3 Months...

I think it'd be safe to say at this point that I'm bad at doing routine things.... Like writing a blog regularly. But who can blame me? I've been having the time of a century. I've been dancing ballet, and next week I'll be performing with the other girls in my "street dance" class. I've been visiting Helsinki, meeting exchange students, meeting Finns, and learning every step of the way. Learning that if I say "saata" instead of "sataa" people will think I'm trying to say "satan" instead of "it's raining". I've learned that there's an essential difference between the words "tuhma" and "tyhma", and that the Finnish language will always have new surprises for me. I've discovered that I have another family; they have just been living on the other side of the Atlantic so I didn't know. I've realized that no matter how far I am from my family back home, I still have my memories to carry me through my rough times. That even if I miss them terribly, in a couple of months I'll see them, and I'll be missing my life here...
(Me and my host family in Helsinki)

I understand more every day; I think my classmates get a hit off of me trying to define the word contaminated in Finnish during our English 8 class. Despite the fact that I'm terribly busy, I always have time to play with my little sisters, bake pumpkin cookies just to remind myself that it's fall even though it's snowing, and laugh when my host dad uses the spoon I was going to eat soup with to scratch his back- it's ok, it happens to everyone.
(Here it is- in the digital flesh. A winter wonderland in October.)

Last night, I attended the "Lukiobileet" in Varkaus, a small town near us (though admittedly, twice as big as Leppävirta). It was a party organized by a lukio, or high school, in Varkaus, for four surrounding lukios. The theme was red carpet, or punainen matto. It was almost nothing like Homecoming or prom; sure, the girls were all dressed up, but I saw a one girl wearing jeans! Oh, and not to mention the fact that the party didn't end till 2AM. What kind of school event is that?
(Here are some pictures of the event...)


That's all I got for now... But hopefully I'll remember to write again soon!