Hello all you wonderful friends! For those of you who don't know, I am off to Finland this Wednesday, not to return for an entire year. Time certainly does fly, it feels like just yesterday I had months before I left, and now I am leaving in less than 24 hours. This journey that I am about to embark on is going to be difficult, scary, and exhausting, but it is also going to be exciting, fun, and rewarding. Whether I have just met you recently, we have been friends for years, or you are part of my crazy family, you have all changed my life and helped me to become the person that I am today. You have prepared me for this amazing journey and I am forever thankful to all of you. While I am anxious to start this new chapter in my life, you can be rest assured that I am not in a rush to leave my old life behind. I plan on using this blog as a way to let all of you who are interested know about my new life, and hopefully as a way to stay in contact with you all. Studying abroad has been a dream of mine since seventh grade, but it is a tall order. I have to thank my parents for supporting me despite all the challenges that it has created. For a long time I was worried that studying abroad would be a dream forever, and it would never actually come to reality, and now that it is actually happening it almost doesn't feel real.
Everyone keeps asking me why I chose Finland. I chose Finland because... Why not? Finland was one of the few options that I, as a gap year student, was able to choose to go to for an entire year. It immediately caught my eye as a place I could fit well in. Cold weather: perfect. Obscure language and location: awesome. I'm already in love with the culture and I haven't even set foot in the country yet!!
I am so excited to finally be doing this!