One of the joys of holding ClickerExpo 2017 in Denmark is that I get to go back! In 2015, my eldest daughter, Michal (easier for Danes to pronounce correctly than for Americans!) spent a semester of her college experience studying psychology in Copenhagen. I took a wonderful week off to visit her; she even asked me to be a guest writer for the blog she had been writing about her semester-abroad experience. I took her up on the offer and focused my guest blog on recording the delicious, confusing, humorous, and, ultimately, veryhuman observations I could make about the Danes—and what my daughter taught me in my too-short visit to Denmark.
There’s much to admire about the Danes and Denmark—and about Scandinavian culture more broadly. Perhaps that’s why, in planning ClickerExpo, I can’t help but notice how many of the Danish qualities that I admire have been interwoven into the experience of ClickerExpo Denmark. I think we have created an event where ClickerExpo is not only for Danes, but an event where Danes and all Scandinavians will feel at home.
Great hygge
With the potential depression that the cold, dark winter can bring, Danes know that spirits are lifted by breaking isolation and creating an atmosphere of warm fellowship. I loved the vibe I found in Copenhagen during my fall visit. My trip occurred in late October when days and daylight were rapidly shortening and increasingly rare. However, it proved to be a wonderful time to experience the cultural concept of hygge.Hygge (if you are trying to pronounce it, try hue-geh) has no direct translation in US English but the closest we come is to describe it as a warm and cozy atmosphere, deeply felt, shared, and connected. It’s the feeling you get sitting by the fireplace with friends drinking warm mulled cocoa with Baileys, sharing your dreams, fears. and values, after snowshoeing together at twilight under the stars. But, in Denmark, hygge is the single most important yardstick for measuring the atmosphere of any venue. “Let’s go to this coffeeshop this evening,” my daughter said. “I want you to meet my friends, and this place has great Hygge. (The “coffeeshop” serves fantastic alcoholic hot drinks and beer, but that’s a different Danish story.)
It turns out that all of the Scandinavian countries have the same (or a similar) concept of hygge.So does ClickerExpo, as evidenced by faculty members attending one another’s presentations, experienced attendees helping newcomers get the most of their experiences,and the simple but powerful act of observing and emulating the kindness people extend to dogs and their handlers. ClickerExpo is a place where attendees and their dogs feel welcome and cozy, even in a crowd. We look to create hygge all day long, from the classroom to the hotel bar at days end, with attendees and the ClickerExpo faculty talking training and behavior until late in the evening. Just don’t expect rødvin (red wine) in the classrooms!
So Danes, at home or in heart, join us at ClickerExpo Denmark. Skål!
