I DID IT!

This exchange and graduation from American HS have been my dreams since I was 12. My english has been always so bad and I've always wanted to learn it. I've always wanted to experience American Halloween, Christmas, High school and culture. Now I can tell you, I did it. I spent a year abroad.

My friends in the US know me as a little Finnish girl and I know them as little American girls. I was little when I left (well, I am still..) . I didn't know the place where I was going, people, family,
language, culture or anything. I was scared and my last week was really emotional. I couldn't sleep really well and I wanted to hang out with my friends and family as much as possible.

When I stepped into the airplane, I wasn't sad at all. The hardest part was passed and it was to say goodbye to my siblings and friends and leave my mom, dad and friends to the airport. In the airplane I was excited and ready to fly to New York and start my dream and American year.

However, my year wasn't always easy and full of pink roses. The first months I spent at home. I didn't do almost anything, I didn't have friends and language was difficult. My english was bad (if you ever think that you would like to do exchange but you hesitate for your language skills, don't worry, you'll learn it!!), it was hard to make friends and I was homesick. I am glad I love sports. Everyday after school I had a practice and I loved to play volleyball and other sports. As I played I forgot everything during practices and games. Also, my volleyball coach was so good for me and I could tell her if something was wrong, she always listened me. All of my problems and feelings of sadness made my year.

Nevertheless, I passed my first months and I started to love my year abroad. I made friends, language was easier and my family was wonderful! Life was fun. I did more things on the weekends and I knew where to go at school. Also, I realized that I don't have tons of months left. I wanted to do lots of things and experience new things as much as possible. I really enjoyed my last months and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go home.

Well, Of course I always wanted to go home but the leaving meant so much more than just leaving my family and friends. I knew that the day I leave I will leave my dream and American life behind me. I knew that next time when I come back, same people are not there anymore, I won't go to school, I won't live with my host family for many months (they won't tease me of my english! At least as much as at the beginning, haha) and I won't face the same problems or emotions anymore.

I said goodbye to America about 2,5 weeks ago (19.6) and it was so hard! I didn't expect it to be that hard but I know that some day I'll be back. I miss all of my friends, families and Rotarians in the US but I am glad to be home. I've done so many summer traditions already and it feels good to be home. America and people in the US took a piece of my heart and there is always place for you. I hope to see you all soon and can't wait to come back!!

Thank you for everything. I couldn't be more thankful for my Finnish family, Rotarians in Finland and in the US that they gave me the opportunity to experience this amazing year. I couldn't be more thankful for my families in the US that they made an amazing year for me, they were always there for me, loved me, teased me, made me feel safe and made me feel like I am home. I couldn't be more thankful for my American friends that they were there for me, spent lots of time with me and laughed with me.

One more time, Thank You! ♡

Love,
Vilma

The morning when I left ♡♡

Safely home!!

 

Homecoming celebrations

My mom's sugar buns

My room has exploded!!

Cottage life ♡

This is the last blog post. 

Thank you all for following my year abroad!

Two of my dreams

It’s graduation week! I graduated on Friday and tomorrow I will have a party! I am so excited!

One of my dreams was an exchange year in the US but also, my dream was to graduate from American high school. I did both!! I graduated from high school and I did an exchange that is almost over. I can’t even count anymore with two hands how many times I have cried, too many. I didn’t expect to have this great host family or friends that I have, so actually, it’s hard to say goodbye. When I left Finland, it wasn’t easy either but I almost knew the date when I would be coming back.  Now, I am not sure when we will see each other again.

However, I graduated from high school and it was an amazing night! One of my best days in the US. Well, also my host sister left for Spain for a month so I won’t see her anymore before I leave and I had to say goodbye that felt so hard. Anyway, graduation was so much fun! It wasn’t as fancy and formal as in Finland. AND we threw our caps!!!! 🎓 After graduation we had a grad night and we took a bus there. We spent the last time together with the senior class and there were lots of different games, money machine (you had to try to catch real money) and drawings. It was so much fun!

I will attach some pictures and I will enjoy the rest of my time here! See you soon in Finland, only 10 days!! 

❤️ Vilma

30 days?!

Hey,

The last month in the US started yesterday. Today, it's exactly one month until I am back at home. I have 19 days before it's a graduation and only twelve school days! I am so excited for the graduation and can't wait to decorate my cap.

These last weeks have been full of fun. I have hang out with my friends and changed my host family. Also, it was Rhody week in my town and it was really fun! We had special events, carnival and three different parades (I was also in the grand parade (biggest one, it took about 2 hours) with Rotary). In addition, my tennis season is over. I enjoyed to play it and it's sad that all sports are done. Nevertheless, I am glad that I was able to take part in three different sports and I really liked all of them!

I think that most of you want to see pictures of my weeks in the US so I will put pictures instead of text.

Rhody flower

Now it's time to go to bed and tomorrow back to school. Next weekend we have a four-day weekend and I am so excited for that, can't wait! Good night to my American friends and Good morning to Finland! 

Vilma

The First Goodbyes

I know I haven’t written for a long time and this time I’ll write in english because I know, there are many people in the US who want to read my blog too and translator doesn’t always work right..

Today it was time to say the first goodbyes to the other exchange students. It felt so strange to say goodbyes because I remember so clearly my goodbyes in Finland. My last week in Finland was amazing and unforgettable. Anyway, now it was time to say goodbyes to my exchange siblings. We spent the last time together in the Rotary Conference and we had so much fun. There were students from all over the world. We have different languages, different cultures and we have learnt a lot about ourselves. We got to experience so many trips together and share our experiences. All of us carry gold memories in the heart.

This year hasn’t been always the easiest one but who said that it would be? I’ve missed home, friends and actually all of Finland, hundreds of times. Even though, I really like being here and I have fantastic host families and friends, it’s always nice to return back home. But best of all, I have more than one family and not only in my born country. The families are not 100 kilometers away or 1000 kilometers away from each other, they are farther than that. I am so grateful that my families have been great here during my year and it’s been safe to be here. Anyway, all those families are not the same but there is always something common between them; Love. Even though, I can’t see my families or friends every day, there is always place in my heart for them.

I have made many marvelous memories and met amazing people around the world during my exchange. It’s not easy to say goodbye because I’ll never know when I come back again. Even if I came back, it wouldn't be the same. I wouldn't go to the same high school or live and feel the same feelings with my dear host family. Also, there won’t be the same people and friends in the town anymore. That makes me feel so sad.

As I have said, I’ve dreamed about this for a long time and there are 45 days until I am back in Finland. This has been a big dream and I’ve worked so hard for this and it’s almost over!

I am so grateful for Rotary and my parents that I got the chance to make my dream come true and live my exchange year in the US. I will always carry this memory and those people in my heart and I am proud of myself that I really did this!

Vilma

~ Don't cry because we are leaving, smile because it's happening. ~

How am I doing?

Moikka,

Tänne kirjoittelu jonkin jäänyt vähemmälle, sillä arki on täällä itselle niin normaalia (amerikan elämää), ettei oo oikeastaan mitään kirjoitettavaa. Täällä kaikki kuitenkin hyvin. Mulla alkaa päivät käydä vähiin tässä pikkuhiljaa (69 päivää että lähden!!!), mikä tuntuu hullulle! Se mitä oon kauan halunnut ja tehnyt sen eteen töitä, on kohta ohi! Samaan aikaan myös tosi hyvät fiilikset! On ihana tulla takas Suomeen ja nähdä perhe ja kaikki kaverit vuoden jälkeen.

Viime viikko mulla oli Spring Break mikä oli tosi ihana! Meillä ei siis oo ollu hiihtolomaa joten tuo oli tavallaan niinku hiihtoloma ja pääsiäisloma yhessä. Me menimme mun host perheen kanssa San Juan Islandille joka on tosi suosittu paikka täällä Washingtonissa. Siellä oli tosi sievää, mutta harmitti ku aika paljon ajasta sato vettä. Pääsin kuitenkin veneen kyytiin merelle ja nähtiin paljo erilaisia eläimiä(?), kaikkia en ees tiiä! Mutta ainakin miekkavalaita, merileijonia, hylkeitä ja kotkia.

Mun Spring break oli kiva ja rentouttava, oli ihana kun ei kouluun tarvinut mennä!!

Täällä on tosi kivat ilmat ja melko lämmintä! Eilen olin kavereiden kanssa kattomassa koulun soccer-peliä ja oli niin kaunis ilta! Aurinko paistoi ja laski sievästi ja oli lämmin, tuntu ihan kesälle! (Oikeesti aika moneenki otteeseen tuntunu jo kesälle täällä kun ihmiset leikkaa ruohoa ja takkiakaan et ulkona enään välttämättä tarvi!) Oon myös alottanut pelaamaan tennistä, mikä on kivaa! Tosi kiva pelata ulkona ja varsinkin jos on sievä ilma!!

Täällä enään alle 50 päivää koulua jäljellä mikä on kivaa!! Kaverit siellä Suomessa kävelee pian Yo-lakki päässä koulusta pois mutta mulla onkin vähän erilainen Amerikan High School Cap päässä kun koulusta viimeistä kertaa pois kävelen.

Välillä tuntuu että eilenhän mää lähdin, sillä muistan niin selvästi viimeisen viikon Suomessa ja kuinka jännitti ja pelotti vaihtoon lähtöä. Toisaalta, se kuitenkin tuntuu ikuisuudelta, millon viimeksi nähnyt perhettä ja kavereita! En halua ajatella sitä päivää kun täytyy täältä lähteä, mutta sitä päivää en malta oottaa että kävelen lentokentän ovista ulos ja nään ne ihanat tutut kasvot!!

Kirsikkapuun kukkia

Näkymiä mun kaupungista

Rotary-klubin kanssa valmistettiin suomalaista ruokaa, tuo lohikeitto 

varsinkin oli niiiiiin hyvää!!!

Te siellä Suomessa alatte vasta heräilemään kun mää lähden tässä pian nukkumaan. Ihanaa päivää sinne kaikille! ♥

Vilma