The sweet smell of pastries mingled with cigarette smoke as the hum of laughter filled the room.  All embraced one another and reminisced on their newfound memories, promising to keep in touch.

After a week of staying with host families, visiting Whitman, exploring D.C. and experiencing cultural differences, twenty Danish exchange students packed their bags and said their last goodbyes at their going-away party before boarding flights back to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Despite the students’ visit lasting only for a little over a week, the Whitman and Danish students formed deep bonds and said they plan on continuing into their relationships well into the future. Whitman and Danish students alike noticed variations in cultural attitudes towards alcohol consumption and smoking, which opened their eyes to new perspectives.

After experiencing such powerful cultural awareness, Whitman hosts such as junior Caity Howell plan on going on the Whitman trip to Denmark this coming November.

“It’s really cool how someone comes to your house and is a stranger and how you can get so close in a short amount of time,” Howell said.

While staying at host homes, the exchange students quickly noticed some major cultural differences between Danes and Americans.

Simone Belle, an 18-year-old Danish student, said that the smoking and drinking culture is very different in Denmark because Danes find these behaviors much more socially acceptable for teens.

Recently at Whitman, the zero-tolerance policy for alcohol resulted in the suspension and revoking of privileges of multiple students at bRAVE. This contrasts starkly with the standards of the Copenhagen school that the Danish students hailed from.

“The school sells us alcohol,” Danish student Cecilie Steenberg said. “Sometimes it’s a teacher, but mainly the students. We can buy alcohol at school parties, even though there are people there who are underage.”

In Denmark, 16-year-olds can legally buy alcohol with 16% or less in alcohol content, and 18-year-olds gain full purchasing rights.

Danish student Celina Vesterlund has even bought alcohol without being asked for identification while in Denmark.

“I never got rejected buying alcohol because I was underage,” Vesterlund said.

Another prominent difference between the U.S. and Denmark is the smoking culture.  Even during their own going-away party, some Danish students went outside to smoke cigarettes.

“It’s really normal in Denmark to smoke cigarettes,” Danish student Matilde Voss said.

Their hour-and-a-half classes even have a break built in halfway so students and teachers can go outside and smoke, Steenberg said.

The Danish students were astonished to find that smoking is less prevalent in American culture.

“The Danes learn that Americans for the most part find smoking disgusting and unhealthy,” social studies teacher and sponsor of the Danish exchange program Robert Mathis said.

Danish student Katrine Lyngsie attributes these different attitudes towards substance use to a greater sense of freedom felt by Danes, whereas Americans tend to be“sticklers” for the law.

Despite these differences, the Danish students seemed to get the most out of their unique opportunity to learn about and explore American culture.

“A big highlight is coming to experience living with an American family,” Vesterlund said. She also enjoyed the monuments and memorials in D.C., as well as seeing an American high school in real life as opposed to on television.

After their week of living “the American dream,” it was time for the Danish students to return to Denmark.  The Danes were able to set their differences aside and they enjoyed their trip so much that many said they hoped to return to the United States in the future.

“I like the U.S.,” Voss said. “I don’t want to go back home.”