The students here didn't have school on Easter Monday, so the Canadian and Danish students took a day trip together to the northernmost area of Denmark. After meeting at the school, it was a two hour bus ride to the town of Skagen. During a brief walk through the townsite, one of the Danish teachers pointed out a particular shade of yellow that all the houses were painted. It's not uncommon for houses to be brightly coloured in Denmark, but in this town, their specific yellow colour has come to be known as "Skagen yellow". You can walk into any paint shop in the country and ask for that shade, and they'll know exactly what you're talking about.
Perhaps appropriately, Skagen is home to many of Denmark's greatest artists. Unfortunately, the art museum was closed for renovations while we were there, but we were able to stop at the house of Michael and Anna Anger. Anna was a painter who was able to study art in Copenhagen and then continue to after getting married, which was very unusual for a woman at the time.
After eating a packed lunch in the house's garden, we all got back into the bus and drove out of town a few kilometres to the very northernmost tip of Denmark. The location was absolutely breathtaking; it is where Kattegat (the waters between Denmark and Sweden) and the Skagerrak Straight (part of the North Sea) meet. In fact, it's one of the few places in the world where you can stand with your left foot in one sea and your right foot in another.
Next, we drove a little ways inland to visit Denmark's famous "wandering sand dunes". Millennia of strong coastal winds have built up these incredible dunes, and they continue to crawl over 15 meters each year. In fact, in 100 years time, the very highway we travelled on will be entirely engulfed by the dune. In some areas beside the highway, historical churches and buildings have been entirely swallowed by the moving sand masses; the barely visible tip of a church tower acting as a cruel reminder of the passage of time.
In contrast to the more densely populated urban areas we had seen so far, our time in Skagen provided a look at the natural side of Denmark. For hundreds of years, the people living in this northern tip have made efforts to slow the moving of the sand dunes with natural grasses. During German occupation of Denmark in WWII, this passage of sea was a critical point of entrance to North Europe. Today, many active efforts are in place to maintain the high water quality and biodiversity in the area, despite its location as a critical passageway to many major European ports.
While visiting this extraordinary area, many of the values reflected in discussions with my host family were reaffirmed. Quite simply, the Danish are passionate about ensuring health and prosperity in all aspects of their country. They're so proud of it, too. In a conversation over tea and dessert last night, my host's father was speaking of how in Canada, when taxes are raised, everyone is very insistent on making sure the money they're paying is coming directly back to help them. Here, however, they say it's understood that your money is likely going to help someone else – to pay a student who is in post-secondary education, for example. Regardless of whether you're in school, working, or unemployed, you're never in a situation where you're not financially supported. My host student, Caroline, told me it just feels natural to put money towards that – it is simply second nature to support a system that benefits the country as a whole.
When you arrive in Copenhagen, there is a sign that says "Welcome to the world's happiest nation" – and it's true. In a country of 5.6 million people, there are less than ten murders on average each year. The rate of poverty is effectively zero. Last year's World Happiness Report from the United Nations ranked Denmark as number one.
It sounds like some dream-like result of a tightly socialist system, but I can't help but feel like the country's economic/structural aspects go hand in hand with the nation's values. This deep appreciation for collective wellbeing is something that I personally find deeply admirable. Of course, it's not a system without its flaws, but with each day I am gaining more and more of an appreciation for the way of the life here. A society that cares as much for individual happiness as collective wellbeing, and understands the profound connection between the two - that's a place I would like to live, wouldn't you?