Home, safe and everything's great. ♥

I didn't even realize how much I had missed everybody until I saw all of them at the airport. My mom, dad, Emilia & Mimmi (little sisters), my grandparents and my dogs were waiting there. I didn't remember how different everything was. The nature is so different, the roads are, people are. Even the air tastes different, I swear!

I've been walking so much more here than there. When here we're walking around the city with my friends, in the US I'd be driving around town with them. It makes a big difference, it really does.

After I got a bit adjusted we left to Kuopio with mom, grandma and grandpa. I got to see my great uncle and aunt, and my great grandparents. Me and my sister both applied for high schools there. I had my audition today, for a music high school. It went well and I made it in. I'm pretty (=really) pumped. Me, my sister, my mom and the doggies are going to move there at the end of July. I'm pretty pumped for that too actually. So today I also saw our new home and it was really nice. I can't wait to move. My sister stole my room while I was gone, and now I'm living in her room and it's so tiny. I hate it. Well, not for a long time anymore.

Oh how much I missed my country and my family. It feels so good to be home, I can't even describe it. I'm still really tired from the time difference and the sleepless night in the plane. This time I was really lucky; all of my flights were on time and everything went well. Except I didn't sleep at all in the plane, I was way too nervous/excited and the seat was way too uncomfortable.

The best moment of coming back was when my three-year-old little sister Mimmi said: "Anniina, ompa kiva kun tulit kottiin, mulla oli ikävä siuta." (=Anniina, it was so nice that you came home, I missed you.").

It was when we went for a swim in the freezing cold lake from sauna, when I really got the Finland feeling. I realized that I'm home now. After sauna I sat on the rock and just looked at the lake and trees. It was so beautiful. My own dear home country♥

Thank you for all of my readers, thank you for leaving comments too! They make me so happy.

Anniina kiittää.

PS. There's one thing that I didn't miss at all though. FREAKIN' MOSQUITOES. I-H.A.T.E-T.H.E.M. You can't even walk the dogs without getting totally killed. Ughhhhh

Byesss, seeya

Now it is time to do the last blog while still being an exchange student in the United States. I will probably write once or twice more when I get home. I am not certain if I will keep on writing after that.

I spent my last days in 'murica as much with my friends as I could. I feel like every day the past week I had to say goodbye to somebody. And it was not easy. Some people I know for sure I will see again, and saying bye to them is not so hard. Saying goodbye to them that I love, but will probably never see again, was unbelievably hard.

I will fly home tomorrow. PIT - JFK, JFC - Helsinki-Vantaa, Helsinki-Vantaa - Joensuu. Hopefully the planes will be on time and I will get home before August. If everything goes well I should be in Joensuu Friday morning. I basically started packing today. I'm always on time with things like this.

This morning...

Five hours later.

Somehow I did get all of my stuff fit in my suitcase, and it wasn't too heavy either. This must have something to do with magic.

Now, this may sound cheesy but I'm going to say it anyway. If you were my friend this year, I'd like to thank you. Thank you for being there for me, thank you for listening. Mostly, thank you for making my year worth it. I don't know if I would've made it through without my friends. I will always remember my first and last high school musical, laying on the parking lots, eating junk food, singing as loud as possible even though it hurt and being ridiculous on the stage. I will always remember my choir class where there never was a boring moment when Miss Groves, Derek and Casey were in the same room. I will always remember Disney World, building forts, eating cheesecake, my crazy dance, burning in the sun and running through the parks to the bus thinking we were late. And I will always remember our adventures in oh-so-fun Uniontown. Going to the movies because there simply was nothing else to do, prom and post prom, being "rebellious", and always ending up in the Target parking lot eating cheese and wondering the wonders of the world.

So thank you. I learned so much about life and world. I made so many mistakes, there are so many things I would do differently if I could. But I can't, and next time I will know better.

And just because these two pictures describe my friends the best.

Right now this is all I can say.

Thanks. And see you. Or not...

Time to say Goodbye

Who could've ever imagined this year would go so fast. I remember my countdown. A month behind, two, three, four. And then, halfway through! Suddenly I only had four months left. Then three, two, one. And now I'm down to 11 days. Eleven short days.

Last Wednesday I said bye to the place I called my school this year. I can honestly say that the only thing I am going to miss are 4th and 5th period. I am so glad I don't have to sit in the classes worrying if I'm going to die just because it's so boring. I don't have to wander the corridors anymore by myself. And I don't have to ride the school bus.

I put this picture here to cheer everybody up. Let's not get too emotional (until the last text before I leave).

I have to admit that it was sad, in a way. Wednesday I saw lot of the people the last time. But then again, I still got those eleven days to spend time with the people I want to spend my time with.

What was a lot harder for me, was to say goodbye to all the fellow exchange students. It is unbelievable how well we bonded in such a short time. For example, this was the first time I ever saw Ivor, but it was just obvious that we were best friends, just like with all the others. And even the others, we have got together maybe five times, and every time somebody's been missing. And still, just because we are in the same situation and understand each other and what we're going through, makes us so close. What an amazing opportunity. Now I got friends all over the world!

Presented: Brazil, Austria, America, Finland and Japan!

Me and Melissa (who's going to Finland next year!) wearing our beautiful jackets.

And then we went bowling. Randomness.

At first I wasn't too excited about the district conference, to be honest, but it definitely was a great time. The thought that it would be the last time we got together didn't cross my mind until it was time to say goodbye. All I needed to do was look at my little Lisa, my baby, and it made me burst into tears. I know that I'm going to see them again. I just know it.

Lisa, my baby!

Friday was also the graduation. I don't really remember anything else but suffering. I got really (and I mean really) sun burned the day before and my skin hurt... a lot. I was looking for a word more like kamalan-hirvittävän-älyttömän-uskomattoman-jumalattoman paljon, but I couldn't come up with anything. Also, suffering is a really mild word to describe the pain I was in. Also, I should have counted how many people came up to me and pointed out that I was sun burned. Really? I myself was in the belief that I was just suddenly turning into a freakin' Indian.

So, I got 11 days and I am going to make the best out of them and enjoy as much as possible. And then I will be happy to go home.

Anniina kiittää.

PS. I just realized 51 people read my previous text (or clicked the button anyway). I think that is the record so far. Thank you so much for reading my blog, I really do appreciate it! And it means so much that so many people like it. Keep clicking the button, and thanks again! :)