11/30/2014

100 days

The second day in America. #tourist #tietämätön

Last friday I accomplished something. 100 days in America, wohoo! After this school semester I have done half of my school year (which is soon over!?) It just scares me so so much, but also there will be interesting classes and new people! However, questions like this -> (what I'm going to do when I have to leave? How are things at home? What I want to do?) comes on my mind now and then. I'm just trying to remind myself to focus my life here and not to worry about what happens in the future.

I remember when all my friends kept saying to me that ''we're here waiting for you''. WELL, you better be xD. Sometimes you just think that people will forget you, but if they're your real friends that won't happen. A year should not change your friendship - just make it even stronger!

There has happened so many things in 100 days. I have felt so happy, sad, excited, awkward, shy, proud, thankful... I could continue this list so long because I have felt so many feelings. It's just so weird that one day you feel like crap and then the same evening you couldn't stop smiling. I am so happy to have good friends here. I can be myself around them and I don't have to be afraid that we won't be friends two months from now. I know they will be there. I just can't tell you enough how good it feels to have people around you who you can talk with, if you feel bad or really happy.

I remember when I had to walk thru security check at airport and I was wondering why I am not crying my eyes out. I don't know, the thing that I had waited so long, that I had ''prepared'' for (I don't even know how many months) was really happening. I felt so independent like a adult! Maybe I just didn't want to believe it was happening or I was so excited and at the same time confused... I think it was so awesome to go somewhere where nobody knows you and start ''over''. And I mean I didn't have any reason for that but thought about it made me curious. I didn't expect anything before I came here, but exchange student blogs gives you really good impression about being an exchange student. Friends, fun, dances, traveling... Everyones year is different. Host families are different. Expect nothing. Then you'll get the best experience.

I have had awesome year so far, no doubt. I love this place. Cute little town, lots of farmland, lovely caring people, our high school, my amazing family... I am just so thankful to have this opportunity. Sometimes I have thought that what if I wouldn't have end up here. I wouldn't have met any of these people and I would have lived without knowing them exist. Haha, that sounded ridicolous, but now I couldn't imagine my life without them. Going home will be so hard. Why is it so hard to live in the moment? Are we always thinking about future because well, we have to and people like to do that? I don't know but I really have to start practicing. Time is flying and so is my exchange year. What do I want from this year? I should start thinking and doing! 

There's a paper on my wall where my friends wrote me greetings before left. My one friend had written; ''don't change too much''. I think I have already changed but in a good way. I would be concerned about if I wouldn't. Being away from your love ones, home, your own country for a year
must change you somehow. Already now I am more independent, confident about myself and my english (:D), I am not so scared to try new things and I am not always worrying what people think about me. <--- (niin äiti!!)

I thought next, I could do a picture post about everything I have done since I came here... Hopefully soon! Have a great week guys!!

-Ella








11/16/2014

3rd month

...Oh well, another month went by. What have I done since last month? Feels so crazy how fast time flies. I feel stupid when I don't notice how it's already november - sometimes I am still trying to figure it out that I'm really here. They say exchange year is a life in a year. It took me almost three months to really realized what that sentence mean. After a month, I noticed that I started thinking in english and now talking finnish is getting harder. I start telling something in english or I forget words, but actually it's pretty cool to see.
WE ARE. AC.
  Right now I am really happy. I have good friends around me, and I know they will be there and they aren't just temporary. And yes, there is people who were just interested of me because I am foreign. However, there is bunch of lovely people in our school that always have time to talk - even if we're not hanging out after school.
 I have settled down and I can call this place my home. Adjusting takes its own time and it wasn't so hard for me BUT this is very personal. My family is the biggest reason for that. We live in small town and almost everyone knows each other (so do not freak out if you are placed in small town) but I have noticed that it's really good thing! My family introduced me many people and that's how I got my first friends here.

 My culture shock wasn't bad (maybe it's still coming :D), but if I have to say something, perhaps food and freedom. Food is different, portions are bigger, unhealthier, sometimes better and ready-to-eat meals and canned food are common. It takes time to use to it but not everybody eat for example unhealthy. Every family eat differently, soo I am not going to say anything. When it comes to freedom you can't just leave from home and go to your friends house without telling. You have to remember to tell where you are going and with who. Once I forgot to tell that I was going to Subway with my friends before soccer game. My mom didn't know where I was because she thought I was coming home to eat (I think it was first week here, hehe.) After that I've always remembered to tell her where I am, right? :D You can't be late out or just ex tempore go downtown with your friends. This is big difference between Finland and America, but of course there are certain reasons why you can't do things this way.

Living in different country without your family and friends is not easy at all. You don't have person who you can tell everything because there isn't anyone who has known you 10 years or your whole life. That's hard, but that is also a challenge that you have to accept - to find a person that you could tell everything. I miss and think about them but I know they are doing okay.

Although I have been close with my parents past few years, being here makes me love and appreciate them even more. They gave me this opportunity to go otherside of Atlantic and experience all this.  My family is amazing, in Finland and America. Being an exchange student has teached me to notice and enjoy little things. Someone's hug, a big smile, when people are calling me ''El, E, EllBell'' or just saying hi in hall way and asking how I am. Those little things can save your day.

“Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” 

This is so true. When I am thinking last summer and times when I came here I notice that I had so much fun. Lovely moments that I'll never forget. 

Because of these amazing three months I have learned to love Finland, its culture, food, nature and being finnish. Many exchange students have written these exactly same things but it's just so very true. I remember when I was in middle school and future plans were moving abroad as soon as I can. No. I want to live and raise my kids in Finland that's for sure, although we should copy some things from America. I just looove small talk, their good manners and enthuasim! Yes, if you have been in America you can say at first most of the finns are cold and shy.  I've learned that there is good and notsogood things in American and Finnish culture and I'll try to mix both of them. Because I really like them both!

 ''When was the last time you did something for the first time?''  

When I saw this quote something changed, it's so true that it is scary! Even if you are older doesn't mean you shouldn't try new things. Okay,being an exchange student brings different situations that are of course new and unexpected, but I have tried bunch of new things. I tried basketball, I went homecoming dances, I drove four wheeler,I had my first motor cycle ride and I ate steak here (I'm not kidding.) That wasn't all... and there is so much more coming! I know they maybe aren't big things, but they were all new to me. 




-Ella



11/05/2014

Life

Bunch of pictures from my Canon! 
 Already second! pumpkin carving
 Crackerjack 
 Now I love fall.


 My pumpkin!

 Notice: Pumpkin pi, haha ;)

 Last week I got package from Finland, thanks to my mom and big sister. This package made me so happy love you guys!
 Thanks Nate.
 ''Corner'' grocery store Giant and bunch of different stores/restaurants are close to our house.


Today with Jordyn



-Ella



11/02/2014

Halloween


Halloween was pretty awesome. I was prepared early by buying halloween stuff from Walmart for my costume. At first I was planning to be clown, but then the costume looked awful and luckily I got new idea. I picked my sisters winter boots and snowpants, I borrowed Tom and Jerry hoodie. (which was really small :D) put two low pony tails, bows to each side and little bit make up. Oh, and I carried a teddy bear and a baby bottle.

  So is it trick or treat or just a treat? What I can remember from my childhood (those few times I saw someone going trick or treating...) that if someone wasn't home or they didn't have any candy you would really do some tricks. Kids actually carried toothpaste with them and really used it. Here people either sat outside, they had basket filled with candy somewhere near their door but most common was to leave porch light on (and then kids knew that you can go there). People gave so much candy it's crazy!! I have enough for the rest of my year, haha. My sisters gym teacher had grill outside of his house and he gave kids candy and hotdogs. That was so good idea! Our trick or treat was on thursday though. Usually it's on friday but here where I live it's thursday because it's safer, it is not friday (because usually people have halloween parties), there can be drunk drives etc. If this change helps I don't mind. That only means we have longer halloween! ;)

  Halloween in Finland is nothing like here and maybe that's why people won't open their doors for kids. We don't ''celebrate'' it and adults/old people are confused when kids with creepy costumes come to knock their doors. We have halloween parties, nightclubs maybe have costume contests, there might be halloween lunch at school (yeah right, ''halloween''...) and expensive halloween stuff/costumes but trick or treat is not a big deal. I feel really old because I can't remember have I done it before?? I think so but I am not sure!

I am really glad that I experienced american halloween and it was way better that it is in Finland, no doubt. Next year I'll promise carve pumpkins (lots of them <3), throw a halloween party and try to change Finland's halloween, haha.




 On friday, sleepover at Cady's house. I was there after 11pm but we spent the whole next day together! We watched American Horror Story (ooh, I just love that show!!) and next morning we went to The Hearth for breakfast. First american breakfast and it was so good and under 8 dollars??? Cady and I are soulmates we LOVE breakfast, I like her. She curled my hair and I have forgotten how nice my hair can actually look.

 Later on saturday Cady's church had some halloween event and I went with her, her big brother and dad. We dressed up as cat and bunny. There was different activities, food and hay ride.

I had really nice halloween and weekend. I have been here two and half months and just saying it feels really weird...

-Ella