Meet Lindley!
I’m excited to share this with you, because this is actually the first interview with someone I’ve never met before in person! Lindley’s international lifestyle first caught my eye through our mutual friend, Sascha (you can read her Expat Interview here). And when I heard that she had moved to Denmark, I needed to know more (after studying abroad there I have a soft spot for the country)! A college athlete who crossed the seas for love and adventure, Lindley tells us about working remotely, carving out her own routine, finding a community abroad, and why making the jump was totally worth it. Read on!
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1. Why Denmark?
To be honest with you, I had never even really heard of Denmark up until 2016. My then boyfriend (now husband!), Rasmus Bach, is from here. The two of us met in college in Durango, Colorado, and we were both collegiate athletes. I played DII volleyball and he played basketball. After graduation he was offered a job as a professional basketball player here in the Danish Basketligaen. Both of his parents played handball in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, so he comes from a family of athletes. And when an opportunity came for me to travel the world with him, I took it. He speaks Danish of course, and I don’t. So it has been quite an experience being in his home country and trying to adjust to language, customs and lifestyle.
2. How did you find work abroad? Can you tell us about working digitally?
Presently, I am working as a social media manager for my husband’s professional basketball team. I am doing graphic design and video production as well. I also freelance in social media. I work for a shoe company back in the States, Z-CoiL Footwear, managing their Facebook page. And I run my own blog on the side, lindleyloraine.com, but that’s more for fun.
Next year I intend to find a full time job in Europe. I just finished my master’s degree in higher education through Penn State World Campus, so that has kept me busy over the last year. I would highly recommend their program! I enjoyed grad school online. I was working in college admissions prior to our move here, so I am looking to reconnect with the world of higher education in Europe.
3. What were your biggest fears/excitements about moving?
I was scared to be away from my close friends and family. In college I developed a really close group of friends who I lived with, and I didn’t want to be away from then. My mom is also fighting cancer back in the states, and I didn’t want to be away from her. But technology is good, I am able to talk to my friends and family all the time. And I knew I couldn’t stay in the States for them, and my mom has always pushed me to travel and explore the world.
I was also scared I wouldn’t be able to understand the language, and lucky for me everyone in Denmark speaks English beautifully. That has made it a bit harder for me to pick up Danish, but at least I can get by.
I was most excited to travel! I am from a small town in New Mexico, and I went to a small liberal arts school. I was dying to travel and see this part of the world. In the last year I’ve probably visited ten new countries, and I don’t plan to stop exploring anytime soon. The amazing thing about Europe is that all of the countries are so close together; one hour on a plane and you can be in a whole new culture. I was also excited to try new FOOD. I love food, I mean, who doesn’t? But exploring food has been a big part of my joy here.
4. What do you look forward to during the week?
My workouts and home cooked meals. I was big into CrossFit back in the states, and as an ex athlete, I love to exert myself physically. I do my own programming here and it is something that feels familiar for me being so far away from home. I spend probably 7-8 hours a week in a gym.
And I love to cook. One of my favorite things about Denmark is that the markets all have fresh local foods. I enjoy finding new things in the market and playing with them in the kitchen. I have gotten really into fennel. Sounds weird, but that vegetable is so fresh here, and its sweet taste is great in salads! We also love the fresh fish, we often bake salmon at home. Frikadellerne is a Danish meatball of sorts, which we’ve come to enjoy also. Oh, and you can’t forget the Danish pastries. If you are ever in Denmark look for a Lagkagehuset, and get a christianshavnerkage, thank me later.
5. What’s a good way to meet people where you are?
Social media! One of the great things about being alive in 2019 is that there are hundreds of Facebook groups for expats. I am a member of Expats in Copenhagen and Aarhus Internationals. If I’m ever lonely or bored, I can post in there, and more often than not other international people would love to meet up for coffee or offer support. The other internationals can also relate to your pains, and offer advice for how to navigate the tough technical things about moving to a new country like: where to find certain foods, how to pay for tickets/electricity etc., or simply clarify silly questions you otherwise wouldn’t ask a local.
6. Any advice for those looking to move abroad?
My advice, do it! Make the jump. It’ll be hard but you won’t regret it. Travel is one of the best ways to learn about yourself and the world around you. It has also been extremely good for my partner and I, as we have learned so much about each other. There are tons of jobs for Americans or English-speakers in Europe and around the world. The world is getting smaller everyday as tech takes over, and it isn’t as scary as you think. And I promise that once you get to where you are going, you won’t be alone, there will be people like me, waiting to support you and encourage you along.
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You can read more about Lindley’s life abroad (and her recent destination wedding!) over at https://www.lindleyloraine.com/ …, or follow her on Instagram at @misslindley
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