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How we optimized and personalized our tiny apartment

Before I moved to The States, I was renting my own apartment in a Danish city called Randers. I lived there for about 2 years at a monthly rate of $380 (2500 kr). I know: that’s approximately what you’d pay for parking in downtown LA. It was a tiny yet cozy space around 322 ft² (30 m²). Back then I had a hard time fitting all my things into just a kitchen, a bathroom and one main room (which doubled as ¼ bedroom, ¼ living room, ¼ dining room and ¼ dance studio).


Or at least I thought I had a hard time because all that seems pretty luxurious now that I’ve experienced life in LA.

To my and Devin’s luck, we did (and still do) pretty well as two people (both with an abnormal amount of clothing and knick knacks) squished into a smaller amount of square feet (during a pandemic, no less). It definitely helped that we had a very cute backyard and gym (that was only closed 7 out of the 8 months we were there). But was the $1500 (10.000 kr) in rent really worth it? Now you might be wondering, “Were they living in Beverly Hills with rent like that?” Nope, even better –we were located in the gorgeous area between Koreatown and Downtown Los Angeles; our view included humongous hills of trash (before the homeless set those on fire to stay warm, ofc) and included the lovely soundtrack of police choppers overhead.
I haven’t given a single thought to how we could be living in a spacious, two-bedroom modern townhouse in Denmark for that price. No, never, not one thought given…

  • Assembling bedframe
  • Moving to DT LA

Now time to “turn that frown upside down,” as Devin might say. I DID love our apartment in DT LA because it was ours. It was the first place we got to choose together and make homy and hyggelig (from the Danish word hygge, which I’ll need a whole post to explain).

For those curious about how we navigated a small space in a big city, I’m happy to share how we personalized and optimized. Also, I’m here to brag about my handywoman work (when it comes to assembling IKEA, I definitely wear the pants. Or shorts, it’s pretty hot here in Cali).

Don’t be afraid of mixing his and mine

While living with my significant other, I quickly discovered there’s not really a “his” and “mine”–and I love it. This means I get a closet double the size and Devin’s face is always moisturized: isn’t that great?!


Naturally, we’re not separating the closet, the shelves, the cupboards, etc. Not only do we optimize space, but also we learn to compromise. By combining my graduation hat (a very traditional thing in Denmark) with Dev’s Florida seashells, we learn to accept (and appreciate!) each other’s differences.


Figure out how to use the walls

Don’t underestimate YouTube! I’ve watched so many handyman videos during these 8 months in that studio. The main thing Devin and I learned: when hanging anything on the walls in an apartment complex, be sure you know what kind of walls you’re dealing with. We put up a few pictures and a little kitchen rack for spices and paper towels. All went smoothly and we felt unstoppable. The bliss was short-lived, though, when we went to hang some wooden shelves Devin made (with help from his big bro). The drillbit went directly through the wall and we were left with a hole the size of a pencil.
With anchors (suddenly) way too small, the only option I saw was covering it with a poster (preferably Justin Bieber or Zac Efron ofc), but compromise…  This wasn’t in my lovely husband’s plans, so we came up with an alternative.

Did you know that there’s an invention called “flip toggles” that can hold up to 106 pounds (48 kg) in drywall/hollow wall? I do now! Thank you Ultimate Handyman on YouTube!

Since our discovery of flip toggles, we hung 3 wooden crates and 3 of Devin’s shelves. Immediately the room felt bigger, the furniture more evenly-spaced. You could barely tell that the last shelf was tilted enough to be a ski slope for the cockroaches who occasionally came to visit. So yeah, open up YouTube and put on that Bob the Builder safety helmet!


Reuse jars and cans

If you, like we did, have a tiny kitchen (*I’m pretty sure ours was built for clueless cooks, the kind who have never seen a measuring cup), then I have a few useful tips. I’m not reinventing the wheel, or as we say in Danish “inventing the deep plate,” so if you’re already doing this, super! If not, stay right here. 

I’m a sucker for reusing jars and cans (especially when I know the recycling here isn’t always guaranteed in apartment complexes) and I love to put them to use after finishing whatever deliciousness was in them. On top of our cabinets we placed a bunch of cute glass jars filled with a variety of seeds and nuts, saving us the hassle and waste of plastic bags (not to mention essential cabinet space).
Old cans are perfect for repotting plants. The Don Francisco’s Coffee Dev drinks has a perfect-sized tub for basil and other herbs (basil is definitely the easiest one; cilantro, however, won’t stay alive for more than 2 weeks).


Make the best of it

So, sure, you might be living in a spot like our old place, one that earned just 1 out of 5 stars on Yelp. But this doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t make it feel cozy and personalized. A home is were the heart is, so we continued to take the negative in stride (cops walking in and out of the complex, police helicopters whirring at night, the all-too-often dumpster fires).
All until we found health threatening fungus-mushrooms growing in our shower, we ain’t bout dat… but that’s a whole other convo.


Maybe your default now is to see the negative: about your apartment, your neighborhood, your roomie. But my advice to you would be: create a place where you can go “offline” and be YOU. Maybe it’s Christmas lights in colors to hang over your “hygge-corner.” Or maybe it’s a stick of Palo Santo lit beside your yoga mat, filling your spot with zen. 


Kys og kram,
Victoria Liv

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5 things I do on days I miss Denmark “extra much”

When moving to another country/state/city there’s almost a guarantee that you’ll miss where you came from. If not, great! That doesn’t make you selfish or cold-hearted: it just means you’re able to feel present and trust your decision to move.


But maybe you’re like me: feeling a lump in my throat when thinking about my fluffy dogs at home, girls’ night with my squad or a hug from Dad. And if that’s the case, this post might help comfort you during moments of heartache and homesickness.

1. Facetime/skype/zoom you name it

I know, I know, everyone says that. BUT, this actually helps me a lot. 
Having just moved to the US, it was difficult to use FaceTime in a way that felt good or “enough.” I would think about FaceTiming friends and family, but then experience this weird feeling like I “had to” (similar to when your mom tells you to call Grandma, and you’re like “will do”…) I love my family and friends to the moon and back, but sometimes the idea of a FaceTime seemed exhausting.

Luckily, my amazing man Devin convinced me that I just had to do it, reminding me how thankful I’d be after. Now I almost have one FaceTime a day, and it’s like my “hygge”-meter gets filled up (hygge [pronounced: “hoo-GA”] is Danish for almost all the good things in the world, but let’s translate is as “cozy” for now, and I’ll elaborate later) gets filled up.

I wanna give you 3 pieces of advice tho, 1) If you’re both busy, make sure to set a date and a time, especially if there’s a time difference. Obvious? Maybe, but I have definitely woken my parents up a few times in the middle of the night, completely forgetting that people in Denmark aren’t always awake when I want them to be. 2) These phone calls don’t have to be hours long. Sometimes I get annoyed or impatient from being on a long call, and I’ll admit when I don’t feel like talking more. 3) Make sure you have a good connection. There’s no greater mood-killer than when half your conversation includes “I can’t hear you, you’re breaking up” or “Wait up, it says poor connection?”

2. Get something Danish in my system

What I like to do is to bawl along with a bunch of Danish music such as Kim Larsen, Tim Christensen, Mads Langer and Lukas Graham.

 I find myself overcome with pride of my Danish roots, and I tend to appreciate Danish artists so much more now. Other ideas of setting a Danish mood would be watching some Danish news, an episode of “Maddysten” (one of those cooking contests that makes you wanna be the next Gordon Ramsay), and cooking up a Danish dish (of course with some inspiration from “Maddysten”).
I have a feeling that Devin appreciates the cooking more than the screamed Danish lyrics, but at least he pretends to like the music. 

3. Pick up a hobby

Speaking of cooking: I’ve spent a ton of time at home because of a working permit I’ve yet to receive and a pandemic quarantine, so I started experimenting in the kitchen (actually a kitchenette without an oven, so I’ve been creative you guys). 

If you have a history of burning pans or maybe you’re just in love with the Veggie Grill down the street, that’s okay. There are countless hobbies or activities out there, and who knows: you might even be an excellent knitter, trumpet player, Candy Crusher or herb mama! You just won’t know unless you try. I’ve been trying to make “Tarteletter,” a Danish stew usually with hen and asparagus placed in a little pie form, and let me admit, I’m still working on it…

Bought vs. made from bottom… in my defense, I did not have a proper pie form.
I’ve actually become a pretty good cheff!

4. Send messages to the people I miss

The message doesn’t have to be an essay declaring your infinite love, but mine actually ends up like that a lot, now that I think about it…

My messages are usually reminders to the people who matter most: “I miss you! You have a special place in my heart!” This will for sure bring a smile to their face, and I’ll bet all the money I (don’t) have that they’ll send you a text or a heart back. 

Here’s an example of a message I sent to my family in our closed Facebook group (which is an amazing idea to have btw!):

So if that’s what you feel like, go for it. If that’s too much “butterflies and rainbows” for you, just ask them how they’re doing!

5. Be sad

To be honest, this helps me the most. When I’ve been down for days and everything seems to weigh on me, I cry it out and feel the lump in my throat disappear.

I’m lucky enough to live with a person who can hold me while I let all the emotions run free. That might not be the case with you, but I still recommend leaning on the people around you. Often when you open up to friends, they feel even more secure about opening up to you as well. 

It’s not embarrassing to feel sad, and it doesn’t have to mean that you’re not happy where you are. My mom said something before I left that has helped my mindset a lot, even if it seems so logically obvious; When I’m in Denmark I’ll be craving to be in LA, and there’ll be times while living in LA where I wanna be in Denmark. So simply said and it’s just the “Grass is always greener” thing, but that reminds me to be present wherever I am.

Maybe your mama has a nugget of expressions to help you too, if not, you can borrow mine for a tad. She’s pretty wise and she also speaks English.

Feel free to comment below or hit contact to tell me how you feel about being away from home!

Kys og kram,
Victoria Liv

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How do I survive long distance relationship?

“Wow, I couldn’t do that!” “Isn’t that tough?!”

In the year and two months that Devin and I kept a long distance relationship, I heard these phrases often. And to be honest, before meeting Devin I probably didn’t think I’d be able to do such a thing either. But I’ve discovered it’s not a question about “can I?” but instead “will I?” You will do that if you love a person enough and if you’re willing to do the extra work. 

Second, yes. It’s so freaking tough! And you’ll have to be very open minded and patient. But then imagine seeing each other after 3 months apart… indescribable.


I believe that if you two are really in love, you’ll find a way to be together. Consider the long distance an opportunity to learn about each other, combine two cultures, and grow. And if the relationship doesn’t evolve, at least you’re not wondering “what if?”

Photo by Madison Krump
IG:@madkrumphoto

Here are a few pieces of advice to help you figure out if your long-distance love is worth it and whether you’re ready to say F the distance. 

Trust: First you need to ask yourself, “do I trust this person?” If you do, then great, trust that goddamn person and make sure he/she trusts you in return. You know your loved one better than anyone, so don’t let anyone give you unnecessary doubt.

FaceTime: Can be the best thing in the world! But also really sucky!

What Devin and I did was text basically every day and call maybe three times a week.

Be aware, though, that this at times pulled me into a darker mood. Seeing the face of your love will hurt and you might feel like a FaceTime call isn’t enough, but that’s all you’ve got. Sometimes Dev and I would feel sad after (or in the middle of) a call, and we’d tell each other about it. Accept that you’re missing each other and the feelings that arise.

Send letters and packages: So maybe until now the only postcard you’ve sent was to your grandparents from camp. But don’t worry! It’s really as simple as writing a poem or sending some pictures (I sometimes added pebernødder, which is Devin’s favourite Danish Christmas cookie, flags that we use for birthdays or a USB pen with greetings from my friends and family). Sure it sounds old school and cheesy, but who cares? You know it’s gonna bring a smile to the lips you miss so badly. And (added bonus!) If you’re looking to later apply for a K1-fiancé Visa, letters are great proof to add to your application.

Plan the next visit: I think I’ll rank this as the most important advice of all. Schedule a date for travelling, so you both have something to look forward to. Devin and I tried to see each other every 3-4 months. With the help of a shared Google Doc, we planned what we’d do together and kept a countdown. If you are able to schedule visits more often, great. But remember that you wanna save up money to get the most out of the time spent together. Use those moments to create memories and experiences together while getting to know each other even more.
Dev and I planned a meet up in Montreal, Canada, in September 2019. Before our trip we already knew what days we would be visiting Devin’s Canadian family, which day to spend in the city of Old Montreal, and all the bomb vegan places in the area of our Airbnb.

Selfie at Mount Royal Lookout (Montreal)

In general love (especially love overseas) is a roller coaster. Personally I’m really happy that  I went for the ride, and the best part is to be strapped in next to the person I love.  But that’s not to say there aren’t crazy ups and downs along the way. It’s thrilling, nevertheless.


This might be the best ride of your life, or you’ll look like my mom does when she’s on a slide higher than 10 feet: terrified. But let’s hope for the first one cause that feeling is the best!

Kys og kram,
Victoria Liv