Greetings from Turku!

Hi everyone! I'm finally in Finland and I don't think the realization has really kicked in because I am so exhausted. My flight to Washington Dulles was delayed for awhile so I had to wait it out and stay calm. We arrived at Dulles at 9:45 and from there I ran to my gate for the Frankfurt flight. As I was waiting in line, I met some more students who are going to be living in Finland. I was not alone anymore! Anyways, we were on a Boeing 777 so that meant we had our own personal TVs. I got to watch The Hunger Games and then I went to sleep with the help of some Nyquil. We arrived at Frankfurt on time and met with a YFU volunteer in Germany. While also going to the Lufthansa gate, I bought myself some Kinder and Coca-Cola Light. I had fun looking at all of the different candies and drinks. Anyways, we boarded the plane to Helsinki and were very grateful. We had only about 2 hours left of flying. And so, when we finally arrived in the Helsinki airport, we noticed that it was very, very quiet! I had read about it in a travel guide, but I didn't believe it until I experienced it myself. We also met with YFU Finland volunteers and received Finland packets for the orientation. Afterwards, we got on a bus for two hours to go to our hotel in Turku. It is very beautiful here. Everything is so GREEN! It is definitely a lot different than Texas. The temperature has also been quite a shock for me. When I walked outside for the first time, it was probably around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. We also got to experience our first meal in Finland which consisted of pasta and some yummy ice cream for dessert. Another thing that I am excited about is that I am rooming with an exchange student from Estonia. It was a little awkward at first because of the language barrier, but now I know I have to talk slowly and get to the point. Many people do not understand our slang. Also, apparently I have an American accent, which is exciting, because I never consider that I actually do have an accent. We have talked about both of our homes and I have also showed her pictures of Texas. She really enjoyed them a lot and complimented Texas saying, "It is beautiful!" Thank you, Ilona!! Well, I best be getting off to bed, it is midnight here in Finland and I have a big day ahead tomorrow. Good night!!

Finland at 11:45PM