Introducing the Land of Legends: My new job

After years of working in factories and supermarkets while attending school and travelling the world, I felt like it was finally time to find myself a new and exciting job this year. When I saw that The Land of Legends, an open air museum in Lejre, were looking for archaeology students for a part time job, I didn’t hesitate to send an application. Thankfully, I – along with seven others – was chosen, and on April 18th, my new job began.

This job in the Land of Legends is a true dream job for me. The place is located four kilometres from the village of Lejre, 45 kilometres from Copenhagen, in the middle of absolute nowhere. In complete solitude, surrounded by nature and wildlife, lies the most exciting open air museum that I’ve ever been to. And that’s where I work! I honestly can’t even believe that I get paid to spend my time there.

My job consists of shooting with a bow and arrow, feeding wild boars, grinding flour the old fashioned way, sailing dugout boats and dressing as an Iron Age, Stone Age or Viking Age woman, while teaching school children and other visitors how to cook the prehistoric way, while telling them about life in the prehistoric times and acting like I live in that period myself. It’s a lot of fun and I love seeing the visitors enjoy themselves.

Among Iron Age houses, Stone Age huts, Viking Age tents and cottages from the 19th century, people dressed in contemporary clothing and animals of all kinds wander around the place. We have boars, sheep, aurochs, ducks, pheasants, swans and even cats. Coming out to Lejre is a breath of fresh air from the big city life in Copenhagen. It’s the first place I’ve worked where I actually feel like spending my free time too.

I LOVE working at The Land of Legends. It’s the best thing that has happened to me in a long time, and for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like I need to escape Denmark constantly. I actually WANT to spend the summer in Denmark, I feel inspired to see everything that my country has to offer and this summer, I’ll finally get the chance to do that, thanks to my new job and my new-found love for Denmarks beautiful countryside.

But of course, I still dream of travelling to faraway places. Studying archaeology is still something that I enjoy and wish to do, but I must admit that I miss travelling and spending time in nature. Working in Lejre means that I now spend most of my days in nature, and at the end of each month, I get my pay check, which goes straight to my travel savings account. Someday, I’ll be able to live exactly as I dream again, which is on the road with a heavy backpack, but right now, I’m very content travelling to Lejre all the time to work in those surroundings.

Now let me take you for a walk through the beautiful cultural landscape of The Land of Legends with these photos that I took back in April, when I showed my family around the place.

These pictures were taken on a day when the place was closed. Imagine it on a day with hundreds of visitors and plenty of life.

What do you think – Isn’t it just beautiful? Come visit me there someday! Even if you aren’t able to, I’m sure you haven’t seen the last of it on this blog.