!LAPPI 2012!

Last week I had one of teh best weeks of my exchange year! Last week all 140 exchange students travelled up north to Muonio, Lapland :D. The bus trip was extremely long and we were stuck on a bus for at least 10 hours. Although it was a really long trip it was lots of fun filled with many many laughs. We all got the oppurtunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too.
In the 5 days we spent in Lapland we were able to try so many new things such as dog sledding, going for a sleigh ride, snow shoe walking and many others. However, the best thing for me at least was on the last day when we travlled to Rovaniemi and met Joulupukki (santa)! We got the change to walk around his village as well as see his elves.
The week was filled with so many laughs and smiles but also tears for us oldies as this is our last trip with our newbies and maybe the last time we will see some of them! Writing this blog about this trip is really difficult because the trip was just so incredible that it is really hard to put into words what happened and how i and everyone else there felt about the trip!
However, the trip is now definately over and I will miss all of my amazing newbies so much and I hope to see them all again one day! :)

Now on a very sad note, I now only have 1 month left in this amazing country and 1 month left of my exchange before I return back to Australia and ultimately back to reality, but I plan to make every moment count as if its my last and have the most amazing 30 days of my life!

Here are just a few image highlights of the trip...



xxtrueaussiesheila

!SPELA HÅRT, HA KUL, INGEN DRAMAATIK!

This weekend I had my amazing Mexican newbie Caro staying with me. After she arrived on the Friday afternoon, it was into town to do some shopping and looking around before heading off home to eat some dinner with the host family and then it was time for the two of us to just hang around and chill. Later that evening though, Kaity also came over to spend the night too. We decided that it would be a girly evening so we ate ice-cream, chocolate, popcorn and an amazing fruit salad while watching Clueless :)
On Saturday morning Kaity left us, so we decided to sleep in late before getting ready and leaving off to town to go and see Step Up 4. The movie was really god, it was much better than the other 3 because it was basically just dancing through the whole movie. After the movie ended we got a lift back home where we got changed once again because that evening my host sister and I were having a small gathering at our house. So that evening we spent with some good friends, just laughing and talking all night. Caro and I eventually went to bed at around 4am, lol.
Sadly though on Sunday afternoon Caro had to go home and now it is back to studying and an early night before school tomorrow.
I had the most amazing weekend I have had in a long time and I hope to have many more before I leave in only 2 and a half months. :(

xxtrueaussiesheila

!HELSINGFORS!

Last weekend, I travelled with my host family to the capital of Finland, Helsinki. We left on the Friday morning and on the way we stopped at IKEA to do some looking around and to have lunch. After IKEA we went on to Helsinki where we met up with my host brother who took us all out to a Sushi restaurant called Tokyo55. The food was delicious and I actually learnt how to use chopsticks.  On the Friday night we all stayed in hotel Sandic which is in the center of Helsinki and you could see everything from the window. It was sooo cool! :)

The Saturday I went shopping with my host mum and sister. While shopping I finally found a new pair of winter boots, which I was incredibly happy about. Also on Saturday we walked around Helsinki looking at a few touristy things. That evening we ate at a Mexican restaurant which was really good and we also stayed at my host brother's apartment. On Sunday Bea and I travelled to the centre to have breakfast and also did some more shopping. On Sunday we went to an art gallery and to Parliament house. That evening we took a train back to Vaasa, when we arrived home, we were so so tired, but I had an amazing weekend just seeing Helsinki. 

xxtrueaussiesheila

GIRLS NIGHT IN!

Last night it was time for girls night in. Bea had some friends over for dinner and we ate tortilla. Then for dessert we had grapes, honey melon, popcorn and Ben and Jerry's ice-cream (YUMM!!!). It was great to just have some friends over and just chat about school, boys and everything inbetween.

xxtrueaussiesheila

GIRLS NIGHT OUT!

Yesterday it was finally the end of the week. Although, I did not go to school most of the week as I was at home sick, sadly :(. However, Friday feeling better it was off to my only class Psychology for the day. After school it was back home for a few hours, cleaned the bedroom, then got ready to go out.
Last night I had a girls night out with Emmi. We went for a lovely dinner together at Fransmanni a lovely french inspired restaurant. It was great to have a meal out and just hang out with my girl. We had an amazing dessert of chocolate macaroons and we just talked and laughed. It was a really nice evening!

xxtrueaussiesheila

VILAVSLUTNING

It has taken me several weeks but I finally have some photos of Villavslutning.
Villavslutning is a celebration of the end of summer. It is something that is only celebrated in the Swedish speaking parts of Finland, so lucky for me that I live in Vaasa.
I spent the weekend at my host family's summer cottage with my host family and some other exchaneg students. It was a great weekend and it was especially cool because we got to let off our own fireworks which is something you just can't do in Australia.
We also went, swimming, sauna, in the hot tub, berry picking and just spent some time with eachother it was really nice.

xxtrueaussiesheila

WE DON'T REMEMBER DAYS WE REMEMBER MOMENTS

It is now a new school week, so it is time to be open minded and ready to focus once again. But now before I give you all the lowdown on the past weekend, which by the way was great! It was just what I needed to get over my homesickness and remind myself of just why I am here, having the best experience of my life.
So this past weekend was spent mainly with some great friends. On Saturday it was an early wake up of 6am so I could catch trains and head off to Särkänniemi for the day. Särkänniemi is a theme park in Tampere about 3 hours away from Vaasa. I spent the day there riding on rollercoasters and visiting Angry Birds Land with some greats friends before heading off back to Vaasa to go to my friendäs house warming party for their new apartment. It was a lot of fun and it wa really nice that it was just all us girl's. That night I spent at Susu and Pinja's place. Then on Sunday I was able to wake up late before going into town to do some shopping with the girl's then it was back home for me. That eveing was spent hanging at home with my host family. I had a great weekend and it is something that I will always remember. 

xxtrueaussiesheila