Copenhagen's Magical Glass Market

From settling into my apartment in Vestergade, to befriending the girls in my Social Justice LLC, to visiting my Danish family friend's home in Nyhavn, to experiencing hygge in the Living Room and the Coffee Industry Sweden, to shuffling through second-hand shops, to getting more comfortable with my classes, to taking a yoga class in Danish, the first week and couple days in Copenhagen have been exhausting and rewarding.

And out of all these vivid moments, I cannot help but focus specifically on one: shopping for groceries. Yes, the most mundane activity has now become a favorite of mine. As I love cooking and eating good food, having grocery stores so close has made it easy to buy fresh goods. But more recently, I have found a place that truly brings me even closer to food.

Just an 8-minute stroll from my apartment is Torvehallerne or the Glass Market. This past Sunday, I gathered my reusable bags, pulled on my ridiculously thick coat (apparently, it's unseasonably warm but my typical California self still thinks it's pretty cold), and made my way to the market to buy groceries for the upcoming week.

As I had visited the market a few days before with friends, I was familiar with the very quaint outdoor vegetable stand between the two glass buildings where produce is laid out neatly in woven baskets, mostly without wrapping or plastic. As per my goal to live an even more sustainable life while abroad, I gathered naked veggies, fruits, and mushrooms, completely satisfied with my little basket filled with bare food. Only one item, raspberries, came with a package, which I plan on reusing the next time I buy delicate fruits.

I spent my time picking out each vegetable and fruit, gently placing them in that woven basket. The wide array of mushrooms, the colorful assortment of carrots, the unique shapes of the tomatoes sent a spark through me as I felt more connected to the food I was going to cook than I ever have.

I then brought my basket to the one cashier, and while he put my produce into my reusable bags, I told him how beautiful the produce was. We had a short conversation, and he said he looked forward to seeing me again, as I had said I hope to be doing a lot of my grocery shopping at the market.

This was just a small experience, but I felt so free from my usual routine of grocery shopping in which I enter a dull, overly-lit, overly-marketed, overly-stuffed store and pay for my food from a cashier who could really care less about me and my day (and vice-versa to be completely transparent). Sometimes I even avoid stores all together with delivery apps. The connection between actually enjoying picking out the food that I would spend time cooking and would put into my body was severed by busy supermarkets and delivery apps. The whole experience of searching, choosing, buying, cooking, and eating has been elevated by doing it in a place more conducive to connectivity and community.

I went home to make the spinach I had bought. It did not come out of a plastic bag. It was not pre-washed. It had dirt, and I think even a bug. It had a whole here and there. I hand washed each side and set it in a pot to steam. And I realized, this is what cooking should really be like. Not a chore, not a necessity, but an experience.

So thank you Copenhagen, for teaching me to revel in the now.

Countdown to Copenhagen: DIS Study Abroad

As I anxiously await my take-off from LAX to Europe, I cannot help but imagine all the adventures that await me—making friends with my two roommates (who I am already in contact with), weekly discussions and explorations with my Social Justice LLC, acquiring new skills and knowledge in my advertising and marketing courses, snuggling up in cute coffee shops like the Living Room and Buzz Kaffebar (yes, I already found some ideal study spots), and traveling to new places.

As someone who lives bi-costal in San Diego, my hometown, and in Atlanta, my second home of Emory University, I am rather accustom to packing, following my tried and true method of cover-the-entire-floor-of-a-room-in-my-house-with-everything-I-want-to-bring-and-then-determine-what’s-necessary. Once the floor is a sufficient tip-toe maze of clothing and shoes, I start to take away items that seem less essential or redundant. And as someone whose closet consists of mainly grey, black, white, and the occasional blush, I have a pretty decent capsule wardrobe that isn’t too difficult to minimize.

I have aimed to make my footprint a little lighter on this earth, so in the video above, I feature some of the sustainable items and clothing that are coming along with me to one of the greenest cities in the world. One of my goal abroad is to learn more about Copenhagen’s sustainable practices, so that I can live an even more eco-conscious lifestyle.

So in less than 24 hours, I will be off on a great new adventure. I can’t wait to make memories, push my boundaries, capture everything, meet new people, and most importantly, learn about life in Copenhagen and live it.

Green Beauty Tips

Go into your bathroom. Look in your cupboards, on your counter, in your shower. Most likely the items and products there are encased in plastic. Now think about how often you go through those products and mosey onto CVS, your beauty store, or order on Amazon to restock. Now think about everyone else whose bathrooms are similar. Now think about the amount of plastic waste produced by everyone’s daily morning and night habits. Here are some products I personally have used to begin building up a zero-waste bathroom:

1. Ethique Bar Products: I love how Ethique bars eliminate plastic bottles from my hair and face care routines. I have had conditioner bars that have last me for 6 months. Ethique does not use palm oil, saves water, does not produce plastic waste, and ethically sources raw materials. The bars are easy to travel with as you add the liquid in the shower, so no fusing with getting mini bottles for carry-on. I have used SuperStar! face cleansing and make-up removing bar for around a year. I usually wet a washcloth and in a circular motion, scrub the bar on the cloth. I then use the cloth on my face, intermittently wetting it or scrubbing on the bar more until my makeup is off. It also doubles as a moisturizer for me because, after washing, my face is perfectly moisturized. I love the Pinkalicious shampoo because it does not strip my hair and smells amazing!

2. Leaf Shave Razor: The Leaf Shave razor has completely replaced my disposable razors. It intimidated me at first because you put in the razor blades, but once I did it, it was so easy and not scary at all. The metal razors can be recycled and no plastic is involved. The razor is so sturdy and moves well along the skin. The inexpensive razor blades make it easy for me to replace the razors whenever I feel necessary. The razor itself is definitely an investment, but when you consider the amount I spent on the Venus razor heads, this razor will eventually save me money.

3. Bamboo Toothbrush: To be honest, when I first used the brush, I felt uncomfortable having the wood in my mouth. But as I continued using it, I began to be very comfortable with the material. Bamboo brushes are not only sleek looking in my bathroom but significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste produces from my daily cleansing. My mother goes through toothbrushes every other month, so getting her hooked on bamboo brushes was definitely important.

My Second Hand Clothing Journey

The fast fashion industry is built on the marketing model of psychological manipulation to convince consumers that you are not good enough. Trends fly in and out and with it, cheap clothing fills up landfills. We have fallen into the trap that we need more and we need cheap. What about changing our mindsets towards simpler, concise closets with clothing that will last trends and time?

Expensive, ethical clothing may be desired, but for those whose paychecks and allowance cannot support an expensive lifestyle, having this closet with quality clothing can seem unreachable. However, there is a way to be eco-conscious, have quality, stylish clothing, and not break the bank. It’s called consigning. Thrifting may scare some people who think that it will take hours to find anything decent in a massive thrift store. Consigning is a type of thrifting in which stylists pick specific clothing from sellers to put on their racks, so the clothing is selected for its quality, uniqueness, and style.

I consign at My Sister’s Closet in San Diego. I have found Rag & Bone jeans at $25, Free People sweaters at $15, and Top Shop dresses at $10. It is very possible to find stylish pieces at consignment stores that aim to provide shoppers with quality options. Many times I have sold clothing and with that store credit, not even had to pay for a day’s worth of shopping. Sometimes I will even re-consign items if after a year I have found myself not loving the piece anymore. Keeping this circular economy of fashion going will ensure that the energy and material put into making an individual piece will not be for waste and will not fill landfills.

Each outfit below features consigned clothing! The Zara red dress, the Free People black blouse, the white Rag & Bone jeans, the Rebecca Taylor purple top, the Top Shop white tank were all consigned at My Sister’s Closet.

Fall for Sustainability

The leaves paint the skies in reds, yellows, and oranges. The smell of spiced pumpkin lattes permeates the air. Scarves grace the necks of shivering people walking to their next class. It is a wonderfully spirited time of the year when we get to experience the colorful, chilly transition to winter. And with this incoming chill and holiday cheer come coffee, decorations, and warm clothing. Here are some tips to keep your breezy days more eco-conscious this fall and upcoming winter:

1) Bring a reusable mug to your coffee shop. Starbucks will even give you $0.10 off of your beverage. Some places have even better deals. In California, Philz Coffee will let you pay the price of a small beverage for any size mug you bring. Disposable coffee cups are especially hard to recycle because of their combination of plastic and paper, so bring your reusable mug to save waste.

2) Grocery shop for in-season foods. Out-of-season foods require more travel and refrigeration. Fruits that are in-season for November include apples, oranges, pears, and pomegranates. Vegetables include artichokes, beets, brussels sprouts, and squash. Also, try going to your local farmer’s market for local fruits and vegetables.

3) As Thanksgiving nears, decorations begin to adorn our houses and apartments. Instead of buying plastic goodies, try decorating with biodegradable items. Buy some in-season pumpkins; pick up leaves and pine cones from around your neighborhood to decorate your table for dinner; arrange branches and plants in a vase for an added touch to your living room.

4) Invest in coats, sweaters, and boots that will last you many years and remain in style. A more expensive wool sweater that will keep you warm and hold the test of time is a better investment than a cheap sweater that necessitates multiple layers to keep you warm and ultimately deteriorates at the end of the season. (I have made this mistake before.)