Backpacking through Europe in 1994

Day 47 • October 23, 1994
Rødekro, Denmark, Day 3

This was a day of contrasts.

It started out warm and easy. Dorte and I walked over to her parents’ house in the morning. They had hosted my sister Tracy years earlier, so they already felt like they knew me. We spent time looking through old photo albums from Dorte’s year in Kearney, laughing at old pictures and catching up. It felt comfortable and familiar — like being around family.

But then I called home.

My credit card statements had started arriving back in Kearney, and Tracy had told my parents. I ended up having that conversation sitting in Dorte’s parents’ living room. My dad was furious. He wanted to know what the hell I was doing over here. When I hung up the phone, I felt small. No money, no job, no clear future. I spent the rest of the afternoon feeling miserable and quietly ashamed.

That night, I tried to shake it off by watching Total Recall and flipping through the channels. What I landed on next felt like something out of a time capsule.

**A Bicycle by the Water**
It leaned against the fence like it was at home there — simple, still, and perfectly at ease beside the wide peaceful field.

My Photographs from today in Rødekro, Denmark

Feeding the Ducks

As we walked around Rødekro, we came across this family feeding a large flock of ducks in the town square. The birds were bold and well-fed, crowding around the man, woman, and young girl as they tossed bits of bread.

The Feeding Frenzy

From this angle, you could really see how competitive the ducks were. They pushed and crowded against each other, necks stretched and bodies jostling, all trying to get as close as possible to the people handing out bread.

Clock Tower in Rødekro

As we walked through town, these two beautiful old buildings caught my eye. The curved gable on the left and the stepped gable on the right were classic Danish architecture. In the background, the tall clock tower rose above the rooftops, with birds circling around it in the blue sky.

Not Pizza Hut

I had to smile when I saw this. The sign clearly tried to echo Pizza Hut’s famous look, but it was “Pizza Hot” instead — a very local version. The window was full of Danish text advertising “Kæmpe Pizza Stykker” (giant pizza slices) and other items like hot dogs and kebabs. It was a charming, slightly off-brand take on an American classic.

Riding to the Park

A child on a bicycle rode past the waving Danish flags on the way to the park by the water.

No Locks Here Either

I was amazed that nobody locked up their bikes here. This one was just leaning against the fence by the water, completely unattended. Back home in Kearney, I would have never left my bike like that — not even for a short time.

My LEGO House

After walking around town, Dorte took me to a place where you could play with LEGOs. I made this little house while we were there. It felt appropriate to be playing with LEGO in Denmark — the company was founded here in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen in Billund. The name “LEGO” comes from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means “play well.”

DAY 47 / 10-23-94
Rødekro, Denmark, Day 3

We got up early, ate breakfast and left by 8:30. Anker had a soccer match to play in and after we got to the field Dorte & I walked to her parent’s house. They were very excited to meet me after seeing pictures of me and having Tracy stay with them four years ago.

Dorte and I walked around the town, came back and looked at pictures from her year in Nebraska. It is so weird to see pictures of my town & school & people I know from four to five years ago.

We ate a really good lunch, and then Dorte’s parents invited me to call my parents. But Mom & Dad were mad at me for my credit card bills, and we argued for most of the conversation, so it wasn’t as good as I wish I would’ve been.

Anyway, after that, Dorte & I went over and got Anker’s parents, and came back to Rødekro for coffee & danishes & gingerbread.

Shortly thereafter I took a nap. After dinner, we watched “Total Recall” in English. Anker & Dorte went to bed & I channel surfed. I found Beavis and Butthead on MTV, then more infomercials! The Super Step and No-Wet Wonder Foam. I can’t believe people buy this shit! I guess there are suckers all over the world.

**Total Recall (1990)**
After dinner we watched *Total Recall* in English. It was the perfect kind of over-the-top 90s action movie to get lost in for a couple of hours.
Here’s the original trailer:

**Beavis and Butt-Head**
*Beavis and Butt-Head* was an animated television series created by Mike Judge that originally aired on MTV from 1993 to 1997. The show followed two dim-witted teenage boys who spent their time watching music videos, making crude jokes, and getting into trouble. It became one of the most controversial and culturally significant animated shows of the 1990s.
Watch an episode of Beavis and Butthead on YouTube here:

**The Super Step Infomercial**
Later that night I started flipping through the channels and landed on this late-night infomercial for something called the Super Step, hosted by Bruce Jenner. Watching it now feels like stepping into a time machine.
Here’s the full infomercial:

Looking Back from 2026

This day started out warm and easy. Walking around Rødekro with Dorte, visiting her parents, looking through old photo albums — it felt comfortable and familiar.

Then I called home.

My credit card statements, which I had forwarded to Tracy, had started arriving and she had told my parents. I ended up having that conversation sitting in Dorte’s parents’ living room. My dad was furious. He wanted to know what the hell I was doing over here, spending money I didn’t have, with no real plan. When I hung up the phone, I felt small. No money, no job, no future. I spent the rest of the afternoon feeling miserable and quietly ashamed.

That night, after watching Total Recall, I started flipping through the channels and landed on a late-night infomercial for something called the Super Step. It was hosted by Bruce Jenner — the Olympic athlete, looking strong and confident, with posters of himself on the wall behind him.

Sitting there in Denmark, already feeling like a failure, watching this famous athlete sell exercise equipment on TV… it was surreal. Looking back now, in 2026, that moment feels like stepping into a time machine. I was seeing Bruce Jenner exactly as I remembered him — long before he would become Caitlyn Jenner.

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