Memories of Megan pt. 2: Life in Odense
Having learned about Megan’s adventures as a player in the first part of this series, we now switch focus to her experience of life in Odense as well as her many activities and new acquaintances outside of soccer. Remember to also check the gallery on the right (computer) or below (phone) where you'll find pictures of some of the activities mentioned in this interview.
Arriving and settling in
On March 27th Megan was picked up at the airport by Odense Q chairman Rene Hansen. Rene had played an important part in planning Megan’s stay while also housing her in the very beginning. A gesture which certainly left an impression on the 24-year-old.
- The first week I stayed with René and Jette. They were extremely welcoming and helpful in my transition to Denmark providing a safe place where I could get used to a new environment. We shared meals, went on sightseeing adventures and they helped me out a lot during my time here. I cannot express how thankful I am for everything they did for me, says Megan.
Having made it through an eventful first week she went to stay with board member Bettina Ring and her family in the southern part of Odense. Aside from providing her with a place to live, they also – amongst other things – helped Megan navigate her way around town while also building up her Danish vocabulary at the dinner table.
- The family, Bettina, Martin, Ida and their dog Lilo, were all so welcoming. They helped me figure out my way around town and showed me all of the fun things to do and how to get there. I enjoyed lots of adventures with them such as going fishing with Martin and Ida and visiting their beach house. They also taught me lots of Danish words over dinner. And even though my pronunciation caused a few laughs every now and then they were a joy to be around. A wonderful family away from home, Megan smilingly says.
Making friends
Halfway through her stay, Megan got the chance to move closer to the centre of Odense when Mette and Christian – a Danish couple living in Skibhuskvarteret – generously offered her accommodation for the rest of the stay. A thankful Megan jumped on the chance to add to her experience and moved in with the couple, creating a strong friendship along the way.
- They're two of the best people I've ever met, welcoming me into their home without knowing anything about me or asking for anything in return. I had a wonderful room to stay in, a place to feel at home and be independent while also having great company. Mette and Christian are a bit older than me and very similar to my sister and her husband. They provided me with a great view of how young people in Denmark live and I'm so thankful for my time with them and what they provided for me. We have created a forever friendship, Megan respons when we asked her to describe the welcoming couple.
As a testament to that friendship, Mette and Christian went to visit Megan in Florida earlier this month.
Life in Odense - what stands out?
Megan adopted a couple of Danish traditions during her stay. Having borrowed a mountain bike from the chairman’s son, she quickly picked up biking. And not even lousy weather conditions seemed to bother the 24-year-old Floridian.
- Two of my favorite things about living here have been experiencing the ‘hygge’ and riding the bike everywhere. Where I live in Florida, towns are very spread out and it's not easy to get around on a bike there. I really enjoyed to just go out for a ride in the sun – or even in the rain if it’s not too bad. It has been a nice slowdown compared to the hustle and bustle of American culture.
Being somewhat an outdoor type of person, Megan explored a lot of the public spaces in and around Odense. And especially the public parks and playgrounds - as well as the The Odense Harbour Bath – caught her attention.
- In the US we don’t have that that many green spaces and the same goes for the different types of playgrounds you see here in Denmark. They’re a lot better and much more inventive than the ones we have back home. I was born in Australia where the parks and playgrounds are very similar to the ones you have here so it kinda made me think back on some of my childhood memories. I also enjoyed going to the harbor bath. I went there several times to hang out with Dagbjört, Lærke and Cecilie. It’s a really nice place that I can certainly recommend.
Aside from bike riding and ‘hygge’, Megan experienced all sorts of stuff outside of soccer, ranging from family dinners to car drifting.
- There are so many experiences that I have enjoyed immensely. Just to name a few off the top of my head: road trip with teammates Laerke and Cecilie, sightseeing with René, fishing trip with Martin and Ida, riding with a professional car drifter as well as all the trips and family dinners with my host families. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, she responds when asked about her favorite experiences on her journey.
- An incredibly sweet girl
Being the positive and open-minded individual that she is, Megan enjoyed good relations with pretty much everyone at Odense Q. And first team left back Cecilie Skov, also mentioned in a couple of Megan’s quotes above, had some kind words for her former teammate and present friend.
- Megan is an incredibly sweet girl. She was always very eager to not only learn new things but also teach us stuff, especially when we did the physical training. We found out she was very much into exploring the nature here so Lærke and I took her on a road trip to show her some of the cool stuff outside of Odense. It was so much fun and the three of us really fit well together. She’s a highly-skilled player and was very unfortunate to pick up an injury in the beginning of her stay. However, she left some great impressions at the club – both as a friend and as a teammate. It’s been really exciting getting to know her and I’m happy to say we’ve stayed in contact since she left, Cecilie told us approximately two months after Megans’s departure.
Throughout her stay the 24-year-old American left the coaching staff impressed with her attitude and hunger for soccer. Head coach Ronnie Reifling gives us his view on Megan’s efforts at Odense Q.
- She took great responsibility both on and off the field. For us coaches it has been exciting to deal with such a dedicated and hard-working individual. Having Megan over certainly makes us even more enthusiastic about the idea of having foreign talent joining in the future.
Odense Q chairman Rene Hansen - who was involved in Megan’s Danish adventure from day 1 – was also full of praise for Megan and her contribution during her stay.
- It has been a big experience for me, for the club and for the team to have such a dedicated player visiting us. Megan brought lots of insight from her soccer experiences and it has been very interesting to learn more about the American way of doing things. I’m sad she didn’t get to play more due to her injury but she still managed to prove herself as a player and as a very dedicated member of the squad. The experience we have had with Megan encourages us to have more players coming over in the future. I also want to send a special thanks to Mette and Christian who offered Megan a nice place to stay, very close to the club, and I’m happy to hear they went to visit her in Florida, says Odense Q chairman Rene Hansen.
Thanking the hosts
Despite only being here for 3 months Megan made quite a few acquaintances during her stay. And to conclude the interview she wanted to spell out her gratitude in a ‘thank you'-letter to all the people who contributed to her experience.
- First off, I want to express my appreciation to all those who have welcomed me into their homes and their lives to make me feel comfortable, especially my host families. They have been one of the most amazing parts of this journey and I can only hope to one day be able to repay the generosity that they’ve shown me. My experience would not have been the same without them. I also want to thank all the players on both teams at Odense Q. They have all been very nice and inviting, especially Cecilie, Lærke and Dagbjört. I owe a lot to the support and friendship they have provided. I also want to thank the entire staff for helping me settle in, recover from my injury and for teaching me new methods and views on soccer. A special thanks goes out to René for being a great manager and friend during my time here, Megan wrote us upon her return to Florida.
This has been the second and last part of the series with Megan. We'll stay in contact to make sure our paths cross again in the years to come. But for now - on behalf of everyone at Odense Q - we wish Megan all the best for the future.