Softball Banquet

Banquet (May 4th) was lovely in every way. We had our last softball game and I had my senior night. I started in Varsity's game and then went down to JV's. Both teams won, and then was time to go to the banquet. We started with dinner, everyone had brought something to eat (seniors were lucky we got to bring drinks).

Coaches made their speeches for us and seniors, and I got to tell you that I will miss softball so much... Even if I was really struggling at first, and I was so ready to give up in January, this was one of the best decisions I've made here. I got new lovely friends, I got to know amazing personalities and  I learned something new. I never thought I would start a completely new sport as a almost 18-year-old. Even if I still don't know how to throw the ball correctly, I think I did something right, haha. I am just saying, it's pretty hard to go from soccer to play softball, but I loved it.

When I get told that I actually did really great this season, I am hitting the ball in varsity games and that how I have developed as a player these past few months makes me so happy. Sometimes I'm too hard to myself, but then I remember that I just started, and there I am playing with the girls, who are super good and I should be proud!

Every senior got a basket full of her favorite sweets, goodies, and a poster that other players had written a little messages. I looove these posters so much! I have couple more at home, and I am taking all them with me to Finland. After all this, seniors still got this huge, framed picture (our yearbook photo) of all of us and couple individual pics. It was coolest thing ever, I really appreciate that amount of work they did for us...

One of my best friends Emma made a lovely speech for me. There was/were always a player(s) talking one of our seniors. The people who know me well enough, know that I am very emotional (crybaby) and especially during my exchange year... I am glad they had tissues there, haha. You don't even know how happy I felt that night. Maybe middle of my exchange my mom always kept asking me ''Whose your best friends there?'' I always told her that I have many close friends. As many of you know (exchange students) in America best friend label is a little different... Anyways, right now,  I know who my best friends are, after eight months. Being without your best friends back home is really hard. So, when my ''ex'' close friends tell me I am one of their best friends during speech (or whenever!) feels incredibly good. I was always afraid to say to someone that they were my best friends because here, it's so different. But not anymore!

Tomorrow we are having a senior trip to Baltimore. I am really excited! I will take my camera with me so hopefully I'll make time to take some pictures. AND when I find time, I will put pictures from prom which was awesome!

Sad, but happy
-Ella

First month

My 5th week starts tomorrow! There is so many things I could write about but now I just don't have time. I have 9 months left in Pennsylvania and I'll enjoy every moment. And yes I've had bad days but I knew I would. I'm just trying to remind myself that time goes reeeally fast and a year from now I'll miss this place so badly. Right now I just feel very thankful for this opportunity, being part of my American family and have my lovely friends here around me. I love you all! Next week is homecoming week and we have football game on friday & dances on saturday. After four malls we finally found a dress for me, haha. I'm so ready for tomorrow! Here is some boring iPhone pictures because I'm just too lazy to carry my Canon.

 I just love American prices and deals

 Sisters <3

First s'more

 Littlesis!

 My FIRST steak ever

 Carwash with soccer girls

 Eating with girls

 I believe that we just won.....

 EMILY IS SO CUTE

 These ladies...

Frozen Yogurt. 5 dollars? This portion? I'll take that.

-Ella

School!

Last week was my 4th week in American high school which feels weird. Last few weeks have gone sooo quickly. My normal day goes pretty much like this; School 7.40am-2.30pm, 3-5pm soccer practice and about 5.30 at home. There isn't much time after school day but usually we eat dinner, I'll do my homework and we just spend some time together.  Now I have 1-4 games in a week and there's four other kids in my family so we're pretty busy... Today we had soccer tournament and we WON! It felt aaaaaaaaawesome, still can't believe it.

Our soccer team

My school schedule (1st semester)

English

PE/GYM

American Government 

Spanish 2

Chorus (every other day)

Study hall (every other day)

Study hall

Child Development

Nutrition and Foods

I really like my schedule especially two last periods! In child development we are learning how to act with kids in different situations and things that belongs toddler's growthing. Nutrition and Foods includes cooking, nutrition information and learning ''use'' the kitchen.  Spanish isn't so hard that I thought but teacher talks all the time in spanish and I'm not so use to that, haha.We don't use that  much our textbooks or do grammar which we did all the time in Finland. Otherwise school is going pretty nicely.

Away football game!

<3

Have a good weekend guys!

-Ella

First week

 Lancaster; Kitchen Kettle Village

 ''50s'' restaurant

 Football, GO AC!

 Reading...

Pure love

 Cady and I 

 First day of school pic

 Cooking dinner for my hostfamily

 First soccer game! #15

 Left to right: Jordyn, Emily, Veronica and I

 First football game

 Did you like it?

-Ella

New York!

Keskiviikkona 20 päivä kentältä saavuttuamme ehdittiin syödä yhdessä dinner ja sen jälkeen lähdettiinkin tsekkaamaan Time Square, josta voin sanoa että wow. Torstaina lähdimme aikaisin aamulla, otimme metron, kävelimme Central Parkin läpi ja suuntasimme Rockefeller centeriin. Maisema oli kyllä kieltämättä upea sieltä ylhäältä...  Saimme liikkua vapaasti centerissä (joka oli täynnä kahviloita ja ravintoloita) ja päädyimme suomalaisen vaihtarin Amandan kanssa ostamaan japanilaista; chicken noodles. Myöhemmin pääsimme shoppailemaan, mutta löysin vain yhdet housut. Olin ihmeissäni kuinka vapaasti saimme mennä Nykissä. Piti liikkua vähintään 3 ryhmissä ja sovimme aina missä ja milloin näemme. Suurin osa oppilaista ei ollut koskaan käynyt siellä, mutta kaikki aina löysivät tapaamispaikoille.

Perjantaina teimme reissun Statue of Liberty islandille ja saimme mennä vapaasti saarella. Kävimme kaupassa, jossa myytiin tuliaisia ja pari tyttöä kävi syömässä. Siinä se pari tuntia pyörähtikin. Myöhemmin pääsimme käymään Chinatownissa ja (jos osasi suunnistaa) Little Italyssa. Sinne mennessämme poikkesimme myös WTC muistomerkillä, joka oli kyllä vaikuttava. Chinatownin lähellä oli mukavasti kenkä-ja vaatekauppoja ja sieltä löytyikin kaikkea kivaa!

Viimeisenä päivänä oli kolme vaihtoehtoa mitä tehdä ja sai valita yhden. Yksi oli sightseeing New Yorkissa, SoHo ja bussilla New Jerseyyn, shoppailemaan outlet kauppakeskukseen (bussimatkat 13dollaria). Mä valitsin New Jerseyn, koska halusin muutenkin käydä siellä ja shoppailla... Mall oli järkyttävän iso ja 5 ja puoli tuntia meni kyllä hujauksessa. Ostin vaikka mitä ja rakastan hintoja täällä!! Onneksi tuli tehtyä kesätöitä ja säästettyä rahaa.

Illalla yhdeksän jälkeen kaikki olivat ihan poikki, mutta silti lähdimme subway asemalle ja menimme katsomaan New York skylinea. Näky oli mahtava mutta takas tullessa oli niin väsynyt ettei jalat meinannut enää kantaa! Huhhuh, en edes tiedä kuinka paljon kävelimme neljän päivän aikana.

Tykkäsin New Yorkista älyttömästi! Toivottavasti pääsen sinne vielä joskus.

-Ella