Before I came to Denmark I knew it would take a while to adjust to the cold temperatures and frequent darkness, but I figured I would eventually be okay because I grew up in the North. I was wrong. The memories of braving the cold in my high school uniform skirt are suddenly not so brave.

It snowed and rained every day of last week. At first, I was excited for the snow because a white Copenhagen is beautiful. Yet I have since realized that I am not cut out for the whole commute-outside-in-the-snow thing.

I’ve been wondering why I have been so miserable because I grew up around snow in Maryland. Then I remembered that there, cars exist. The only reason that it was possible to wear a skirt in a Maryland winter was because I was commuting in my warm car!

So, how does Copenhagen handle a snowy commute? The same way they would if there wasn’t three inches of snow on the ground.

At times it feels as if the Danes are in denial about the weather that surrounds them. 

There is a Danish saying about how there is no such thing as bad weather (only bad clothing), but I have begun to question this on my journeys to school. I have seen many people trudging through the snow in sneakers and heels. I don’t understand. How are their feet supposed to stay warm? How are they not breaking their necks from the combination of snow, cobblestone, and heels? Wait, do they have NeverWet in Denmark?!

Perhaps the combination of Viking blood, Danish culture, and a lifelong experience with this sort of weather is responsible. I have no experience with either, so the concept of wearing sneakers in the snow or biking in the snow makes absolutely no sense to me. I am used to salting the roads and sidewalks and sending out the plows immediately. Here, the only clearing that matters is within the bike lanes. The sidewalks and the streets can be a mess, but you can count on the bike lanes being as clear as the warmest summer day.

Public transportation is very reliable, so biking isn’t the only way for Danes to travel. Yet it is still considered the superior way of getting somewhere. From very early on Danes are taught the freedom regardless of weather like snow. And it really is the easiest way to get around the city: a 15-min. commute on public transportation can turn into only a 5-min. ride on your bike.

I want to say that I will be daring and ride my bike in the snow, but we all know I have a love/hate relationship with my bike and also can’t bear to be walk outside in the cold for more than 5 minutes…

Check out this video on biking in the snow!