im in a good mood and feel like writing for once.

Today is officially my one month in Finland and I can't believe i've already been here that long. If it keeps going this fast ill be coming home in what feels like tomorrow. That is a day I am not ready to face.

It sounds weird but I am already becoming so emotionally attached to this country. I think one of the main reasons is because it is so similiar to Canada. People keep asking me if I miss Canada. Of course I miss Canada, I love that country and all that it stands for. But yet, I feel like I'm in Canada all the time here. I feel accepted and like I fit in here. I can't even explain why, I just do.

Some of the other exchange students are starting to get really homesick. I feel so bad and I try to help them. We have become like a family and I talk to them more than most of my friends talk to me from home. A lot of them have already thought about going home before the 10 months is over. They dont think they are going to make it. I hope every single one of us does. We are all so strong for taking this risk in the first place. Yes, it is a risk. Picking up your life from one country and moving to another is not easy. Making new friends, establishing a new meaning of family, struggling with the language, not understanding anything. It's all a risk. But the whole experience makes us stronger as people. I can already say that I have learned a lot about myself during this experience. I learned ways to control my emotions, that sometimes its okay to cry for no reason, and so much more..
There is this song that a girl sang at language camp. I listen to it over and over and over every day. Its depressing but positive and I dont know. It just makes me think of this whole experience and how much it means. And when I miss home, it pushes me to keep going.

It started out as a feeling

Which then grew into a hope

Which then turned into a quiet thought

Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder

Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back

When you call me

No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing

Doesn't mean it's never

Been this way before

All you can do is try to know

Who your friends are

As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon

And follow the light

You'll come back

When it's over

No need to say good bye

You'll come back

When it's over

No need to say good bye

Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger

Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back

When they call you

No need to say good bye

You'll come back

When they call you

No need to say good bye

I haven't really felt homesick yet that much. Seeing my dogs I think was the hardest thing. They kept looking for me when they could hear me on skype and that was the thing that made me the most homesick. Today I've been a little homesick, seeing everyones statuses on facebook about how they are so excited to start their last year of high school and how should cherish every minute of it and blah blah blah. Kind of makes me wish that I was there celebrating it with them. But in other ways, I know that the things they do this year are never ever going to live up to the experiences I will have. 

<3<3<3 minä rakastan suomi, on paras. 

(I love Finland, it is the best)