back to every day life

When you return from a big trip like Lapland. You are thrown for a loop. How do you go from being with 130 kids which understand you completely to back to every day life? The trains, the school, the language. (New host family speaks only finnish to me, I am improving greatly)

Well you manage. That's how we do it. We find a way.

it was time to pack. I fit my life into 3 boxes, a suit case, and three bags. I came with one suit case. Where did this all come from!?!

catching the bus to finnish lessons and saw the sun 

Daniel and I went to see the Christmas lights all over Helsinki.

We also all met  up and said good bye to Juanpa- our friend from Ecudor. He has college to attend

My last dinner at my host families house. My all time favorite finnish foods and my true love- glögi. No body was talking about the move but it sat heavy in the air.

Friday, Luis and I ended up at graduation. Don't ask us how. but we were singing and are just as confused as you are.

gifts from my host sister. I was holding it together so hard.

The move went well. The family is so kind to me and at the moment I am finding my footing once again. It is good to be pushed from your confort zone. It helps you grow. 

The first day with the family, we went to a graduation party in a very fancy garden. Also it was Independence day! We watched the ball on TV.

Sunday, Daniel and I went Christmas shopping. He is a good friend. A friend which you know will be in your life for a long time. We had coffee.  Coffee and Friends. It's a good life. 

Christmas is everywhere. The store fronts are so lovely to look at. 

So life is back to the insaness as before. I am tying this at school waiting for the time when I go to the Rotary Restaurant and play the piano before the meeting starts. Back to the constant of inconsistency. 

Lapland: The Story of Skiing

This will be a bit more than just skiing. 

When we arrived we found that we had the best room. It was a loft with a dining room and kitchen. The view of Sweden was a nice touch.

Our room consisted of three americans, one german, a french, and a Ti

Friends for life.

do you see the trees in the distance. That's Sweden. 

Everyone would just hang out in eachothers room. Here is the French area, you can see JB cutting french sausage.

The first night we all rested and went to get our skies. We saw the giant hill we would be attacking come the next day break.

Dinner was held in an outdoor Sami (oraginal people) home

there was a cotten cand

The next day rolled around. We bundled up (decked out in our colors- Red, White, and Blue.) We hit the slopes.

So I went to the top.

This was one of the best and worst decision I have ever made. I am terrible at skiing. I spent the way down just falling. I give my cousins so much credit for this sport. My body ached for days afterwards.

But at the top. You could see for miles and miles. I took my skies off and just sat. We all did. You don't know what the color white means till  you go to the Arcitc. I listened to the song Holocene by Bon Iver. And if you have never heard that song or have not in a while, I urge you to listen to it. 

The breaze was cold but not freezing. And the Air was fresher than the Air ate the cabin.

We are so small compared to this world.

I fell all the way down that

We came back, saunaed, rolled in the snow. The usual.

That evening the local primary school put on a presentation for us of Finnish Dance. We are very lucky. 

we are one.