Queen of Silence

I am thankful just
to breathe
this air.

Raindrops splash puddles on my new black glasses
and I follow, dressed in black,
a stormcloud of Danes crossing the street to Nørreport Station.

Klokken 16, 4 pm, and they've just gotten off work,
hurrying home to families who will greet them
with more than the sorrowful grunts
I am used to.

I stomp over the construction site,
down stairs marked yellow,
and stroll toward Spor 4.

The S-Tog to Farum will whoosh forward
in a rush of underground air
in exactly 1 minute.
Destinations: Østerport, Nordhavn, Svanemøllen,
and a long list of others I can only attempt
to form
with my American mouth.
I am silent.

Books open, headphones on,
laptops whirring, chewing silent,
the people on the train gaze downward.
I hold on to a pole and sway,
gazing out the rainstreaked windows,
wondering if I see what they see:

a new land
swallowing me whole,
hours left to go,
and a fuchsia backpack the size of a koala
to prove it.

I do not know the names
of any Danes I pass-
red shoes, acid washed jeans,
sheets of blonde hair dancing over hoods.

I haven't become one of them, but I move with them-
creep toward the green light with them,
look both ways and run for it with them,
offer the redhead mom with drooping eyelids
a passing grin when she catches my gaze
from the next compartment.

You are just a girl,
the playground boy band shouted
as I lined up to shoot a ricocheting hoop.

But they were wrong.
I am a queen among puddles,
a sycamore in bloom,
but I won't provide your shade.

With every step I feel more full-
full of adventure, though I am not
always on the edge of my seat.
Full like a five course meal,
splayed out on my new red couch
like my grandma of a calico cat.

A young helmeted boy waits
as I instagram the stormy sky
over Tåsingegade.

I offer a grin that he doesn't return
- like most Danes -
and propel myself forward,
away from echoing Americans
who don't know
that being silent
is the greatest thing you can offer.

Countdown to Copenhagen

Hey, bloggers!

It's been a long time, hasn't it? Sorry about that. This past month has been full of thoughts of midterms, grades, money, working out, girlfriends (not really, there's only one of those), and most of all... STUDYING ABROAD.

In fact, that one takes the cake. I've been thinking about studying abroad pretty much 24/7 since my junior year started. Make that 24/8. My college was the first in the United States to make studying abroad a requirement - going to a different country and learning for a minimum of 3 weeks.

Well, guess what? I'm doing a semester program in Copenhagen, Denmark! I'll be abroad from January 18th to May 18th, studying gender and sexuality in EUROPE. I seriously can't wait. Although it's stressful (read: money), I'm trying to make this the best trip of my life. I've had too many "blah" trips in the past, and seriously, this is Europe. This is gender and sexuality. Two things I'm really really interested in. Frankly, I have no idea when I'd ever have this opportunity ever again, and I'm really excited to seize it. For all you college students out there who are wondering if you should study abroad: do it. Seriously. I didn't think my financial aid would cover the costs, but it's covering a good amount of them.

And hey, guess what again? That's where you come in! I'm currently working on campus and I'm receiving scholarships and loans. However, I still need help in making my study abroad experience a reality. Check out my fundraising site here: http://www.youcaring.com/tiannagoestocopenhagen and please pass it on! I didn't want to turn this blog into a plea for cash, and I hate asking for help, but I do really need your help. I'm almost there! And if you weren't aware, I am in a wizard rock/nerd rock band called Tianna and the Cliffhangers. If you would like to hear folksy/acoustic music about Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, feminism, and queer ladies, then you've come to the right place! If you donate any amount to my study abroad fundraiser I will email you a Bandcamp download code so you can easily access my new CD called "Out of Character."

I love you all, and I can't believe some of you have stuck around with this blog for so long. ^_^


Til less than a month away this time,
Tianna