Efteråret havde lagt tæppe af gyldne blade over København, og universitetskollegiets lounge var fyldt med en duft af friskbrygget kaffe.

Autumn had laid a blanket of golden leaves over København, and the college lounge was filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

Solens stråler spillede ind gennem de store vinduer og oplyste rummet, hvor studerende snakkede levende om alt fra studier til kommende ferier.

The sun's rays streamed through the large windows, illuminating the room where students chatted animatedly about everything from studies to upcoming vacations.

Lars sad lidt for sig selv i den ene ende af sofaen, med en bog liggende på skødet.

Lars sat a bit by himself at one end of the sofa, with a book resting on his lap.

Han var en forholdsvis stille dansk student, der elskede poesi.

He was a relatively quiet Danish student who loved poetry.

Han kiggede op, da Anton, en af hans venner og arrangør af studiegruppen, kom hen og satte sig.

He looked up when Anton, one of his friends and the organizer of the study group, came over and sat down.

"Det her bliver spændende," sagde Anton med et grin og kastede et blik rundt i rummet.

"This is going to be exciting," said Anton with a grin, glancing around the room.

"Jeg har inviteret Emilie fra din forelæsning."

"I’ve invited Emilie from your lecture."

Lars nikkede, men en snert af nervøsitet bredte sig i hans indre.

Lars nodded, but a hint of nervousness spread inside him.

Han havde set Emilie i klassen.

He had seen Emilie in class.

Hun var amerikansk udvekslingsstudent – altid nysgerrig og engageret.

She was an American exchange student—always curious and engaged.

Men hun havde en tydelig længsel i blikket, som viste, at hun savnede sit hjem.

But there was a clear longing in her gaze, showing that she missed her home.

Lidt senere ankom Emilie med et smil, der lyste op i rummet.

A little later, Emilie arrived with a smile that lit up the room.

Hun satte sig ved siden af Lars, og gruppeopgaven begyndte.

She sat next to Lars, and the group assignment began.

"Jeg elsker litteratur," sagde hun entusiastisk.

"I love literature," she said enthusiastically.

"Det minder mig om kunst; hver sætning er som en penselstrøg."

"It reminds me of art; every sentence is like a brushstroke."

Lars tøvede lidt, men besluttede at tale.

Lars hesitated a bit but decided to speak.

"Poesi er det sprog, hvor man kan sige meget med få ord," svarede han og mødte hendes blik.

"Poetry is the language where you can say a lot with few words," he replied, meeting her gaze.

Som ugen gik, fandt de to sig selv ofte sammen i diskussioner om både kunst og poesi.

As the week went on, the two found themselves frequently in discussions about both art and poetry.

Emilie fortalte om Thanksgiving, en højtid hun var vant til at fejre hjemme i USA.

Emilie talked about Thanksgiving, a holiday she was used to celebrating back home in the USA.

Lars lyttede, fascineret af traditionerne.

Lars listened, fascinated by the traditions.

En aften læste gruppen et digt, der handlede om længsel og hjemve.

One evening, the group read a poem about longing and homesickness.

Lars og Emilie udvekslede et blik, som om de begge forstod noget dybere.

Lars and Emilie exchanged a glance, as if they both understood something deeper.

Det skabte en umiddelbar forbindelse.

It created an immediate connection.

Som dagene blev kortere, begyndte Lars og Emilie at tilbringe mere tid sammen uden for studiet.

As the days grew shorter, Lars and Emilie began spending more time together outside of their studies.

De besluttede at fejre en lille Thanksgiving middag sammen med deres nye venner og senere tage til lokale kulturelle begivenheder i København.

They decided to celebrate a small Thanksgiving dinner with their new friends and later attend local cultural events in København.

Lars opdagede, at han kunne være åben og udtrykke sig mere frit.

Lars discovered that he could be open and express himself more freely.

Emilie begyndte at føle sig mere hjemme, hendes naturlige nysgerrighed voksede, og hun fandt en form for tilhørsforhold, hun ikke havde forventet.

Emilie began to feel more at home, her natural curiosity growing, and she found a sense of belonging she hadn't expected.

De to studerende tog hinanden i hånden, klar til at udforske både hinandens og deres egne kulturer, og deres forhold voksede sig stærkere for hvert skridt, de tog sammen.

The two students held hands, ready to explore both each other's and their own cultures, and their relationship grew stronger with each step they took together.

København, med dens farverige liv og varme, blev en ny slags hjem for dem begge.

København, with its colorful life and warmth, became a new kind of home for them both.