LA To Copenhagen?

That’s the reaction we’ve had in the past month since sharing the news that we were going to spend the next six months (give or take) in Denmark.  Also: Do you speak Dutch? (love that). How will you handle the cold? What are you going to eat? What if the Dodgers and Angels both get to the World Series? All questions that may eventually be addressed in this blog-experiment of mine. But the primary question merits an answer, so here it is:

We have an opportunity to blend work and family in one of the most beautiful and cool cities in the world. This December, much of the world’s political and economic leadership will be meeting in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP 15.  The conference is the follow up to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, and is being convened with the goal of creating a new global protocol on Climate Change and Global Warming. I’ll be doing some work over there for some great orgs and with some tremendously talented and passionate people.  So it will definitely be exciting.

But I have added incentive. My wife Tina is a Dane.  We were married in Copenhagen and have family there.  The kids get to go to a great school, spend time with relatives abroad and experience a whole new, different and wonderful culture.

So it all makes sense, and when we’ve shared that info with friends we’ve gotten one universal response.

“Fantastic!”

I had no idea “fantastic” was such a popular word.  Is it kind of trendy right now?  I don’t think anyone responded by saying that it was “cool.” A couple friends wrote that it was “amazing.” But scores said it was “fantastic.” It’s actually a great word.  Just didn’t expect to hear it so many times.

So this being a fantastic journey and all I decided to share the experiences of a native Angeleno living in Copenhagen on this here blog. Hopefully there will be a few interesting observations and some commentary that keeps you coming back for a visit and a read once in awhile – but I can promise you one thing: after this, I’ll try and make the postings short and sweet.  Just consider this my one and only “Commuting from COPenhagen” FAQ.

And as they say in Denmark hej-hej.