I moved from london to Vejle in 2015, and shortly after read ‘The Year of Living Danishly’. I loved it and was thrilled to spot clues in the book that it was the Vejle area you had settled in! Since then, as a Brit living in Denmark, I have enjoyed following you and your successes both as an author and a parent. I moved back to London in 2021 and also felt conflicted about it, but have absolutely found that the joys of Nordic living can be applied here. I hope you and your family find a beautiful new rhythm. And I don’t necessarily agree that you need to be outside london to do that - after all, as much as I loved the slower pace of Danish living, I’ve found that living in zone 2 has brought the best balance of city excitement and culture and village-y community/park greenery. Good luck with the next chapter!
I’ve loved reading about your life in Denmark and I cite you regularly (most recently when my five year old was complaining about having to do “so much writing” at school, and I bemoaned why they have to spend so much time sitting at tables indoors in order to learn). I love that the UK’s “not terrible”. You should offer that as a slogan to the Tourist Board! Welcome home Helen 🙂
Oh no! It’s true that it’s hard to work out what made you move back to the UK after such an idyllic life! Hopefully it won’t be in London so that you can at least have a similar environment. This is the bit that I couldn’t help myself but disagree with in your article: I don’t think that the UK and Denmark are THAT different. There are lots of places here that also have a strong community feel with lots of clubs and organisations running for kids. It’s fair to say that parents perhaps do not trust their kid to run free the way they do in Denmark but not for all Brits (my husband encourages our 8 year olds to go to the store by themselves, climb trees etc…). I think the media turn things significantly more negative than they sometimes really are (far more than in Denmark, which perhaps gives its inhabitants the feeling that they have it so good). I do not watch the news (or seldom do) and it has massively improved my mental health, and I don’t find living in the UK, even post-Brexit, as terrible as the media make it out to be. But still, I feel vicariously sad that you will no longer be in Denmark. Hopefully your children will not lose their language skills. I know that the Danish church in London has courses for children, otherwise you could find a tutor on italki, continue buying them Danish books or making them watch Danish TV at home. This is the greatest gift they can take with them, unfortunately it erodes quickly.
Yes! This! Absolutely this. The community and support I was warned not to expect in the UK has - so far - been in abundance. Who knew rolling news could be bad for our health?! (!) Thank you so much, Ana
Oh no!! Well, this read brought tears to my eyes even though we haven’t met. You’ve done an incredible job and it’s been a joy reading your texts. Being a (Swedish) Viking with friends and godchildren in England, it’s very interesting reading about comparisons and also for me to look at the Viking ways from a different angle. Is there a Childcare minister in the UK? I’d vote for you! 😃 Alright, off you go and be the Viking ambassador in the UK and I wish you and your family all the best on the return to 🇬🇧
Such a lovely post... I hope you and your family carry Denmark with you all your life as you must and that you continue seeing life through those lenses.
We moved back to the UK after living in Sweden for 10 years... I miss our Swedish life almost every other day and mix up my words (the lovely caretaker at a National Trust garden looked askance at me when I told my daughter not to plock the flowers).
But one learns to hold pickled cucumbers, candles, cardamom buns and coziness in one's heart and Ikea helps :)
Well, that was an unexpected start to the day! Oh, how conflicted you must be! Change can feel so BLURGH 😢 Sending big hygge vibes for a smooth transition ❤️
I moved back to Canada from Sweden and found I didn’t like it any more, and quickly moved somewhere new.. And realized I should have stayed in Sweden, hopefully returning to the UK isn’t a disappointment.
Oh my. I’m sad for you - what a beautiful thing to have done with the past 12 years. I’m sure there’ll be a process of grieving and some what-the-fu*kery (?) as you settle back in. The UK is glad to have you back. I hope you’re face-planting into some Heinz baked beans ASAP. ❤️
I understand your mixed emotions. You've described exactly my response to leaving Italy after 5 years. My children initially really struggled to fit in, although they had been born here in Australia. My son cried every night for the first few months. That was 19 years ago and he has gone on to have a happy and successful life. However I still miss Italy every day. Returning to Australia was an assault on the senses after country Italy- too much traffic, too much noise, too many choices at the supermarket. It took time, but we all adjusted in the end. I still carry a little bit of Italy in my heart. Good luck with your return. At least it's not so far to go for a visit. Be kind to yourselves- it will take time, especially for your kids, but I'm sure you'll get there- with all you've done and learned in the last 12 years.
Good luck with the new adventure! I’ve been working in Denmark now for a little over 9 months (due to Bonkers Brexit one week there, one week in UK: hver anden uge 😉) and what a wonderful place and people. Your wonderful book “A year of living Danishly” struck so many chords: being ignored in an empty Lagkagehuset until I’d taken a ticket my favourite! Thank you. 💜💜
Oh Helen! I didn’t expect this to make me feel so emotional, but here I am “brimming.” I was raised a Third Culture Kid, born in Bangladesh to American parents, moved around SE Asia before settling in the US at age 14. But *A Year of Living Danishly* is one of a very few books I credit for helping me (though circumstances were vastly different in some respects) keep my head above water when my husband’s job moved us to South Korea eight years ago. Besides teaching me about Danish culture, which is fascinating, it reminded me to keep a sense of humor and most of all stay curious wherever I was. We’ve spent seven of those eight years overseas and are now in Germany, and I was nodding to this as I read it because I so totally get it!! I know one day we will move stateside again, but I am certain I will be an emotional mess. Best wishes as you settle into your new home. I look forward to reading what you find out. 💕
I feel the sad too! Best of luck back over in the UK. Interesting time to move back here. If you happen to have moved to the South Coast (Dorset/Hampshire) feel free to look me up!
Thanks to you I got really interested in Denmark, have been learning Danish for four years on Duolingo and even spent a very sunny day at Vejle in May on the way to Skagen. I have loved following you on your Danish "adventure" and I look forward to your stories from the UK. Wishing you and your family all the best for this big move. Best regards from Switzerland :-)
I moved from london to Vejle in 2015, and shortly after read ‘The Year of Living Danishly’. I loved it and was thrilled to spot clues in the book that it was the Vejle area you had settled in! Since then, as a Brit living in Denmark, I have enjoyed following you and your successes both as an author and a parent. I moved back to London in 2021 and also felt conflicted about it, but have absolutely found that the joys of Nordic living can be applied here. I hope you and your family find a beautiful new rhythm. And I don’t necessarily agree that you need to be outside london to do that - after all, as much as I loved the slower pace of Danish living, I’ve found that living in zone 2 has brought the best balance of city excitement and culture and village-y community/park greenery. Good luck with the next chapter!
That's wonderful to hear - thank you so much for sharing, Camilla!
I’ve loved reading about your life in Denmark and I cite you regularly (most recently when my five year old was complaining about having to do “so much writing” at school, and I bemoaned why they have to spend so much time sitting at tables indoors in order to learn). I love that the UK’s “not terrible”. You should offer that as a slogan to the Tourist Board! Welcome home Helen 🙂
The perfect blend of British/Danish understatement: 'not terrible' ;) Thanks so much, Laura
Oh no! It’s true that it’s hard to work out what made you move back to the UK after such an idyllic life! Hopefully it won’t be in London so that you can at least have a similar environment. This is the bit that I couldn’t help myself but disagree with in your article: I don’t think that the UK and Denmark are THAT different. There are lots of places here that also have a strong community feel with lots of clubs and organisations running for kids. It’s fair to say that parents perhaps do not trust their kid to run free the way they do in Denmark but not for all Brits (my husband encourages our 8 year olds to go to the store by themselves, climb trees etc…). I think the media turn things significantly more negative than they sometimes really are (far more than in Denmark, which perhaps gives its inhabitants the feeling that they have it so good). I do not watch the news (or seldom do) and it has massively improved my mental health, and I don’t find living in the UK, even post-Brexit, as terrible as the media make it out to be. But still, I feel vicariously sad that you will no longer be in Denmark. Hopefully your children will not lose their language skills. I know that the Danish church in London has courses for children, otherwise you could find a tutor on italki, continue buying them Danish books or making them watch Danish TV at home. This is the greatest gift they can take with them, unfortunately it erodes quickly.
Yes! This! Absolutely this. The community and support I was warned not to expect in the UK has - so far - been in abundance. Who knew rolling news could be bad for our health?! (!) Thank you so much, Ana
Oh no!! Well, this read brought tears to my eyes even though we haven’t met. You’ve done an incredible job and it’s been a joy reading your texts. Being a (Swedish) Viking with friends and godchildren in England, it’s very interesting reading about comparisons and also for me to look at the Viking ways from a different angle. Is there a Childcare minister in the UK? I’d vote for you! 😃 Alright, off you go and be the Viking ambassador in the UK and I wish you and your family all the best on the return to 🇬🇧
Thanks so much, Monica x
Thank you for this, I feel the sadness, good luck on your return to UK and new adventures
Thanks Rosalind - let's see what happens next....!
Such a lovely post... I hope you and your family carry Denmark with you all your life as you must and that you continue seeing life through those lenses.
We moved back to the UK after living in Sweden for 10 years... I miss our Swedish life almost every other day and mix up my words (the lovely caretaker at a National Trust garden looked askance at me when I told my daughter not to plock the flowers).
But one learns to hold pickled cucumbers, candles, cardamom buns and coziness in one's heart and Ikea helps :)
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all"
Thank you for writing.
Emily D! Thanks so much, hugely appreciated x
Well, that was an unexpected start to the day! Oh, how conflicted you must be! Change can feel so BLURGH 😢 Sending big hygge vibes for a smooth transition ❤️
Thank you so much, Aimee x
I moved back to Canada from Sweden and found I didn’t like it any more, and quickly moved somewhere new.. And realized I should have stayed in Sweden, hopefully returning to the UK isn’t a disappointment.
Oh my. I’m sad for you - what a beautiful thing to have done with the past 12 years. I’m sure there’ll be a process of grieving and some what-the-fu*kery (?) as you settle back in. The UK is glad to have you back. I hope you’re face-planting into some Heinz baked beans ASAP. ❤️
Yes! To all of those phases! Thanks so much and hello Heinz... ;)
I understand your mixed emotions. You've described exactly my response to leaving Italy after 5 years. My children initially really struggled to fit in, although they had been born here in Australia. My son cried every night for the first few months. That was 19 years ago and he has gone on to have a happy and successful life. However I still miss Italy every day. Returning to Australia was an assault on the senses after country Italy- too much traffic, too much noise, too many choices at the supermarket. It took time, but we all adjusted in the end. I still carry a little bit of Italy in my heart. Good luck with your return. At least it's not so far to go for a visit. Be kind to yourselves- it will take time, especially for your kids, but I'm sure you'll get there- with all you've done and learned in the last 12 years.
Thanks for your insights
Meredith
thank you so much, Meredith - it means a great deal. Sending all best wishes, H
Wow. Big news. Can’t wait to see what you do next. Keep fighting the good fight!
thank you so much, Michelle!x
Good luck with the new adventure! I’ve been working in Denmark now for a little over 9 months (due to Bonkers Brexit one week there, one week in UK: hver anden uge 😉) and what a wonderful place and people. Your wonderful book “A year of living Danishly” struck so many chords: being ignored in an empty Lagkagehuset until I’d taken a ticket my favourite! Thank you. 💜💜
Thank you so much, John - and yes, the humbling experience of waiting at a bakery is enough to bring all of us back to earth with a bump!
Oh Helen! I didn’t expect this to make me feel so emotional, but here I am “brimming.” I was raised a Third Culture Kid, born in Bangladesh to American parents, moved around SE Asia before settling in the US at age 14. But *A Year of Living Danishly* is one of a very few books I credit for helping me (though circumstances were vastly different in some respects) keep my head above water when my husband’s job moved us to South Korea eight years ago. Besides teaching me about Danish culture, which is fascinating, it reminded me to keep a sense of humor and most of all stay curious wherever I was. We’ve spent seven of those eight years overseas and are now in Germany, and I was nodding to this as I read it because I so totally get it!! I know one day we will move stateside again, but I am certain I will be an emotional mess. Best wishes as you settle into your new home. I look forward to reading what you find out. 💕
Isn't that interesting, how universal the experiences are, despite the fact that the specifics change. Sending all best wishes and THANK YOU, Joy x
I feel the sad too! Best of luck back over in the UK. Interesting time to move back here. If you happen to have moved to the South Coast (Dorset/Hampshire) feel free to look me up!
thanks so much, Kate!
Wow wasn't expecting this at all! Good luck can't wait to see what's next!
Thanks so much - yes big move and huge changes... x
Thanks to you I got really interested in Denmark, have been learning Danish for four years on Duolingo and even spent a very sunny day at Vejle in May on the way to Skagen. I have loved following you on your Danish "adventure" and I look forward to your stories from the UK. Wishing you and your family all the best for this big move. Best regards from Switzerland :-)
Oh I love Skagen - and hope you enjoyed Vejle. Thanks so much x
Yes I enjoyed Vejle very much and even found the pony in the pedestrian zone ;-). Arriving and leaving by train w
sorry pressed wrong button :-(
arriving and leaving by train was very impressive!