Attempting to get back into posting, this is something I wrote back in Spring of 2008 when I went to Denmark.
When I graduated from kindergarten, I walked through the doorway of my house with cap in hand and received the best present- the newly released Disney version of the Little Mermaid. I loved her because of her red hair (similar to mine), her spirit of adventure, her longing for something more. As I look back, I realize that is the only thing I remember from my first graduation. I don’t remember the ceremony, my parents’ faces, or my classmates; I only remember receiving a fairy tale.
Now, over fifteen years later, I find myself walking at a brisk pace through Copenhagen, the bright capital of Denmark. I am a woman on a peculiar mission- I am attempting to find the Little Mermaid. Denmark appealed to me at once- built on the sea with a number of canals, full of stately history, hearty food, and reserved but friendly people. Yet through the muddle of brightly colored houses, vendors selling Tuborg beer on the street, and the smell of fresh waffles wafting in the air, I choose to chase a fairy tale. All the guide books say that the famous statue of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen doesn’t live up to expectations. That did not stop me from looking for myself.
After living in Europe for a year, I have come to despise buses and I have started to delight in walking wherever I want to go. On my way to the brink of the city, I thought about how I have never stopped loving the Little Mermaid. Maybe because she is the first fairy-tale I embraced, or maybe because I relate to her. Perhaps because of the magic inherent in these spun tales, the Mermaid always seemed the same age as myself. Her love of singing, her restlessness, and her undying desire for something more than the ordinary mirrors my own path in life.
Iwalked through a seventeenth century fort and came to a top of a hill, I could see people walking towards the wharfs- the crowds seemed to indicate that I was near my destination. The walk had been strenuous, but well worth it. I could not believe I had come so far, not only today, but all the way to Denmark. When I was younger I would not have believed there would be a day where I was living in Italy and traveling by myself through foreign cultures. When others looked at my life they saw many accomplishments. Yet I knew that like Hans Christensen Andersen’s mermaid who danced so gracefully but every step felt like knives, that adventures are challenges. I strolled towards this monument of child’s fancy confidently and with the knowledge of the many struggles and hurdles that it took me to get to this point.
The wistful mermaid stared off into the sea just as I knew she would. After all these years she still looked a bit sad, there was still longing in her heart. I sat there for an hour as tourists came and went, took their photographs and moved on with their trip. The craftsmanship of the statue was exquisite, but it was the girl’s story which spoke to me once more. I had crossed an ocean, learned many things, desired many more- I found a kinship in the eyes of this girl who wanted love and a human soul. It was then that I realized, in a land far away, that we never forget fairytales, they help us grow.
This is a really beautiful essay.
I just thought I should tell you that.
I love the little mermaid for the same reasons. It was just always so relatable.
I especially liked this part “After all these years she still looked a bit sad, there was still longing in her heart” because I think she is still sad. I think that maybe we will always want something, and that it is human nature not to settle, and to never be done.
Anyway, really, really awesome post. Very inspiring!
Thanks for reminding me of this post. Especially in the spring, I’d love to be back there in Copenhagen again!