Coucou!
One of the best things in exchange year is the new experiences. In my way home from School is a synagogue so I saw on Tuesday something I've never seen before:
so HAPPY HANUKKAH!
I've been also pretty suprised how many people have sent me presents, christmas cards and letters. Thank you all so much :* I really appreaciate that! It's nice to know that you still think about me there in cold Finland. Nothing is better than come before 6pm from School when you have a pile of letters and packets on your desk! And nothing is better than laugh out loud (ALONE!!) while you're reading a letter your friend has wrote you in bus, because she didn't have time to do it any other time.
Today arrived also one other letter I've been waiting for. The letter, I wrote in our orientation camp in Finland last spring. It's pretty scary, amazing and confusing how many things have changed since that weekend in Porvoo. I've learned a lot, I've made awesome friends (e.g. my AFS Finland friends who feel all so close even though we've seen only a couple of times!). My whole life has chansed, I guess I'm also changed a little bit, too. When I wrote this letter I hadn't got any idea how I would feel right now. This moment felt to be so far away in the future that I couldn't even imagine it. But now it's the moment and as our AFS letter said, we've still the whole spring time to enjoy this time right here, right now! And when this all is over we'll have all these memories with us and this experience will always be part of us. I'll always be an exchange student - and proud of it.
ps. Thank you for my AFS friends who wrote me those notes in Porvoo. It was so nice to read you're words when we were all in the start of something new. That weekend was the real start of this experience and also many new awesome friendships! You all mean a lot to me.
