Freelance Danish actress Mette loves enjoying what her homeland has to offer – so we asked her to list her five favourite places in Denmark to spend her time.
1. My Hometown in South Denmark
I am from the south end of Denmark, I have spent loads of my upbringing here. Being an actress and trying to make it in the industry, it can be difficult and extremely hard trying to find peace of mind, especially living in a city like Copenhagen, with lots of people around you all the time.
That is why I love going back home, where I have my childhood friends and that, mixed with horses, that I am lucky enough to ride, it all combines to be one of my absolute favourite places.
Besides my childhood home, I love to visit the forest where I used to ride my pony and later my previous horse. It is an absolutely stunning place, and it brings back all the memories I have from my childhood and young adulthood. Now I go there for walks with friends and family and this place has become a symbol of the warmth and compassion that I have for them.
2. Bastard Café in Copenhagen
I have been there so many times and I just fell in love with the vibe the first time I visited. I usually go there with my friends, both locals, but also friends from back home and foreign friends.
When I visit, I usually order a beer or coffee and pick out some of my favourite games to play. A big plus is that there is always gamemasters available in case you disagree on the rules and there is more than 3,800 games to play.
I would also love to add, how much I love Copenhagen for just being what it is. It is full of amazingly skilled and creative people and the fact that you can ride your bike to almost everywhere in the city in less than 30 minutes is truly incredible.
Copenhagen offers all you could want; beaches near by, restaurants, parks or amazing places to go vintage shopping and going out with friends. (picture from Copenhagen tales) www.bastardcafe.dk/
3. Jutland
The beach and the area at my summerhouse. It’s an incredibly peaceful place where I can completely ease my mind and just relax. This is where I really enjoy reading, cooking and enjoying long walks at the beach with my parents. Hopefully this summer I’ll learn how to swim!
Close by you can also experience the nature phenomenon “sort sol//black sun” which can be experienced in marshlands in Jutland. The term covers the movements of a large number of starlings formations, and it looks like a ballet or a special kind of dance and the phenomenon can always be experienced around the hours of sunsets. I really recommend you to experience this!
4. Food Markets
This is not just one place in particular, but I really love to visit the food markets in and around Copenhagen and Århus. It is so interesting to try out new kinds of food from all other world and often, when I go there with friends, we share the plates and try out each others dishes, like an international tapas.
Lots of them offers yummy food and the places have a great vibe – especially during the summer which is always when I visit.
5. Skagen
My fifth favourite place in Denmark is Skagen – just not during week 29, if you’re a Dane, you know why! I do really love Skagen, which is a small holiday city and I often go there for 2-3 days during the summer holiday.
The small city offers a breathtakingly landscape, delicious places to eat at the harbour and a variety of artists and small locally owned shops, which carries all from making your own sweets, going to the museum, and flying with huge kites on the beach.
Skagen is also the northernmost point of Denmark and it is where the North Sea meets the Baltic, which is super beautiful.
About our guest poster Mette
Mette tells us a bit more about her personal struggles finding her path in acting after already completing her studies in a completely different subject.
Pursuing my acting dream
“When I was growing up, I never thought I would end up trying this hard to become an actress. I never thought much about the industry nor the job itself and I liked educating myself academically, which is why I studied a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics, part-time in Denmark and part-time in London.
It’s truly by coincidence that I find myself where I am today and I am super grateful for the journey and my way into the industry as well. It kept me grounded and allowed me to always be grateful for each and every job that I land.
I only began my journey three years ago, which is kind of late, since lots of my colleagues have known their entire life, that acting is what they wanted to do.
It’s truly by coincidence that I find myself where I am today and I am super grateful for the journey
They have been training and working towards their goals since they were very young and that is especially one of the things that stresses me out completely. I often feel like I am somehow behind the ones my age and trying to be in front of the ones that are only a few years younger than myself.”
The challenges of a ruthless industry and rejection
“I often find it motivating and it inspires me to work even harder, but on some days it can also be incredibly demotivating and it’s no secret that the industry itself is ruthless and only the strongest and most talented make it.
With pursuing this kind of career, rejection is a huge part of it. Often it’s a question about dusting yourself off and not letting it get to you, but on difficult days it can make you start questioning everything you’re working so hard for and even your life choices and it can even bring you to ask yourself if its even worth it and if you have what it takes.”
With pursuing this kind of career, rejection is a huge part of it. Often it’s a question about dusting yourself off and not letting it get to you, but on difficult days it can make you start questioning everything
“So why even do it? You may ask. Because anything else doesn’t make sense. Acting allows freedom to explore every corner of yourself and it gives an opportunity to discover the parts you didn’t even know you had.”
Why I love acting
“Finding yourself working on a new character and being happy in what you’re doing must be the largest gift you could ever give yourself. I have always believed in hard work over being lucky and making the right kind of contacts, but with a short time in the industry I have come to learn that making contacts isn’t what I expected.
I am incredibly grateful for that experience since it brought me to meet a lot of amazing and talented colleagues who are just as passionate for whatever project we’re working on as myself. I have already been allowed to work on some amazing projects and I have met some really inspiring people behind them and that’s what keeps me going.
This December I have landed a lead role in a new Christmas theatre performance and for someone like me, that’s still relatively new to theatre, since I have been acting mostly on films, it’s a great opportunity and I cannot wait to learn and explore even more than I know now.”
Guest post by Mette Lojborg-Hansen