I’ve never really enjoyed having the title of an exchange student, when you’re at the grocery store or ordering a coffee and the cashier starts speaking in another language it gets old saying “I’m sorry? I don’t really speak Finnish” I know I’ve been learning Finnish, but it’s bad and I don’t usually use it in public. J I’m okay with that though, the language makes no sense. Example: Mä menen bussille. Vs. Mä menen bussiin. Technically, they both mean I am going to the bus. But the endings mean something different –lle means I am going somewhere near the bus, maybe the stop, the –iin ending means I’m literally going into the bus. Okay, Finland… I gave up about three weeks into the semester. I guess Finland is just exceptionally good at creating a language that foreigners can’t learn- something that was important way back in the day. J
Anyways, being an exchange student… after about a month it’s kind of annoying with every person you meet I have to describe myself and Montana. “Oh, do you know where Seattle is. Go like 13 hours’ worth of a drive to the right. It’s the big state.“ Haha! I don’t say that, but I do start off with Seattle. However, the adjustment to living abroad is wonderful! I can say I’m fully adjusted to living abroad, which is such a nice place to be. It’s weird that before I left for Finland, all I could think about was Finland and how grand my life would be. Now, a few months before I head back to Montana, all I can think about is how grand my life will be when I get back! It’s a strange circle of emotions and feelings. I do have some pretty fantastic things coming up though- jobs, an internship, sharing my experience with other exchange students, caring about school again, and being surrounded my friends who know me well. I have made a couple fantastic friends though, a Canadian and an Italian. They are wonderful. So it feels nice to have someone to relate to, which in first semester a lot of people were only staying for four months, and it’s harder for them to complain about being an exchange student when their experience is a bit different from mine. However, North Americans get homesick, it’s not just me. J It’s strange talking to other people and hear them say that they’re so sad to go back that they love being an exchange student, while here I am being a negative Nancy (not really, I just have a fantastic life waiting for me when I get back J ) saying “Oh, well I can’t wait to leave!” It’s not a stab towards Finland at all, I’ve absolutely enjoyed my time here and the experiences I’ve had. It’s just that I’m ready for normalcy again. I’m very lucky to have Ian here; I think we’re both lucky to have each other. No, we’re not planning, at all, on getting married. A friend asked me that a few weeks ago, I know you’re all thinking it.
Another thing I’m quite thankful for since my time abroad is the growth of my relationships with people back home. I’ve never felt closer to my sisters, mom, dad, step-parents, friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even mentors back home (I e-mailed the study abroad office in November wanting to come home, so now we have a connection!). Since I can’t just pick up the phone and call then whenever I want now, I really cherish our Skype sessions. They may not know it, but it truly makes my day when I get to ‘see’ them.
Would I suggest somebody study abroad for a full year? Yes, absolutely. First of all, the obvious, look at how many places I’ve gotten to go! I counted the countries that I will have seen by the time I get home and it’s ten! Ten countries, that is so much more than I would have thought before I left. And the less obvious, which Kati (Canadian) and I like to call our “self reflection” type of exchange; since Finland is actually quite boring I’ve had a lot of time to think about what’s important to me and the type of person I want to be. It’s even helped develop an idea of what type of career field I want to go into.
Now, some awesome things I’ve been up to, other than travelling, that I may not have gotten into otherwise. I’m really keeping up on politics now; I didn’t used to do that which is a shame. I feel like I can make an educated and wise vote. I now think that’s an important aspect to living in a country with voting rights, if Europeans can stay updated on American politics there is no reason why I can’t. Maybe that’s because I’m able to vote this coming election, but regardless of the reason, I feel like I’m more educated. I’ve turned into a health-y, I’ve been doing awesome workouts that I love five days a week and have been eating as clean as I can. (If anyone wants these amazing workouts, go to bodyrock.tv, they’re killer but I love them, I can actually do pushups now!) It’s fun finding healthy recipes to try that are delicious and making me feel good. I’ve even gotten to the point that I can’t eat fast food because it literally makes me sick. Then there’s planning my life for when I get back. J Normally, this may be kind of stressful but I have the time for it now. I love scheduling my new classes, looking for apartments, talking about scholarships and internships, and job hunting…and being able to enjoy being twenty-one. Haha! Yes, my birthday was pretty uneventful here in Europe. I can’t necessarily complain though. My days are pretty nice; I do actually have classes this semester so I have things to do! I’m taking Finnish, Strategic Management, Marketing, Business in Russia, Theory of International Trade, and International Management. Go me! I get to work out, eat well, cook dinner, and focus on myself a little.
So, for anyone that wants to know my date of arrival back in Montana is May 30th; only after I travel around France and Italy. J
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