Lapland: The Pregame and The Trip there

Lapand was my first Rotary Youth Exchange Tour. It was to a town called Muonio on the Finnish/Swedish border. It was the trip of a life time

The Arctic

It began the day after Thanksgiving, Liz and Anneke spent the night. Liz and I spend the day cooking more corn bread (we had a lot of leftover ingredients). This resulted in over 6 dozen corn muffins. They were demolished by the end of the first day at Lapland. We spent the day of the departure also watching movies and just packing. 

Packing for the Arctic was a bit more elaborate than I would have expected. 

The bus ride was over 16 hours long. Lucky me my chair was broken, it couldn't lean back. This meant I would spend my time on the aisle floor. This was okay because my flag is a good blanket and every one's coat was a good mattress. I do believe I got the best rest.

Also, I was on the party bus and was in the back. This meant there was little sleep. We danced and talked the whole way there. I think there was only a few hours where there wasn't any Latino music playing. I am not complaining. 

our bus was from the 80's. the floor was cold. it was loud. we were eating corn bread the whole way.

best bus ever

 The photo above was the view I woke up to. There were reindeer out too. I am laughing as I type this because it sounds so unbelievable. But I was there. I saw this. This happened.

 This trip was good for the soul. From the beginning till the end. And even now, as I sit in my room, all packed to switch families, I am still under the Arctic's spell of peace. A whole, complete peace.

The adventures which lead to an underground circus

Thursday rolled around and in the evenign was a Rotary Concert which I was to attend. It was for my club(woo they are the best.) I was picked up from the Train Station and we drove the the cutest little church in the world. It was a quaint, old, stone church in the middle of this hospital area. It was so precious. When we walked in there was 8 boys playing the chello. You could feel the music in the floor boards.

 Friday I didnt have school. Or at least I am pretty sure I didn't have school... it's exam week. So I met up with Daniel and we went to have coffee and see the new Sibelius Exhibition. It was a lovely afternoon.

Funny story about going home. I didn't really go home on the right bus. I mean of course I thought it was the right bus. But after a few turns in a direction which isn't home and the bus just stopping and no one else on it- It started to be a little bit fishy. I called my äiti and explained how lost I was again. Then! Emma (american lady from Finnish night classes) turned around and smiled. At that moment I knew I was saved. She assisted me in finding the right bus and making it home.

my savior

Right when I made it home it was off to another adventure. I feel asleep in the car so I was hella disorientaed when we stopped in parking gragae and everyone just started walking. Somehting whcih I learned this year, is if you dont know what is going on- stick close to the people which look like they do.

This led to the underground "circus"
Hannali and Lionell gave us these tickets
It was the best peformace I have ever in my life been to
Better than circus Olay
Talvisirkus

the fam

 It had this dream theme and it was so well put together. I wish I could explain better. It was a small condense theater- but tall. And they used all the space.When you walked in it smelled like pulla and glögi. Both which I had. Also I had coffee. But what's new.

On the way back to the car, Sade and me had a hudge snowball war. This night has made the list for some of the best nights here. 

It was an actual dream that peformace. It made you feel like you were in a dream.