Moving overseas is always an adventure with its challenges and rewarding moments. My journey in Denmark in August 2018 began with a clear mindset: a masters degree. To do so I told myself, I’ll go with the flow, which meant back then “I will work in anything I can while I settle”. With time the word “settle” meant more than getting my masters degree, it meant finding balance between studying in a language that’s not my mother tongue, creating income, making friends, and in general just making sense of all the novelty that was happening around me.
Let me take you through that.
1. My very first source of income in Denmark
I started my new life in Roskilde on August 27th, 2018, with 9,000 DKK in my pocket and no job lined up. All that awaited me was a delayed train to my new home. I figured 9,000 DKK would last me a few months, but reality hit hard. Two weeks later, I was almost broke.
My very first job in Denmark was as a housekeeper in a hotel in Copenhagen. It was an opportunity that came to me through my then-roommate, and although it was not a job in my field, it was a start and a way to build a life while doing my Masters. This job was (and is) physically demanding. I’d come home with back pain. There was not enough time to clean the rooms, divided into check-ins and check-outs. Check-ins had to be cleaned within 10 minutes and check-outs in a maximum of 20 minutes. Sometimes I would receive 11 rooms, mainly check-outs, requiring more effort in a short time. My shifts were from 9:00 to 15:00. from Friday to Sunday, but after noon my body would shut down, and I would finish (with help from other housekeepers) around 16:00.
I learned a lot about the hospitality industry from a housekeeping perspective. Glitter and confetti are fun but a nightmare to clean. I cleaned rooms where people didn’t care about their mess. In the hallways, some guests would greet us kindly, while others preferred not to interact. I didn’t take it personally. This role helped me understand that no matter the position, kindness and perspective are invaluable traits that not many possess.
2. Embracing the rush hour in Copenhagen
In July 2019 I had a flight booked to visit my family for a month. The hotel where I was working as a housekeeper asked me to quit before I left because the time I would be away was during the high season, and they couldn’t keep my job until I returned.
Visiting my family was refreshing, it gave me the energy needed to continue my journey abroad, back then I didn’t know that it would take me two years to see them again because the world was in lockdown, but that’s another story. When I came back to Copenhagen in August 2019, a university friend connected me with her manager at a hotel near Central Station. They were looking for a waitress/dishwasher. I was offered the job but only for 24 hours a month to start.
It was a difficult decision for me to make because I needed the income but 24 hours a month wasn’t going to be enough. On top of that, it was getting harder and harder to find something in my field, and I still had one more year to get my master’s degree. My goal was clear: graduate. I decided to take the chance, work 24 hours a month and also find side hustles. I became a massage therapist and cleaned houses parallel to my waitress job.
By the end of 2019 I was a waitress, dishwasher, house cleaner and massage therapist. I can’t recall how I find time to study, have a social life and take care of myself. I guess survival mode was on and nothing could break it, not until March 2020. But I will tell that story another time.
3. House Cleaner: I locked myself out.
I was 25 years old when I moved to Denmark. Until then, I never really thought about what it takes to get a house clean. Back in Colombia, I always had someone else doing the chores for me, so for 25 years, everything looked easy and quick to get done. My perspective changed quickly once I started cleaning other people’s houses on a daily basis.
I met families who would ask me if I had eaten or how I was feeling, and others who would have a pastry ready for me. There were also those who simply greeted me and showed me where the cleaning supplies were.
Working as a house cleaner, came with its own set of challenges. One particular incident during this job stands out vividly in my memory. While cleaning an apartment in Copenhagen, I locked myself out. It was raining outside, and I had taken the trash out only to realize that the key I had did not open the main door. My phone and wallet were inside the apartment, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me. (F…..k! I thought to myself) I tried to stay calm and began asking around for help.
I asked someone in the street to lend me their phone (yes, I had to), allowing me to call the owner of the apartment. It didn’t took so long to find someone that could help me (such a nice person the one who lend me the phone, it must’ve been my teary eyes that convinced him) when I called, the owner said that she was at work, and her husband was out of town so it was difficult for them to help me then ( what am I supposed to do!? I was asking myself) The person I lend the phone needed to continue moving, so I had to find another solution. I tried ringing to the different apartments in the building but no one would pick up, I rang another apartment but everyone was skeptical of my situation and didn’t believe I locked myself out. Desperation set in as I realized I had to meet a friend after my shift but had no way to reach her (I felt so under pressure and trapped) Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I saw someone leaving the building. I quickly explained my situation, and thankfully, she was able to let me in. Such a relief!
Things to consider
Once the decision about starting a new life away from what you know is taken, a new world opens up. We all talk a lot about plans, and when wanting to achieve something we create a list without knowing that, in some cases, the list is just an idea of the steps we want to take to get where we want to go. Remember, the list adjusts through the journey and so do we. And that’s ok.
I kind of knew that settling in a new country would take time, I was prepared to embrace the process but never thought that cleaning houses, hotels, restaurants would teach me about physical, mental and emotional strength, it also showed me vulnerability through the need to adapt to various environments and through admitting and learning from mistakes or even asking for help. My journey in Denmark has been anything but ordinary, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you are experiencing a similar journey, the adventure of living away from our comfort zone, I wish you all the strength needed to continue pursuing your dream. Remember that you are not alone, although sometimes can feel that way. Keep on, the best is yet to come!