Now that I speak Danish, I end up using it in ways I hadn’t even thought of.
It is actually very useful in my work. My field is bioenergy perception, and now I can read Danish news about my project and field of research and understand it all. I can also understand all the answers that people give to my questionnaire directly, without needing someone to translate it. And I talk more to my colleagues in Danish.
It also changes the way I experience life in general here. When your first contact is in Danish, it changes your relationship with people. They are grateful that you speak Danish.
And I get to show my personality more. When I tell a joke in Danish and show my personality in that way, it is a super rewarding feeling.
On a deeper level, I feel like I will have something of Denmark with me forever. I might not live here forever, but if I leave Denmark, I will feel that I take some of the culture with me."