It's spring! The sun is out! I'm alive and healthy! I have the best friends in the whole wide world! Needless to say, I'm feeling better. There's a person or two in my life right now that never fail to make me smile. I've been genuinely smiling a lot lately; I can't stop smiling. I am happy. Most of the time. A lot of cool stuff has been going on, but I bet it's no surprise, see, that's what I came here for.
SCHOOL
Dear adults, don't be shocked when I tell you this, but I've lost pretty much all of the little motivation I had earlier to actually do some school work. After all, I just got finished with my schedule for next year, and having to be at school from 8 to 16 pretty much every day studying for classes that actually matter and build my future; I would rather save my energy for that. Nevertheless, I solemnly swear I will pass all my classes here, maybe just not with the best grades that I could get...
I've been busy at school. In March, I had my third quarter choir concert, which I thought was the best one yet, and performing was so much fun again. I also auditioned for centre-stage, which basically is just eight plays directed by our school's theatre 4 students - each in pairs. I was fortunate enough to get into my best friend's play Us & Them, and we're performing on the 15th of this month. In a week. I'm both nervous and excited, but I know that it will be fantastic. Our directors Lilly and Chandler have done an amazing job making the play come alive, and - not to brag, but - they have a pretty darn good cast as well. I have once again made some really good friends, even though.. I won't be spending that much time with them in the future anymore.
Not only have I been practicing for a play, I've also seen some plays at our school. Our improv team had a show a couple of weeks ago, and it was incredible. I love all of the people in it, and improv is always fun. Spending time with your besties at Leatherby's afterwards is also fun. Then, there was Urinetown. Yes, it was about peeing, and I hate to say this but I loved it so so much. I laughed, almost cried.. our MDT kids really know what they're doing. But yeah, it was a really good satiric musical with the funniest music that I have actually been listening ever since I saw it.
Lastly, our school had this thing called the Howl on the 5th, where they had all kinds of fun activities and a stomp at the end. I had the best time with all my beautiful and rhythmically talented friends - they for sure know how to dance. And I got some cute pictures, too. Again, after a fun time, we went to Leatherby's to have some more fun time, and this time we got the privilege to see some awesome magic tricks as well. Winks.
SPRING BREAK
This was well-needed, and I loved how in the beginning of this break I had zero plans for it, but I still ended up doing all this fun stuff every single day. Well, my definition of fun is binge-watching two tv-shows and five movies in three days BUT, then I got my butt moving and went on two hikes; with my host family, and with the Endrizzi family. We had a killer aerobic workout at Young Women's on Wednesday, I watched the first two Hobbits with Brandon on Thursday and Saturday, and I went camping with my closest friends from Friday to Saturday. And then there was Easter Sunday.
Out of all of those things, camping was the most fun, for sure. Even though my sensitive eyes were leaking the whole time because of the campfire smoke, it was cold and windy, and I only got an hour or two of sleep while all the others were peacefully snoring - I got to have a little piece of the girl's camp experience I'm not going to be here for, I tried smores for the first time, we roasted Starburst, and all in all just had a great time. Thank you Papa Hyde and all my amazing friends, for that.
CHURCH
For my church, I gave up sugar for lent this year, and it was hard, as you can probably imagine. It wasn't perfect, but I still could definitely notice the difference in my life, and once again I got proof that I really shouldn't be eating sugar at all. It's not good for me; it's not good for anyone. Yet, here I am, at this very moment, eating some delicious salmiakki my wonderful parents sent me.
On the last day of March I got to attend the same kind of Finnish reunion I did in October, but this time I grabbed some friends to come with me, and it was amazing. I even got a piece of my favorite rye bread (ruispuikula, yum!). The next day it was time for General Conference. I was lucky enough to participate in the General Women's session on the 25th of March, and I loved it. I loved General Conference, too. Even though I'm not a member of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, it was amazing to hear from their prophets, and as a Christian, pretty much all of the things they talked about I can apply to my life as well. I jotted down some great notes, and I will surely listen to some talks on lds.org in the future, because, well... You should check some out, too. They're incredible, and hearing words of wisdom always makes me feel the Spirit, and the Spirit makes me feel happy. And that's what our Heavenly Father wants for us: to be happy.
Yesterday, the 6th of May, my little host brother got baptized, and I am so grateful that I got to be here for that. I can't describe the feeling I got when I was there, the room was filled with love, and frankly, it brought tears to my eyes. Seeing people love each other so fondly, feeling love all around you is just so beautiful. Love makes me cry. Not necessarily happiness or sadness, but love, and sometimes the lack of.
FUN TIMES
As you all should know, music and theatre make me happy. Having so much of those in my life is one of the reasons I am so happy. My amazing host mom was a part of this incredibly beautiful production of the Lamb of God that we got to go see on March 18th, and again, I was crying throughout the whole thing. I loved it so much, and luckily there's an album on Spotify so I usually have that as my Sunday jams. I also saw this powerful play called Streetcar named Desire with my friend Andrew, and a musical with lots of Broadway songs in it, but I can't quite remember the name of it. I enjoyed both of those as well, even though the Streetcar one made me a lil uncomfortable from time to time.
Then, I got asked to prom. Twice. I won't talk about that too much and I believe those who want to know what happened already know, but if this bothers you, please just come talk to me. I'm just saying that I've been spending a lot of time with whom I believe is the nicest guy on this planet; he's amazing. I'm so grateful for all the things he does for me. I'm grateful for our movie nights, I'm grateful that he buys me food, takes me to beautiful places, opens doors for me, plays me the guitar, holds my hand, and listens to me. I'm grateful for all the smiles and hugs, good morning and goodnight texts, and that he always makes me feel better simply by being himself.
FEELINGS
Now that I only have a month left in Riveron, I've been asked if I was excited to go home a lot. And every time I tell them yes, and no. That it's bittersweet. That it's going to feel weird. And that I'm going to miss everyone here, and it's all true.
One quote you must have heard if you have had anything to do with exchange students is that an exchange year is not a year in a life, it's a life in a year, and I always thought of it as this stupid cliché that I guess that's how it feels like and stuff, but Oh. My Gosh. It is honestly the most accurate thing I could ever say about this year. Just like I said in my last post: I feel as though I have two lives. I still do. It's crazy. And it's sad. To be seventeen and only live for a year. Obviously that's not how it is, but that's how it feels like.
The one thing I regret/feel bad about is not spending as much time as I could've with my host family. I love all of them, but having school and a social life really takes up a ton of my introverted energy, so most of my free time at home is spent napping, and doing homework. Of course I try to attend as many family activities as I can, but just a piece of advice to my fellow future exchange students: do things with your host family. It is one of the most important things of your year, and I wish someone had told me that earlier. Family is important, friends of course are important as well, but once you have made good friendships, you know that you don't have to cling to them all the time, and family always comes first.
Now, I do feel like I have created a family within my friends. Aspen being the grandpa, and Faith and Lilly are me and Amanda's parents. I'm telling you once again: they're incredible. My year would not have been nearly as amazing as it has been if it wasn't for them. I am eternally grateful that I had the chance to meet and get to know all of them, I will never forget them, and I'm hoping they will never forget me either. Also, today at church they all were dressed in blue and white; the colors of Finland! Without planning it too - it was too funny not to take a picture. Aren't they just stunning?
Enää kuukausi jäljellä! Voitteko uskoa?! Koska mä en. Samaan aikaan tuntuu että just tulin tänne ja että oisin ollu tääl ajanlaskun alusta alkaen... Itelleni oon selittäny tän fiiliksen siten että muistan sen päivän jona lähin niin elävästi niin siks tuntuu et just tulin tänne, mut sit koska oon saanu niin älyttömän tärkeitä ja läheisiä ihmissuhteita tän vuoden aikana ni siks tuntuu et oisin tuntenu heidät aina - joten tuntuu et oisin ollu täällä aina.
Kun tulee kyse paluuseen, sanon aina miten oudolta se tulee tuntumaan ku niin moni asia mun Suomi-elämässä on muuttunu, mut sit mul aina kerrotaan miten se tulee mun perheellekkin oudolta tuntumaan, koska mä oon myös muuttunu niin paljon. Mä en sitä oikeen huomaa, koska, no, mä elän itteni kanssa joka päivä. En mä huomaa mun hidasta muutosta/kasvua, mut jos oot ollu musta erossa kymmenen kuukautta ni kyl siinä varmaan jotain muutoksia väistämättäkin noteeraa. Saa nähä sit.
En haluu kirjottaa tätä englanniks, mut ai että kun tää sattuu. Kun tulin tänne, en itkeny lähtöä muuta kun vasta sinä päivänä ku lähin, mut tiiän et tuun itkemään monesti tän kuukauden aikana... Oon kerran itkeny, ja se oliki iha kunnon vollotusta puol tuntia putkeen. Mun paras kaveriki on kertonu mulle et hän itkee suurinpiirtein joka toinen päivä kun ajattelee sitä et oon lähössä, ja muut ei ees haluu ajatella sitä. Enkä haluu mäkään. On mulla täs viel kuukausi aikaa olla näiden ihmisten kanssa ja pitää hauskaa, joten mitä sitä tulevia murehtimaan. Mut on se kyl vaikeempaa lähtee täältä kun kotoa. Kun mä lähin Suomesta, mä tiesin et palaisin kymmenen kuukauden päästä takasin ja kaikki olis taas okei. Mut kun mä lähen täältä, en tiiä millon mä palaan tänne taas (tulee tapahtumaan, en vaan tiedä millon). Mä en tiedä kuinka kauan nää mun ystäväsuhteet jatkuu tulevaisuuteen, sit kun ei voida enää nähdä toisiamme. Ollaan luvattu et pysytään ystävinä aina, ja mä uskon sen, mut on mulla silti mun huoleni... Kaukosuhteet ei oo ihan mun juttu, mut aina sitä voi parhaansa tehdä, ja näiden ihmisten kanssa se on sen arvosta. Mä rakastan mun ystäviä.
The one thing I regret/feel bad about is not spending as much time as I could've with my host family. I love all of them, but having school and a social life really takes up a ton of my introverted energy, so most of my free time at home is spent napping, and doing homework. Of course I try to attend as many family activities as I can, but just a piece of advice to my fellow future exchange students: do things with your host family. It is one of the most important things of your year, and I wish someone had told me that earlier. Family is important, friends of course are important as well, but once you have made good friendships, you know that you don't have to cling to them all the time, and family always comes first.
Now, I do feel like I have created a family within my friends. Aspen being the grandpa, and Faith and Lilly are me and Amanda's parents. I'm telling you once again: they're incredible. My year would not have been nearly as amazing as it has been if it wasn't for them. I am eternally grateful that I had the chance to meet and get to know all of them, I will never forget them, and I'm hoping they will never forget me either. Also, today at church they all were dressed in blue and white; the colors of Finland! Without planning it too - it was too funny not to take a picture. Aren't they just stunning?
Enää kuukausi jäljellä! Voitteko uskoa?! Koska mä en. Samaan aikaan tuntuu että just tulin tänne ja että oisin ollu tääl ajanlaskun alusta alkaen... Itelleni oon selittäny tän fiiliksen siten että muistan sen päivän jona lähin niin elävästi niin siks tuntuu et just tulin tänne, mut sit koska oon saanu niin älyttömän tärkeitä ja läheisiä ihmissuhteita tän vuoden aikana ni siks tuntuu et oisin tuntenu heidät aina - joten tuntuu et oisin ollu täällä aina.
Kun tulee kyse paluuseen, sanon aina miten oudolta se tulee tuntumaan ku niin moni asia mun Suomi-elämässä on muuttunu, mut sit mul aina kerrotaan miten se tulee mun perheellekkin oudolta tuntumaan, koska mä oon myös muuttunu niin paljon. Mä en sitä oikeen huomaa, koska, no, mä elän itteni kanssa joka päivä. En mä huomaa mun hidasta muutosta/kasvua, mut jos oot ollu musta erossa kymmenen kuukautta ni kyl siinä varmaan jotain muutoksia väistämättäkin noteeraa. Saa nähä sit.
En haluu kirjottaa tätä englanniks, mut ai että kun tää sattuu. Kun tulin tänne, en itkeny lähtöä muuta kun vasta sinä päivänä ku lähin, mut tiiän et tuun itkemään monesti tän kuukauden aikana... Oon kerran itkeny, ja se oliki iha kunnon vollotusta puol tuntia putkeen. Mun paras kaveriki on kertonu mulle et hän itkee suurinpiirtein joka toinen päivä kun ajattelee sitä et oon lähössä, ja muut ei ees haluu ajatella sitä. Enkä haluu mäkään. On mulla täs viel kuukausi aikaa olla näiden ihmisten kanssa ja pitää hauskaa, joten mitä sitä tulevia murehtimaan. Mut on se kyl vaikeempaa lähtee täältä kun kotoa. Kun mä lähin Suomesta, mä tiesin et palaisin kymmenen kuukauden päästä takasin ja kaikki olis taas okei. Mut kun mä lähen täältä, en tiiä millon mä palaan tänne taas (tulee tapahtumaan, en vaan tiedä millon). Mä en tiedä kuinka kauan nää mun ystäväsuhteet jatkuu tulevaisuuteen, sit kun ei voida enää nähdä toisiamme. Ollaan luvattu et pysytään ystävinä aina, ja mä uskon sen, mut on mulla silti mun huoleni... Kaukosuhteet ei oo ihan mun juttu, mut aina sitä voi parhaansa tehdä, ja näiden ihmisten kanssa se on sen arvosta. Mä rakastan mun ystäviä.
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