Spring break and summer plans

This week is spring break at university of Michigan. Since the semester ends around the time May starts, the break always happens early and we have made sure that Ulrik could come and visit for some of the week at least. He arrived Saturday morning. Looked a bit tired. Went to take a nap and woke up....... 19!!!!! hours later!!!!!!! How is that even possible? At least he looks somewhat more well rested today (duh) which was good since Luca made sure to keep him on his toes (and I know this may look like Luca beating his brother in pushups, but I can assure all of you, that he got his a.. kicked by his older brother)

It has also been a good time to discuss the summer as there are many plans on many different levels to fit in. Let’s start with the youngest member of the family. At his confirmation last spring my sister gave hm a trip to visit her in Copenhagen, and since he is going we have made sure that he can stay as long as absolute possible and get to hang out with family and even go to a camp, while in Denmark. He is a bit nervous about it as he doesn’t really remember that much but I think he will have a blast!

Then there is Teresa. Who will graduate high school this spring. She has decided to move back to Denmark and will start at HK gym (small private Christian high school) to take 3.G. there (final year of danish high school). This will give her a chance to get settled as well as make sure she can pass the danish study test. A requirement for kids with foreign educations who wish to study at the university to get a non-international degree. She will stay with good friends of ours and is rather looking forward to the whole thing. Prior to this I had promised her a big trip. Just like Ulrik and Kristian went to Tokyo, Teresa and I had plans to go somewhere exotic. We talked about Australia..... well.... 🔥 then we talked about Korea..... well.... 😷. And now we kind of wait it out a bit to see where things are in a few months (I won’t start ranting in this blog post how much the state of the world terrifies me these days).

Ulrik also has quite the summer ahead of him. His program requires him to have a study abroad period, so he will go to Nepal. Remote Nepal. And help make ceramic water filters for families who will otherwise not have access to clean water. He is already taking weekly classes to prepare him for a longer stay in a country where “cows have more rights than women” - as he frankly puts it. This will only be a 3 week program and there are 4months of break before the third year in college starts. And we have talked a bit about having him go to Denmark and visit Bornholm to start to build network in the ceramic circles there which may hopefully result in some sort of internship’ish stay in the summer of 2021.

Kristian and I will of course stay back in PA and make sure to work and make money to pay for the kids’ adventures. Sigh.