Alright folks, I am SO late with writing and really don’t have a great excuse! I’ve been back in Michigan for a little over a month and have honestly not felt like spending much time on the computer. Not to mention the fact I’ve been working at Ryke’s pretty much constantly since I’ve made my return… It’s good though! I need to make money to pay off the last semester and save for the coming year. I’ve had some fun seeing family and friends, and going to a few concerts. But for now I’ll recap the end of my journey for you.
The last time I posted I had just arrived in Finland. The days I spent there were absolutely incredible. I didn’t do anything spectacular, but merely being with my families and friends again was more amazing that I could have imagined. It never ceases to amaze me how years can go by, but if you’ve made a connection with someone, that connection never fades. I spent a few days with one of my best friends Heidi and one day were just sitting around watching “Say Yes to the Dress” on TV and she said, “We haven’t seen each other in four years and all we’re doing is watching TV!” But I think that’s what is so great about strong friendships. You can just slip into the rhythm you had when you were last together and everything just feels natural.
I was really hoping that would be how it felt to be in Finland, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. It even smelled the way I remembered! I spent a lot of time with my first host family and even slept in my old room. It was easy to keep that as a “home base” of sorts because it was so centrally located. I went to a summer cottage with two girls I played viola and sang with and went to Helsinki to spend time with two of my host sisters. For the midsummer festival I was lucky enough to be with my second and third families at the Ruissalo’s summer cottage – the same way I spent it four years ago. Most of us hadn’t changed, just my younger host sisters had grown into beautiful young ladies. I spent time walking around Riihimaki again, and even ran into old friends from school who were shocked to see me back in Finland. I remembered my way around perfectly, just as I hoped I would.
I think everyone I saw when I was back in Finland was happy I had made the effort to come back (at least I hope they were). I don’t really notice it so much, but it is quite the affair for me to get over to Europe. This had been my plan since I started at MSU though. I put it in my mind that I would study abroad in Europe my junior year and make that glorious return to Finland. I’m still getting choked up having accomplished that goal. I’m really proud that I was able to do it all and in only four years. At the end of my stay in Finland my friends said, “Ok, now it is our turn to visit you!” It makes me feel so good that they would want to come to visit me, even to Michigan. I have a feeling, though, that we’ll end up traveling somewhere new to all of us with how much we all love traveling. I know I will see my friends and family in Finland again. I’ve done it once now, and since I accomplished that there is no question it will happen again – and each time will be just as amazing as the last.
Now that I am home I’ve kind of gotten back into the swing of things… but that is kind of impossible right now. I will be in a constant state of transition for the next few years, but that’s ok with me. I can’t deny that I’m a bit scared, but more than anything I am excited for the future. I will be a senior at MSU this year and my mom is preparing to move to Las Vegas and we are selling the house I grew up in. I am very happy for my mom, but I am sad to say goodbye to my house. I am so thankful that I’ve had such a great time growing up with my family so close to me, and I am really glad to know my dad and grandparents will always be in Muskegon. And at the end of the day, my mom will only be a plane ride, or better yet, a call on Skype away.
I guess the next thing to talk about would be culture shock now that I’m back in the US… and I must say that I haven’t really experienced much. I did when I came back from Finland four years ago, but this time I was pretty much ready for what it would be like. I also feel like it would have been much different to come home directly from the Czech Republic. If I had done that I think I would have had a much harder time handling not being around the friends I had made and I would miss Olomouc even more than I do. But since I did some traveling and felt like I had gone “home” when I went to Finland, I had the chance to quickly recover from saying goodbye to my new friends, in a sense, and just be extremely happy to be back in Finland. This isn’t to say that I don’t miss my new friends at all – I miss them terribly! It’s just different. I think I also feel that way because I know how feasible it is for me to see them again. It really isn’t a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.
To rap up my journey this time around in Europe I’ll just say this: It was perfect. I know that seems a little simple and general, but I wouldn’t have changed anything from this past semester. It was the perfect program for me and I was able to grow intellectually and personally in the ways I so hoped I would. The friends I made and the places I traveled to were incredible, and I hope to keep these friends for years to come. I’m also relieved that I’m still as interested in Central and Eastern Europe as I was before I left. This is really comforting since I’m jumping into my senior year and I’m positive I’ve made all the right decisions academic wise while at MSU! So who knows what my next step will be, but at least every leap I’ve taken has taken me higher and has just added to the exciting experience of growing up.
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