish has these beautiful Taking Flight necklaces, inspired by Kelley Rae Robert’s book. She also offers these beautiful memorial medallions, which I adore.
-Speaking of Kelly Rae, she sells out faster than daylight in Danish winter, but if you like pretty things with soul, do stop by and see what you can lay your hands on.
-Jolie Guillebeau and Rowena Murillo are both a part of our Sacred Commerce experiment. Spread a little love around by ordering from their shops. Jolie will send you a miniature watercolor with her pretty earrings, and Rowena’s Flying Girl prints are whimsical and inspiring.
-And don’t forget today’s Ask Magpie questioneer, Jen Luit, who has loads of cute stuff at Four Corners, including these earth-friendly re-useable lunchbags.
Thanks for helping me get my writing mojo back up and running with Ask Magpie! ”Ask me a question, I’ll tell you no lies.” See you soon.
Read something at Magpie Girl that’s set you to wonderin’? Ask Magpie in the comments below…
5 comments
I’ve loved your insights into the expat life. I have so much admiration for your ability to navigate it gracefully.
I envy the long light. Here in New England, the summer days are much longer than the short winter days, and both are more extreme than the seasonal shifts where I grew up (in south Texas)… but it doesn’t hold a candle to being truly far north (or, at the other end of the globe, south), especially in summertime.
Hi Rachelle~
I checked out the Soulsisters Retreat. Are you only taking 9? Is there room for 1 more????
Cyndee
Seven weeks in Seattle this summer. Do tell! When and all that.
Hey, thanks for answering my question. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you through your tweets and I wondered how you worked that out. Thanks also for the etsy shop love and the direction to other sites. I plan to check them out today.
For me, I will be grabbing an 8 things button and getting my little self to work. I haven’t blogged in a while bc I feel so dry from running after kids’ year end activities but I suppose you do it when you don’t feel like it so you can do it when you feel it, eh?
Anyway, thanks friend.
Cyndee-
Thanks for asking, but this year’s retreat is full. I’m hoping that in a few short season y’all will be organizing similar gathers in various and sundry places. Here’s hoping!
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