Lost in translation

When August feels like that, one "Carrie" episode in Sex and the City.

Image: HBO Max

Text: Lyndsay Jensen

Dear readers

Every year, August arrives with the familiar rhythm of late summer in Denmark: light lingering in the evenings, students flooding into cities, and apartment move-ins echoing up stairwells. Beneath the surface of this seasonal shuffle, there’s a quiet statistic: August is Denmark’s busiest month for moving, with more than 85,000 (in 2023) relocations in a single year. A significant portion of these are internationals, individuals, families, and students, starting fresh chapters.

And with this wave comes a familiar sensation for many: isolation.

It’s that disorienting mix of curiosity and confusion - when you’re not quite sure how to say what you need at the pharmacy, or the buses seem to go the opposite direction of where you think you should be heading. The signs look familiar yet indecipherable. You miss small things, like your coffee order being said back to you in a voice that sounds like home.

“I’m in Paris. I’m supposed to be having the time of my life.” - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City.

In the final episode of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw moves to Paris for love. The city sparkles - at first. But soon the cracks appear: the language barrier, the cultural mismatch, the loneliness of walking beautiful streets without anyone to share them with. She loses her iconic “Carrie” necklace - a symbolic unravelling of identity. She questions whether she fits, or whether she’s simply pretending.

It’s a story many internationals know well.

But here’s the nuance: even though Carrie ultimately returns to New York, it’s not failure. It’s a choice. For others, it takes time, but they stay, adjust, and build something new.

“I had come to Paris to find love. But I found myself.” - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City.

Moving abroad is both an adventure and an unravelling. You might feel like you're flailing through August, second-guessing every interaction, wondering if you’re “doing Denmark right.” But then, you find a favourite bakery. You learn your CPR number by heart. You start understanding the signs on the train. Slowly, Denmark softens.

And while you’re navigating all this, we want you to know: you’re not doing it alone.

This is why we’ll be at International Citizen Days on 19–20 September - a celebration and support hub for newcomers to Denmark. From cultural introductions to bureaucratic help to pure hygge (yep, you're going to hear that word a lot), you’ll find it all under one roof. Our team will be there to meet and greet, so if you're attending, please come say hi. We’d love to hear about your journey so far, whether you're two weeks in, two years, or if you've been here forever.

Moving to Denmark might feel like stepping into your own Carrie-in-Paris episode. But remember: just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s wrong. With time, community, and a little persistence, you might find that what feels foreign today will feel like home tomorrow. Love

Lyndsay Jensen

Editor-in-Chief & Founder