Post-Thanksgiving, Pre-Lapland

I've come to think of my exchange in terms of how I've changed. When I think of who I was when I started high school, I know for sure that I have grown up a lot and have developed the kind of person that I was in so many ways. I see my exchange in the same light; the person who got on that plane on August fourth is no longer with us- instead we have me! And I'm thankful for it. When I left I thought I knew who I was, but in fact it was that kind of thinking that was keeping my mind closed. Now, I realize that growing up never ends. Every day, I wake up, and I am the way I am because of the choices I made yesterday.
Needless to say, my short four months here have been nothing like what I thought they'd be. I thought I would make tons of friends on the first try, I thought I'd never miss home, and I would get through my exchange the same way I got through senior year (I'll let you interpret that as you will). Never did I think that making "aquaintences" would be the best I could do after four months- and that's hard. I never realized how lucky I was to know everyone I knew for as long as I had known them. But the tears make the laughs worth it, so I'll keep going.
As you know, if you are American, this last Thursday was Thanksgiving. Usually when I'm at home, Thanksgiving isn't really a big deal. Everyone comes over for dinner, and that's it. Being here, though, I realized how lucky I am to have my family, and how lucky they are to be together. I've never had a more thankful Thanksgiving, if only for knowing that I have spent every holiday with my family for my entire life, and once I get home, I can do it again. Small things like that really make me realize how important family is.
However, I was kept distracted by the fact that my younger host sister, Olivia, turned 6 on Friday. We had guests in and out of the house the entire weekend, and despite the fact that we spent all of Saturday cleaning, I think we're headed for a mid-week cleaning day anyway. But I think Olivia had a nice time, and I got a taste of what kid parties are like for big people, which made me reconsider having lots of children when I get married. I always thought having kids was easy, but now I realize how much there is to worry about. Even I worry about how my little host sisters are getting on at school and whether they're making friends and whether they're keeping up with other kids-- and they're not even my kids. I think it'd be fair to say at this point that I'm going to be a worried mother.
In addition to having Olivia's birthday in my mind for the last couple of weeks, I've been crowded by a million different events and tasks to do. Okay, maybe not a million, but it feels like that when it's all in Finnish. About a week ago, me and the girls in my street dance class had a performance to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Viri, a program that organizes community sports around Leppävirta (I think). Anyway, I thought it went pretty well, and even if it didn't, at least it made a good memory to look back on.
(Here's an action shot!)
 
The weekend before that, I was in Tampere to see the Nightwish concert, and this Friday, of course, I take off for Lapland with my fellow Rotary exchange students! It's going to be so fun, I'm sure. We are having dog sled rides, hikes, skiing, and I'm sure lots of sauna, coffee, and talking- something I'm sure at least the Americans are missing at this point. I'll be sure to make another post when I come back, and I'll share lots of pictures!
Once I'm back from Lapland, it'll be a straightshot for Christmas, or Joulu, which is the half mark of my exchange. I can't believe I'm almost half way through this year. It feels like I have an entire year ahead of me still, but I'm sure the next couple of months will fly by too. Unfortunately, accompanying my halfway mark is a change in host families. I'm terribly sad to say goodbye to this family; they have been with me through what I think will be the most crucial parts of my exchange, and they have been so supporting and loving that I think I could not have found a better match. But, I have to change, and I'm sure I'll feel the same way about my next host family when I leave them too!
Also, I forgot to talk about this in my earlier posts, when it actually happened, but I completed my first mittens (hanskat)! Here's proof:

Nightwish Concert

Despite initial doubts about whether I should have really spent that much money on a concert, I had a wonderful time when I spent this weekend at a friends house in Tampere. We took a bus to Helsinki to see Nightwish, then a bus back to Tampere at 1AM. Needless to say, we were exhausted, but it was so fun! My friend's host family was very nice, and we stayed up Friday night till 1 playing a game called Dixit.
Although I've never been a fan of metal, we decided to go to this concert. My mom told me it would a good experience to see a band I've never heard of before- anyway that's why I'm on exchange, right? To see things I've never seen before and experience things I can't experience at home. She was definitely right (why should I be surprised, mothers are always right...). Nightwish is a Finnish trademark- everyone knows who they are, and everyone is a fan. I almost feel bad for stealing those tickets from a true fan!
Anyway, here are a few pictures.

  (Me trying to be as metal as I can...)









I can't wait to visit my friend in Tampere again! Thankfully we will see each other again in 2 weeks when all the Rotary exchange students go to Lapland! :)

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!

Typical Exchange Student

Here we are- I am, one month into my exchange.  You know how to spot the exchange student: dictionary glued to the palm of the hand, wary looks across the cafeteria, hesitation before flushing the toilet ("Now, how exactly does this one work again?"). Of course, I've fulfilled every stereotype. And, as you might guess, exhaustion has taken over. Despite my ten hours of sleep last night (class didn't start till 10AM), I was still struggling to keep my eyes open during a history class of which I understood mostly just the names of countries and stutter words. Oh, and due to my insufficient education in history, I was made a bit of a fool. No, I did not know that the main difference between a monarchy and a republic was a president; there must be more to it than that, right?! But anyway, it has been a learning experience- not just my history class but the entire month I've spent here. So busy, in fact, that I have failed to write regularly on my blog! But maybe that's a good sign.  Not only is my family most accommodating, but they have been so kind to me and I feel like a daughter to them already. I'm dreading the change of family, but I am sure my next family will be just as wonderful, if only in different ways. 

Now, a bit about what I have done so far. My first week was spent in the Kurkku Language Camp (on the left) where I met dozens of other exchange students from the four corners of the world. I can't wait to see them again during the Lapland trip (early December), but I know that I shouldn't focus only on the tours, but on every day life as well! We were at the camp for 5 days, and the sixth day we met our host families and went home with them. That was so nerve racking! I was so nervous about making a good impression that I didn't want to ask to stop to go to the bathroom on the four hour drive home and I didn't tell them that I felt very carsick after trying my first piece of salmiaki... Well, you live and you learn! Next time: don't eat salmiaki in the car. Or maybe just in general... I don't even like normal licorice! But, when we arrived in Leppävirta, we stopped at the grandparents' house, where Olivia and Loviisa, my two youngest sisters were spending the day, and was greeted very warmly. After having said "Terve!" (Hello!) to Olivia, the first thing she did was drag me by the hand to her toys, and immediately start naming each of them, while I in turn repeated the name of the toy. Quite a good teacher! Here's a picture of a lake near my house:

On Monday, I started school, and a girl named Hanne, one of Amanda's friends (Amanda is my host sister currently doing a year exchange in New York while I am here), gave me a tour of the school and took me to her classes. When I got my schedule, I went to my own classes, but since the school is so small (a hundred students, I believe) I still had class with Hanne and the other students she had introduced me to. And even though the Lukio (high school) is only one fifth the size of my high school in the States, I still got lost... Till I realized all my classes were in the same room. 

As for the social aspect, that has been the most difficult. The Finns are shy- I was warned of that, but what I found was a deeply engrained sense of respect for one another's space- space including not only physical room but noise and eye contact as well. It's a world away from the theatrical company that I kept at home, where everyone hugs and shouts and jokes and mocks. The biggest lesson I have learned is that people are not the same everywhere. Based on the principle that there are nice people and bad people, religious people and atheists, and criminals as well as volunteer workers everywhere in the world I had assumed that I would easily find my kind here, and surely there would be a handful of people who would approach me in the hallways, asking me obscure questions about my home, and maybe even inviting me to coffee or a party. It was quite the opposite. I found it hard to approach people for fear of disrupting their "personal space". I've found in some ways I am very Finnish; I feel like I can't talk to someone without a reason to talk to them, I have little desire for petty small talk, and I have zero to little desire to hug someone when I first meet them. Good luck to the Finns coming to America. You'll never go back... 

As for family life, I get along splendidly with all of my family members and enjoy dinner and coffee with them. I have to say, the highlight of my day is sitting next to Loviisa and making faces across the dinner table. When she tries to look angry at me, but can't keep a straight face, the sense of joy and love that I feel fills me to the brim, and in that moment I know exactly why I want to be a mother. That may seem an exaggeration, but I do feel a love for this family that is unique; different from the love I bear for my own family, but love all the same. On the weekends, they take me various places. For example, one weekend we went camping in Punkaharju, where I met my first reindeer (picture below!),  with a stop in Sovnlina on the way. Another time, we went boating at my grandparents summer cottage, where there is an original smoke sauna (and countless mosquitoes). Just last weekend, we went shopping in Kuopio. They have been more than generous, letting me cook my favorite deserts, buying me cereal, and grandma even made apple jelly for me since she knows how often I eat toast with butter and jelly! Today, me and Emmi are making cupcakes, too!

The Final Countdown

Here I am, less than twenty four hours from departure time. I've had a hell of a time sleeping this week; last night I didn't fall asleep till 5:30AM. that's quite a record for someone who sometimes goes to bed at 8 on school nights. I'm not ashamed- I need my beauty sleep! I could really use it tonight though. My trip will last a total of 30 hours from the time I leave my house to the time I'm (supposed to) land in Heksinki. I could use a good 8 hours of sleep. I'm nervous to leave I suppose (why else would it take me 6 hours to fall asleep?), but I feel confident about my choice to go abroad, and I am comforted by the fact that one of my best friends, Viktor, a former exchange student from Denmark who attended my school this year, made it in one piece as well as the hundreds of Rotary students everywhere. Besides, I've been determined to do this since the ninth grade so now if I bail out, I'll be disappointing my past self, and probably my hypothetical future self. So, onward! And despite the giant knot in my stomach, I'm sure I'll make friends and learn Finnish and make a fool of myself enough times to ensure small talk for at least several months. 
My goodbye party (of sorts) is tonight.  I only invited 6 friends, but my mom invited family friends, like my sister's boyfriend's family, the neighbors whom I have known since I was a child, my cousin and her family who is in town for her wedding. I'll be glad to have this final goodbye, and I'm sure I'll be crying, so I'll have to go easy on the eye liner today. I only wish Viktor could attend, and perhaps a few friends I met in Germany this summer. 
Next time I write I'll be in Finland, so goodbye America! (I've been waiting quite a while to say that.)

Almost Departure Time...

Two weeks! That's all that remains before my departure- not that I know the exact date yet... I don't even have my plane tickets yet, but I know I'm supposed to be in Finland by August 5th. That's when the orientation week starts. I'm really looking forward to my trip, but I don't think it's set in yet. I've known since I was in the ninth grade that I wanted to do an exchange year, and I've known since October that I'd do it, and I've known since January that I'm going to Finland, but I won't know till next summer how much this trip will truly affect me. Already, I've learned a lot just by meeting inbound exchange students from all over the world. At Otterbein, the big conference for Ohio-Erie, I think we all started to notice how different our lives will be from others. And for once, when I told someone I was spending a year in Finland, all I got was a "oh, that's cool", rather than a stream of questions I've only memorized answers to. Our discussions at Otterbein were interesting, opening our eyes to the numerous possibilities that will present themselves while we're away. Of course, I now have several new facebook friends with whom I can share experiences. Regardless of all this preparation and excitement, I find myself still unsure of what to expect. Will people talk to me at school? Will I pick up the language quickly? Will I get along with my host family? I'm sure it will all turn out well- mostly because I know I'll force myself through it if I have to. I'm determined to make this experience everything it can possibly be for me, to learn as much as I can, and to form relationships with people that I will treasure when I'm old. It's hard to think that my life here in Morgantown is over. Yes, I'll come back, but only for a few weeks before I leave for McGill (the university I will be attending in Montreal upon my return). So this means goodbye to the only home I've known my entire life. I'll visit, but it won't be mine anymore. The winding roads that taught me how to drive, the treacherous hills that taught me to hate bike riding... Maybe one day this house won't be my mom's anymore, and I'll drive by, wondering who lives here and if their little children are haunted by monsters under the bed like I was. Maybe they'll look at the marks on the door frame or the chipped piece in the bathtub and wonder who left their memories for them. But that's life. We move on, we change, and one day, I'll call some other place home. Hopefully that place will be Finland.

Long Time, No See

It's been so long since I've posted anything, but I have been insanely busy.  Between performing in Beauty and the Beast in early May, and going to prom and then finally graduating from high school, I've hardly had time to sit at the computer and start my five page paper on the history of Finland.  But, I have been looking forward to my trip and thinking about my packing list and gifts to bring to my host family. I also went to RYLA in April, which was really fun. Getting to know Jennybeth, who's going to Brazil, and David, from the Czech Republic, and Giselle, from Taiwan was fun. Plus I met Ale, from Italy. Getting to know all these people from different countries makes me excited to go to Otterbein and see who I'll be traveling with to Finland.  Even more exciting is the prospect of meeting my host family in a short 2 months.  I received a package in the mail from my district in Finland, and they gave me details about the orientation I will be attending upon my arrival in Finland (theoretically August 5th, although my flights have not yet been booked).  I'm going to learn more of the Finnish language and culture, and I will have classes (I think) on what kind of differences to be aware of and big "faux pas". Plus we get to try saunas for the first time! I'm so excited; I'm sure orientation will be a blast and a good way to start an amazing year.  Some of the trips I'll be taking look really exciting too! I get to visit St. Petersburg, which is going to be so wonderful because I've always wanted to go to Russia; it was actually one of the first countries I had considered signing up for. There's also a three week trip around Europe, which I'm sure will be very eye opening since I've only ever been to France (and soon Germany; I leave next Thursday). I can't wait to hear more from my host family, and I'm actually looking forward to my history paper since I love history! :)