Sweden
This was an amazing trip! My host family, the Isacsson's, took me along with them to Stockholm, Sweden for a three day weekend to celebrate the 80th birthday of Annica's mother! We were able to walk around the beautiful city and see many different parts of the intricate culture of Stockholm. One night we went to this extremely glamorous restaurant named Fem Sma Hus. It was like a fairy tale night spent eating amazing food with beautiful people, then walking back through lamp lit European streets surrounded with many different languages. I can't say enough how thankful I am to have been able to go on that trip!
Fun. Concert
AHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I screamed that phrase/sound/noise all night out of pure joy when I went to the Fun. concert! It was AMAZING! I still can't believe that I come to Finland, and my favorite band comes along with me! It was another night out of one of my dreams. The performance was stellar, and I got to experience it with one of my good friends, Noah, from Illinois! We both had a great time dancing and singing along with every song that was played!
Kauhava
This is arguably one of the best weeks I have had while here in Finland. A good friend of mine named Ilkka, who last year spent a year on exchange in Juneau, Alaska, was kind enough to invite me to spend a week with him and his family at their house in Kauhava, Finland. Naturally I said yes because not only was this a chance to see a good friend again, but it would also mean taking a train to go and see more the the country I am spending a year in! Over the week I got to attend school with Ilkka, and while at school I made friends with some of the most amazing people I have met in my entire life. People were so welcoming and kind that it felt like I was right at home in this completely new setting. We went to a hockey game, to a small get together of friends, Ilkka and his brother drove me all around the area, and I also got to join in on normal routines like going to the local coffee shop with friends, and having family dinners at home. This small town of 8,000 people, in the middle of the flat lands of Finland, provided me with such an amazing time that I came back to Espoo completely ready to face any challenges that will arise.
These are two exchange students that are staying in Kauhava, Matteo from Germany and Angela from Italy! I am so glad that I got to meet them!
Ilkka and myself after going to school one of the days I was in town.
