Home Stretch

Hyvää Uutta Vuotta kaikille! 

Happy New Year everyone!

With this new year comes the ending of my exchange year which is a time of many mixed emotions. I am excited to return to Australia and see all of my loved ones there again, and I am excited to see what the new year and my next chapter holds for me. However, 2013 was an incredible year and in a lot of ways I don't want it and my exchange to be over just yet. 

The new relationships I have formed this year with both my Finnish families and friends, and other exchange students from all around the world are ones that I will treasure forever. It will be really hard to leave Finland not knowing when we will see each other again. However, whether I want to go or not, there's no putting off the fact that I will be leaving very soon. So, this week has held the beginning of my farewells. 

This past weekend was my last full weekend in my town. Saturday night I spent with many of my good friends at one of my best friend's home for the first of my farewells.

Sunday I spent with two friends watching Futsal (a sport like indoor soccer).

Then on Monday I had friends over to my home for a small farewell party in the evening. We just hung out, chatted and ate together. 

One of my first and really good Finnish friends, Eppu, made me a cute little book with photos of us and wrote some beautiful things in it for me about our friendship. Such a thoughtful and much treasured gift from one of my best friends!

Today was the first day back at school after the Christmas break. As it's the beginning of a 

new term and I am only here for 4 days of it (sniff sniff! How sad! Still can't believe how close I am to the end!) I spent the day just going to different lessons along with my friends and after school we went together to the local Chinese restaurant. It was so lovely!

Only a few days left! To everyone back home in Australia- See you soon! ♥