It's crazy to be back. It's been almost two years since I've been here.
So much has happened in those two years. For one, I graduated from high school and started studying at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I'm studying business, and although I don't know what I want to major in, I have already declared a Finnish minor that I will have completed by the end of this summer. I am very involved with the Rotex in Minnesota because I love being with all of the exchange students and the Rotex. This last year I also lived with international students in one of the dorms on campus, which was very fun and now I have friends from even more places around the world.
It's honestly crazy to think that it has already been two years since my exchange ended. It's crazy to think that in that time, I haven't left the US. That is, until now. I boarded my plane that took me across the world, and now here I am. I'm back in Finland.
It's honestly crazy to think that it has already been two years since my exchange ended. It's crazy to think that in that time, I haven't left the US. That is, until now. I boarded my plane that took me across the world, and now here I am. I'm back in Finland.
Now, some of you are probably thinking, why are you posting this? This blog was meant for my exchange year, but that ended a couple of years ago. Well, my reasoning is that this blog is called "Emma's Adventures in Finland" and I'm back in Finland.
Honestly, I just want to share my experiences of what it is like to be back in a country that I love. I've been back in Finland only for a few days now and it has been exciting, fantastic, and exhilarating to be back. It has been an eventful few days.
For one, I took two planes to get me around the world from Minnesota to Finland. They were both delayed, and my bag didn't come to Finland with me. It finally came today meaning it'll still be another few days before I get it. Anyway, once I arrived in Helsinki, I took a few hour long train ride up to Seinäjoki where I was picked up by a former English teacher of mine that had taught me Finnish when I was on exchange. I had arranged to stay with him for a few days because I was going to surprise my friends at their graduation. Then we drove for another hour up to Alajärvi where I ate before I crashed that night.
The next day I wrote my speech for graduation. I hadn't really written much so I had to write most of it then. Since I didn't want anyone to know that was in town, I just stayed inside the whole day and relaxed.
Then the big day came: my friends' graduation. I borrowed a dress and some shoes since I still don't have my bag before we headed out to the event. I then walked around in my old lukio (high school) where the first and second year lukio students were getting their report cards for that year. I saw someone that I knew and she was very surprised and very excited to see me. We talked for a while before I headed to the gym where the graduation ceremony was going to be held. As my friends started trickling in I said hi to them and they were all very surprised to see me. None of them had any idea that I was coming to their graduation ceremony because I told them that I wouldn't be arriving in Finland until tomorrow. It was very excited and everyone was very happy to see me and I them. It was pretty funny when they started to realize that the surprise graduate speech that was on the program was going to be given by me. I got a change to say hi to some former teachers of mine which was fun.
After that, the ceremony started. Soon thereafter I gave my speech. Although we had to get the microphone working, it all went well otherwise. There were some musical performances along with some circus performances and of course, my classmates got their graduation caps and their diplomas and graduated from lukio. It was very fun.
Once the ceremony ended, I got a chance to talk with the current AFS exchange student in Alajärvi from Japan along with someone that was in the same year as me in high school who spent a year abroad in Indiana the year after I was an exchange student in Alajärvi. It was fun to talk with them both and compare our exchange student experiences since not many go on exchange to/from Alajärvi.
That afternoon I stopped by two of my friends' graduation parties in Alajärvi. It was very fun, especially since one of my friends who wasn't at graduation came and he was very surprised to see me as well. I ate lots of good food and had a good time.
The next day I wrote my speech for graduation. I hadn't really written much so I had to write most of it then. Since I didn't want anyone to know that was in town, I just stayed inside the whole day and relaxed.
Then the big day came: my friends' graduation. I borrowed a dress and some shoes since I still don't have my bag before we headed out to the event. I then walked around in my old lukio (high school) where the first and second year lukio students were getting their report cards for that year. I saw someone that I knew and she was very surprised and very excited to see me. We talked for a while before I headed to the gym where the graduation ceremony was going to be held. As my friends started trickling in I said hi to them and they were all very surprised to see me. None of them had any idea that I was coming to their graduation ceremony because I told them that I wouldn't be arriving in Finland until tomorrow. It was very excited and everyone was very happy to see me and I them. It was pretty funny when they started to realize that the surprise graduate speech that was on the program was going to be given by me. I got a change to say hi to some former teachers of mine which was fun.
After that, the ceremony started. Soon thereafter I gave my speech. Although we had to get the microphone working, it all went well otherwise. There were some musical performances along with some circus performances and of course, my classmates got their graduation caps and their diplomas and graduated from lukio. It was very fun.
Once the ceremony ended, I got a chance to talk with the current AFS exchange student in Alajärvi from Japan along with someone that was in the same year as me in high school who spent a year abroad in Indiana the year after I was an exchange student in Alajärvi. It was fun to talk with them both and compare our exchange student experiences since not many go on exchange to/from Alajärvi.
That afternoon I stopped by two of my friends' graduation parties in Alajärvi. It was very fun, especially since one of my friends who wasn't at graduation came and he was very surprised to see me as well. I ate lots of good food and had a good time.
While it has only been a few days, I still have a very eventful summer ahead of me in Finland and in Sweden. I won't be returning to the US until late August, so stay tuned for more posts to come!
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