Rotary + Art = Filming

I feel like the video at the end of this post sums up the trip. So in short: Our Rotary Club took us to a museum Wednesday and told us to go look at art. We enjoyed it a lot.

the lighting though

Surprise! Surprise!

For the past two weeks we have been planning this. This, Operation Wild Card, as we refer to it, is our surprise party for Milly. Milly is my best friend here and she is from Sydney, Australia. She is pretty cool and a while back I decided I wanted to do something for her.

The plan was this.

Get Sam here.
Get her to be surprised.
Cook Mac and Cheese.

All happened really well.


I spend a lot of time at the Kerava Lukio, where milly goes to school, because I have my night school there. This resulted in me befriending all of her friends and they were in will doing this. It would not have happened with out them I am pretty sure.

Part one: Get Sam here. 

I contacted sam at the beginning of this. He made it down here. I met him after school in the city and we went to find costumes. We wanted to dress up like Russians... long story. Anyway! He was here and we then met the Finnish Friend gang at the Kerava Rail Station. We ran into Milly in the city center so sam and I had to run and hide while the Finnish friends were all normal. Milly would have known if sam and I were there.

part one- accomplished

Part Two: get her to be surprised

It was called operation wild card for a reason. Milly is a wild card. She has her ways to find out. And at one point, she was very upset with me for making "plans with her friends with out her" When in all reality we were planning for her. It was really really hilarious. Anyways, when she walked in she had no clue. 

part two- success!

Part Three: Cook Mac and Cheese

Milly never had it. Neither did anyone else. This meant I went to this Finnish kid's kitchen and just started cooking. Thank goodness he was okay with it... I wasn't planning on stopping

part three- tasty!

we won with the costumes.

It was a good  night of cards and laughing and well of course Mac and Cheese. Milly is my closest here and of course she is insane and has now got me saying words like "moll" and "sloshed" and "mate" in my day to day language. Thats okay. I wouldn't have it any other way. She is a huge part of what this year is and well she is now a huge part of me. I can't wait to visit Australia one day. 

Kerava Rotary and a new addition of: Adventures with the Aussie

Kerava Rotary!!!!

Wednesday I went in for one class and then caught the train before lunch to go and give a presentation to one of my two rotary clubs- Kerava. This is about a 15 minuet bike ride from my house but since I went by train a Rotarian picked me up.

Felt the need to show my locker at school, not everyone has a locker. Please note the heels, American flag, and english text book.

One of the most beautiful views when walking to the trains at Pustiola.

This is a funny story... so I didn't really want to be super fancy at school so I decided to get ready on the 20 min ride to Kerava. This resulted in me hiding in the last dimly lit train car, a strange look from the conductor when he walked by, and a innocent passenger walking into the last car looking at my chaos and then switching cars. I feel like this won't be the first time this will occur.

The meeting went well. It was nice to give the presentation a few weeks in so I could talk more in detail about the differences and the similarities between cultures. It also helped because I was able to poke fun at my Finnish mess-ups which made them all laugh. I am not the only exchange student in this club. There is also Milly. She is an oldie (def- exchange student which arrives in january, is here for 6 months of my exchange and then I become an oldie and teach the new exchange student.) I am super lucky to have her. She has actually been there for me since I got off the plane, before now that I think about it. Milly has taught me the ropes of the Finnish Exchange World, especially since we are the capital district there is a lot to learn. She was there for my presentation and afterwards we hung out.

more coffee always

kiss us, we are exchange students

After finding all the tourist information we could, a break was needed at the local exchange student hang out- really shady 5€ pizza place on the west side of helsinki. 

only 5€

We saw a rotary wheel in the window of an apartment. We got there attention. 

We sprinted through the rain to the only starbucks in Finland. They wouldn't accept my gift card. Ah. 

I ordered it in Finnish. Be proud.

 On the way home we went to all the thrift stores which are housed under the train station. The rooms are really small and thrown together but you can find some really cool things.

This just reminded me of home!

Our motto of the year.

I got home all cold and wet, the only weather Finland will offer us, but filled with joy. I find it so interesting how the exchange student world works. It is so much more detailed than one would even know. We rely greatly on each other I have found. There is an instant connection because you understand even the little details the other is going through. And the stories. Oh the stories. 

Coffee, Phone, Laser Tag

The second day with the family (monday) Sari took me to see Kerava. She showed me the Library, where now I have a card to and many Finnish children books to learn from. After we went for coffee at the local cafe. It was a beautiful day and the streets aren't made for cars. You have to bike to the town then walk. I was able to try Finnish pastries.

We got my phone. This means an instagram and pictures. As well as it meant a large headache from trying to process all that was being thrown at me during the purchasing of the phone. I am lucky form Mikka and Sari though. They made it as easy as they could.

Then Laser tag.... 

I met Salla's friends my first night at the house when we biked into town to see a music festival. They are lovely people and we get along very well. When you hear about Finns keeping their word, it is true. I heard a little discussion about laser tag (Salla's one friend, Sara, works there) and how she wanted me to come and try it. So it happened. I laser tagged and I was pretty decent at it. I placed second! It was exhilarating! And It is so nice to have friends here. They drove us back and they knew I rode horses so they stopped at the stables. It was so strange. We were driving back roads, blasting music (Finnish hits of course) but it was so familiar. 

I think this was the first time I felt homesick. I am fine now but it really felt like it was home and the drive back through the fields and back to the city was harder then I expected. I was trying really hard to not face it. I tried to keep it to my self but why not blog about it. Its okay to have feeling, feelings just are. I need to learn to accept them for that. 

I miss my horse.  There I said it. I miss it. 

I am so thankful for my family here though, they make it easier. They make me have a place and a hug when I need it.