Heyyya all!

I have made a new blog where I will be writing now, so if you want to follow my life in Finland, you should go to http://myimaginaryworld-anniina.blogspot.com/. Thank you! :)

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! :)

Stupid blogspot :(

I’ve been ignoring my blog completely for the longest time. At some point I totally forgot it even existed. And then, one day I thought I'd write something, and blogspot wouldn't let me in! I was so mad. But now it works again. Now I don't feel like writing anything though. I guess I have to sinse it's been such a long time.

I was looking through my previous blog texts and realized what a boring person I am nowadays. I used to be so much fun! I used to write so sarcastically and funny, I even made myself laugh just looking at it. And now? Now I just report the things I’ve been doing lately.

I cannot wait to go back home. And at the same time I don’t want the June 16th to ever come. I miss my country, I miss my family, I miss my friends. And then again, I know that they’re there waiting for me. But the people I leave behind when I leave… Well, I might not ever see them again. It’s so bittersweet. I’m thinking about this all the time, constantly. I can’t get it out of my mind. I should just put a smile on my face and enjoy my last few weeks.

But I can’t. It’s because of school. I am so sick of school that you wouldn’t believe me. I think everybody here is. If you Finland people think school is boring, you’re wrong. Come to America and try. I’m living for 4th and 5th period, when I get to paint and sing (and cry). Probably my two (three) favorite things to do at the moment. I am in love with oil paints. I’m doing my first oil painting and it is really hard but also rewarding. I might have to buy some oil paints when I get back home.

Yesterday was seniors last day. Oh how much I wish I was a senior right now. There would be no more stupid finals. No more waking up (well okay graduation practice, but I wouldn’t mind that), no more sitting in classes doing nothing getting bored out of your mind...

I’m guessing you all want to know about my prom. I had a lot of fun considering it was only standing in lines, posing in pictures and dancing. Okay and which sounds more fun: riding in a bus for 5 hours with obnoxious people and spending a long day in a nasty waterpark after partying the previous night and not sleeping, or; sleeping in and lying on the couch for 8 hours straight with the people you love, watching movies, walking in the rain bare foot and eating milkshakes. I pick the second choice. That was our own little post prom.



Random facts:

We had our choir concert which went pretty well. I guess. At least most of it.

The yearbook is one thing that I think we should have in Finland too. It's such a great memory, especially the signatures.

Um. My life is boring. I hate Uniontown.

Oh. I had my Rotary presentation last Tuesday. It went pretty well. I made it more informal and not-boring. I tried to make it interesting.

Then this Wednesday me and Nick went to this Cyberschool dance with Christina. Laura got excited and took about 234567 thousand pictures.

"Just climb on that tree." And awkwardly sit there and smile?

I guess that's it. I'll write again when I feel like writing and hope blogspot won't act dumb next time. Byes.

TSADATATADAADAAAAA !

Things I'm going to do today:

• play Elton John as loud as possible
• bake a cake to Laura for Mother's day tomorrow
• prepare my presentation of Finland for Rotary
• play piano
• draw

Things I WOULD do IF I wasn't sick:

• dance around the house and sing obnoxiously loud with Elton John
• go jogging (the weather even is nice for a change. And I need air)

"On kaikkein kaunein aina oma maa,

Niin moni muuta paremmaksi luuli,

Mut pettymyksen itsellensä saa.

Ei missään taivas sinisemmin loista,

Ei missään hanki hohda kirkkaammin.

Tämä paina sydämees,

Niin on taivas aina sees,

Ja sun taipaleeltas murhe kauas kaikkoo."

♥

The band and choir trip to Disney! (this is going to be really bad English because of my extreme tiredness)

I am convinced that Disney World is the happiest place on earth. They must drug the place somehow. I really think they pump extra oxygen in the air to make everybody walk around for at least ten hours a day, still smiling like they slept a hanger in their mouth. How else could it be possible? I mean, Disney movies and characters are magical but not THAT magical.

Even the 20 hours long bus ride couldn't ruin it. I slept most of the ride anyway. When coming home I was so tired that the floor of the bus felt like the most comfortable place to sleep on ever.

We left Uniontown on Tuesday after school. At that point I didn't realize we were going at all. I was still getting over the fact that I won't see my mom again in awhile. The bus ride was bad, but not as horrible as I had imagined. We drove all day and all night only stopping few times. In Orlando we didn't even check in the hotel, we stopped to eat breakfast and then went straight to the park. You can just imagine how stinky and ugly we were.

The first day we spent at the Islands of Adventure. That park is not a part of Disney and I hadn't been there yet so I was extremely pumped. The Harry Potter world was there! I could not wait to see the castle and everything else. The ride inside the castle was the best. It made me so happy and convinced that I am an actual witch, they just forgot to send me the invitation letter to Hogwarts (Tylypahka). Besides Hogwarts, they also had Hogsmeade (Tylyaho) there, with the actual stores that are there. They actually had Honeydukes (Hunajaherttua) and Zonko's Joke Shop (Sekon Pilapuoti). They sold butterbeer (kermakalja) and chocolate frogs and things like that.

That night it felt amazing to get back to the hotel, take a shower and sleep on a bed. After building a fort between the beds and lying there laughing like bunch of morons. Too bad we couldn't do that while the cake was baking in the oven...

The next day was the Magic Kingdom day. I already visited the other parks that we went to, so it wasn't as overwhelming. It was really different to be with my friends though, instead of my host family. We all wanted to do the same stuff and it was really easy, fun and convenient. We did a lot of unnecessary walking that day.

HUMONGOUS MICKEY MOUSE COOKIES! omnomn.

On Friday we had our performance in Epcot. After that we went to the Blizzard Beach and to Hollywood studios after that. Of course the water park day would be the coldest day. Still not that cold though. It was way too hot for me. The first breath of Florida air after stepping out of the bus was horrible. It is so humid there. I could not take it at all, I'm really happy they didn't place me in any of the Southern States. I added sun sc/g-reen on like every ten minutes and didn't get too burned. Just a bit. Oh and I think Lazy River is the best thing anybody ever came up with.

Saturday, our last day we spent in Epcot. I probably had most fun that day just because we were so tired and laughed at the stupidest stuff. We walked around the world twice. We ate actual good food. Me and Shelby got our faces painted. Clairesa acted super crazy and it was too funny. And then Mickey tried to kill us being creepy and sneaking out of my bag.

I had lots of fun and laughed SO MUCH during that trip, it was absolutely amazing. I will miss these moments so much when I go back to Finland. Even coming back to Uniontown felt so lame.

Minulla tuntuu niin usein näinä päivinä olevan niin kamalan haikea olo. Ihan yhtäkkiä iskee suuri haikeus ja huoli. Siitä, että minä lähden reilun kuukauden päästä kotiin ja joudun jättämään tämän kaiken taakseni. Uniontown, likainen, ruma ja kaikinpuolin tylsä pieni kyläpahanen, kaupunki joka on ollut kotini kohta yhdeksän kuukautta. Ei tule ikävä. Kouluni, minun mittakaavassa suuri, sekin likainen ja erittäin haiseva ja tunkkainen epämieluisa rakennus, jossa vessan ovet eivät sulkeudu jos niitä ei muuraa kiinni repulla ja kirjoilla ja joka tarjoaa pelkästään ranskalaisia tai pizzaa ruoaksi. Ei tule ikävä.

Ystävät. Olen saanut aivan mielettömiä ystäviä. He ovat sen haikeuden ja huolen aihe. Heitä minulle tulee ikävä. On minulla ystäviä Suomessakin, aivan mielettömän upeita ja hauskoja ihmisiä, ihan yhtä upeita kun nämäkin täällä, ei se siitä ole kiinni. Mutta nämä ihmiset täällä ovat jakaneet minun kanssani minun elämäni parhaan vuoden. Eikä minulla ole mitään takeita siitä että ikinä näkisin heitä uudestaan. Kyllä me yhdessä lupasimme yrittää. Mutta heillä alkaa yliopisto kesän jälkeen ja he tulevat olemaan köyhiä opiskelijoita. Ja minä luultavasti tulen olemaan se "starving artist" loppuelämäni ajan... Lupaus siitä, että yritetään todella kovasti järjestää uudelleen näkeminen pitäisi olla minulle tarpeeksi. Haluaisin vain niin kovasti että joku lupaisi minulle, että näemme vielä, etten minä tule koskaan unohtamaan heitä, eivätkä he minua. Best friends forever.

I had to do this dance again since people (Miss Groves) liked it. I think it's a Disney World thing now. If I ever have the opportunity to go back I'm just going to walk around the park dancing like that. And if not, I'll just do it every time I watch a Disney movie.

Anniina kiittää.