One week

That´s about the time I have left in Finland, before I go back to France and get ready for my next adventure (I´m not quite sure yet what it will consist in - time, and opportunities, will tell).

So, how does one feel, tone week from the end of a long-awaited, exciting, enriching stay in a country you dreamt of for so long?

It probably won´t come as a surprise when I say that I feel bittersweet. I´m impatient to go home to my family, my friends, my dog. I can´t wait to comfortably slip back into a language and culture I understand and am familiar with - living abroad really gives you a new perspective on your own home country, be it positive, negative, or a bit of both!

I´m also sad to leave people and places I´ve grown fond of, and to go back to reality (and responsibilities!)  after twelve months spent on focusing on myself, my wants and my experiences. I feel very privileged to have been able to take and enjoy that time, an opportunity many people don´t get. I´m grateful for it, and I think I made the best of it.

If I had to describe my experience, I would say it has been good. I encountered difficulties in adapting and understanding the Finnish culture, and communicating with people. These difficulties didn´t always have to do with the language barrier, but also with expectations, both mine and those of the people I worked with. So yes, there were disappointments and tough moments where I questioned my decision.

Nevertheless, I´m really glad I made the decision to carry out an EVS and waited so long for it to happen. It has been a beautiful year full of friendships, discoveries and memories to be treasured forever.

On Finland... well, Finland isn´t the easiest country to approach. Finns really are quite a mysterious people to understand, especially for a southern european who has grown up with different behaviors and social expectations! I thought I was reserved and independent, and really I am if you hold me to french standards, but I am no match for the native Finn! In fact, by far the hardest part of my stay here has been my drastically reduced social life.

Finland is an intriguing country for sure, and one year certainly has´t been enough for me to fully comprehend it. But I did get a good insight on the way the Finnish school system and the social structures dedicated to youths in general work, which has been extremely interesting and enriching.

If I had to do it again, then, would I?

The answer is yes, absolutely. This has been such an amazing experience on so many levels, and I think I have benefited and will keep benefitting from it on many levels as well. So at the end of the day, I have no regrets!

This is my last article on the blog and I have to say I quite enjoyed this little writing project. It has helped me organize my thoughts and keep track of things. A lot of personal thoughts and honesty went into those posts, so I hope that, if you read them, you enjoyed them too! :)

- Nahia

Perks of living abroad - Part II

* Getting to become familiar with places you didn´t even know existed. Two years ago, had anyone asked me what i knew about Kotka, Finland, I would´t have been to answer anything other than "uuuuh..." (let´s not even mention Pyhtää!) Now, I can impress all my friends with my knowledge of Finnish geography, a skill that would make anybody jealous. And you never know, this kind of trivial knowledge could come in handy if I ever end up on "Who wants to be a millionaire"!

* New appreciation for some unexpected aspects of your home country. I swear I will never again complain about the price of a magazine in France... with how much they cost, you´d think Finnish magazines have pages made of silk!

* Having the chance to travel to nearby countries that would otherwise be expensive and/or difficult to travel to: hello, Sweden and Denmark! Sweden in particular has been a true revelation. Not to add fuel to the fire of the old Finland/Sweden rivalry or anything (I refuse to take sides), but Sweden is pretty darn awesome.

* Exotic fauna. Well, I admittedly haven´t seen very much of the famous Finnish fauna... since I´ve arrived here, I have seen exactly one moose, and that was from the inside of a moving car. I´ve also seen one raccoon dog (I prefer the Finnish word, supikoira - it sounds much cuter!), and that was also from the inside of a moving car... at night.

Well, I´ve seen plenty of mosquitoes, so there is that...

Think you are going to enjoy Finnish summer? Hahaha WRONG, I and all my friends are gonna make your life a living hell!

- Nahia