My First Year Living Abroad - Moving to Denmark for Love: Finding Belonging, Safety, and Music in...

🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id... In this episode of My First Year, hosts Sophia and Shareen interview Washington native MacKenzie Kermoade, an international environmental governance professional and musician (Mack Marcel) living in Copenhagen.  MacKenzie traces her path from a nature-centered childhood near Seattle to studying environmental policy and global climate law, ultimately leading to her role as coordinating officer at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. She describes falling in love with Daniel, whom she met when he was a Danish exchange student at her high school. She also recounts the family reunification process that brought her to Denmark in March 2022, and how COVID-era job uncertainty and Brexit shaped their decision to move. MacKenzie shares first impressions of Denmark’s cleanliness, biking culture, safety, and social insularity, plus challenges learning Danish and adapting to norms like janteloven and collectivism. She found community through Copenhagen’s open-mic scene, forming the Mack Marcel project and completing a debut EP, while reflecting on homesickness, identity, and the importance of approaching life abroad with humility and curiosity. 🎵 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033E5eQ... 🌐Follow the series wherever you listen to podcasts and join our growing community at sophiamedia.co. ▶️    / @myfirstyearseries   (   / @myfirstyearseries  ) ❤️ Subscribe for more conversations about life's biggest transitions