Gaderne i Savannah var fyldt med liv og farver.

The streets of Savannah were filled with life and colors.

Det var efterår, og bladene dansede i vinden.

It was autumn, and the leaves danced in the wind.

Freja, en dansk udvekslingsstudent, gik langs markedet med sine venner Lars og Mikkel.

Freja, a Danish exchange student, walked along the market with her friends Lars and Mikkel.

Hun kiggede på de mange boder fyldt med græskar, heksekoste og spøgelser.

She looked at the many stalls filled with pumpkins, witches' brooms, and ghosts.

Freja følte sig lidt ensom.

Freja felt a bit lonely.

Hun savnede Danmark.

She missed Danmark.

Hun savnede familie og venner.

She missed family and friends.

Men hun vidste, at hun også ville opleve noget nyt.

But she knew she also wanted to experience something new.

Lars, hendes lokale ven, var begejstret.

Lars, her local friend, was excited.

"Jeg elsker Halloween!"

"I love Halloween!"

sagde han med et grin.

he said with a grin.

"Du vil elske det, Freja!"

"You'll love it, Freja!"

Freja smilede lidt.

Freja smiled a little.

Lars' entusiasme var smittende.

Lars' enthusiasm was contagious.

Mikkel, hendes danske ven, så skeptisk ud.

Mikkel, her Danish friend, looked skeptical.

"Det er bare en amerikansk ting," sagde han.

"It's just an American thing," he said.

"Vi fejrer det ikke i Danmark."

"We don't celebrate it in Danmark."

Men Freja vil gerne prøve.

But Freja wanted to try.

Hun vil gerne føle sig som en del af det hele.

She wanted to feel like part of it all.

De gik fra bod til bod.

They went from stall to stall.

Lars forklarede betydningen af hver dekoration.

Lars explained the meaning of each decoration.

Freja lyttede opmærksomt.

Freja listened attentively.

Hun begyndte at finde det hele spændende.

She began to find it all exciting.

"Se!"

"Look!"

sagde Freja og pegede på en stor græskarmand.

said Freja, pointing at a large pumpkin man.

"Den ser sjov ud."

"He looks funny."

Lars nikkede.

Lars nodded.

"Det er en Jack-o'-lantern," forklarede han.

"That's a Jack-o'-lantern," he explained.

"Vi skærer sjove ansigter i dem."

"We carve funny faces into them."

Freja fik en idé.

Freja got an idea.

Hun vendte sig mod Mikkel.

She turned to Mikkel.

"Kom nu, vi skal prøve det," sagde hun.

"Come on, we have to try it," she said.

"Vi kan lave vores egne græskarmænd."

"We can make our own pumpkin men."

Mikkel sukkede, men lod sig overtale.

Mikkel sighed but was persuaded.

Sammen gik de til en bod fyldt med græskar.

Together they went to a stall filled with pumpkins.

De købte de største, de kunne finde.

They bought the largest they could find.

Deres hænder blev klæbrige, da de skrabede indmaden ud.

Their hands became sticky as they scooped out the insides.

Det var sjovt.

It was fun.

Da de stod der og skar i græskarrene, begyndte Freja at grine.

As they stood there carving the pumpkins, Freja began to laugh.

Mikkel kunne ikke lade være med at grine med, selvom han stadig virkede lidt skeptisk.

Mikkel couldn't help but laugh along, even though he still seemed a bit skeptical.

Aftenen blev til en dejlig fest.

The evening turned into a lovely celebration.

Markedet lyste op i mørket med lanterner og musik.

The market lit up in the dark with lanterns and music.

Freja kunne mærke, hvordan hendes hjemve forsvandt lidt mere for hver time, der gik.

Freja could feel how her homesickness faded a little more each hour that passed.

Hun følte sig glad og fri.

She felt happy and free.

Da natten faldt på, og de vendte hjem, var Freja fyldt med ny energi.

As night fell and they headed home, Freja was filled with new energy.

Hun følte, at hun havde fået nye venskaber og en varm forbindelse til Halloween.

She felt she had made new friendships and a warm connection to Halloween.

"Tak," sagde hun til Lars.

"Thank you," she said to Lars.

"Det her var præcis, hvad jeg havde brug for."

"This was exactly what I needed."

Lars vinkede det væk med et smil.

Lars waved it off with a smile.

"Du har også gjort min dag bedre," sagde han.

"You've also made my day better," he said.

Freja vidste nu, at hun kunne åbne sig for nye oplevelser uden at miste sig selv.

Freja now knew she could open herself to new experiences without losing herself.

Hun havde fundet en balance mellem sin danske arv og det nye amerikanske eventyr.

She had found a balance between her Danish heritage and the new American adventure.

Savn blev til samhørighed, og Freja gik hjem med et smil.

Longing turned to belonging, and Freja went home with a smile.