American student at AU: I thoroughly enjoy the fact that I'm not in America right now

Disclaimer: This text was translated using machine translation / AI and post-edited by Maria Nielsen Pedersen.

Ciel Floden is 26 years old, she was born (and is eligible to vote) in the swing state of Pennsylvania and has lived much of her adult life in Nashville, Tennessee. She is currently studying a master's degree programme in Intercultural Studies at Aarhus University and is doing an internship at the moment. Besides encountering Danish phenomena like rye bread, crowded bike lanes, and the general Scandi-lifestyle, Ciel Floden has experienced something for the first time in her life: casting her vote in a U.S. presidential election while living on the other side of the Atlantic.

The physical distance from the hectic American election campaign has been a relief for Ciel Floden. Now she's thousands of kilometres away from giant billboards and the feeling that you can't enter a café without the news endlessly playing on a TV behind the bar. Additionally, her stay in Denmark has meant that she already voted by mail weeks ago, and she feels there's nothing more she can do now.

"There is the distance, and to be completely honest, it's quite nice. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that I’m not in America right now being bombarded with a sandstorm of information and misinformation," says Ciel Floden.

"It's really nice to not be in the middle of it"

When asked if she's experiencing FOMO right now, Ciel replies without hesitation: "Oh, no."

 Back home, media coverage and discussions with friends and family can become too emotional and usually end in collective frustration, she explains. From Ciel's experience in previous presidential elections, the consequences of the election's outcome feel very immediate and serious. She is convinced that discussions about the election and politics with her spouse, whom she lives with in Aarhus, would have a completely different tone if they were back in America. In fact, the couple prefers not to talk about it at all. Her family back in America agrees.

"My mother-in-law called me the other day and said she’s really happy we’re not in America right now. And my parents think the same thing. I can't help but agree with them. It's really nice to not be in the middle of it."

Ciel Floden is not in the eye of the storm, and it shows in the discussions she has about the American election with her fellow students at AU. Most of them are not from America and, according to her, have a more analytical and academic perspective on the election campaign and American politics in general.

"It's a much more interesting discussion. I've gotten more into politics because I feel like I have the freedom to analyse it without the fear of somebody blowing up in my face," says Ciel Floden.

She acknowledges that discussions with her fellow students and the Danish media coverage seem slightly biased in favour of the Democrats.

However, Ciel Floden won't reveal who she voted for in the election.

Danes can only knock on the glass from outside

However, Ciel Floden believes that the distance and the Danish academic approach to the election have their limitations. It can be challenging to discuss with fellow students and colleagues for whom the presidential election doesn't have significant consequences.  

"You can study as much history and politics as you want, but to fully understand what the American voters are feeling in this moment you need to have something personal at stake," says Ciel, adding that some Danes in her daily life tend to imply they know more about American politics than she does.

"They might know more facts than I do. They might know more about the numbers or things you can read in a book, but I would never claim to know everything about Brexit," says Ciel Floden, who has sometimes felt the need to explain and defend the presidential candidates' ages and statements to her fellow students.

"They're just observing the election from outside the fishbowl and all they can do is knock on the glass," she says, adding:

"I don't represent my country, just like you don't represent your country in its totality."

To Ciel Floden, the Danes' distanced approach to the election can feel somewhat provocative. For Ciel and the rest of America, the election is a serious matter, not just exciting entertainment for others to follow.

I like how blunt people can be in Denmark. However, I do sometimes feel like people look at the election as entertainment.

Issues like gun control, LGBTQ+ rights, and abortion rights are very close to her heart. Policies and legislation in these areas can mean the difference between life and death for some people.

"I like how blunt people can be in Denmark. However, I do sometimes feel like people look at the election as entertainment," says Ciel Floden. "It can sting a little when people forget how life-changing these elections are for Americans," she adds.

"It’s either a huge relief – or my world shatters"

Ciel Floden has been able to set aside thoughts and feelings about the election since she voted by mail weeks ago. However, she's confident that emotions will run high on election night. The outcome will also determine whether she works from home in the days following the election, as she doesn't believe her fellow students will fully understand how she feels.

"For me, it will either be a huge relief, and my body will physically relax, or my world will shatter. I don't necessarily know if I want to be around people who don't fully understand those emotions," says Ciel Floden. 

What (or who) might cause Ciel Floden's world to shatter, she won't reveal. She asks the Danes for understanding and patience.

"Have grace with us. It's easy to make fun of us or to look at us and the election as entertainment or as a joke. It's a very difficult time."