I'm home!! :0) I got back to good old Minnesota last night. It is good to be back but it feels so weird. I think I am in a form of reverse culture shock. When I got off the plane in chicago of course one of the first things I did was buy a reeses peanut butter cup...and when the checkout clerk started speaking to me in English I had to pause for a second before it settled in that I could understand what she was saying. I am sure it will be no time before I am back into the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hola....from the great country of Spain! Lots has happened since we left you off in Roma! Here´s the updates: The next day in Rome went went and saw the Trevi Fountain and threw our coins in & headed up the spanish steps. On Wednesday we got free tickets to go to the papal audience. We got there really early and after a long wait and some running got in the first row. After the audience Bennie went past us and I got to shake his hand....so I understand if there is a long line of people waiting when I get home [View Full Entry]

---

---

So I know I said that I didn't have time to update this but Lindsey and I took the afternoon off from sightseeing so we didn't get too overtired. Being that I know there are a lot of you that want to be updated on our adventure I thought it would be the perfect time to do so... so here I go...I will try and make it as brief as possible.... :0) After London our next stop was Brussels. We met up with Katie (who I was with in Paris) and walked around the city center that night. Some highlights of [View Full Entry]

---

---

So...yesterday Lindsey and Pauline told me that I have a obsession with Beg Ben. But what can I do...I mean that clock just makes me go tick tock! Big Ben is one of London's best-known landmarks. The four dials of the clock are 23 feet square, the minute hand is 14 feet long and the figures are 2 feet high. Big Ben is an excellent timekeeper, which has rarely stopped...that means he is good to count on. Big Ben is just...amazing! I posted lots of photos for proof of how incredible he is... Well...other then big ben watching we have been [View Full Entry]

---

---

I left Helsinki on Thursday morning and after a 2 hour flight I was in Paris!! :0) I found my hostel and then walked around the area of the city I was staying at for a little. My flat mate, Yoann, from Helsinki has an uncle living here, he is kindly letting me store my luggage with him until Lindsey and I come back to Paris to fly home. That night I met with him and some of his friends and we went out for dinner and then they drove me through the city so I could see it at night...oh [View Full Entry]

---

---

So here it is...my last blog entry from Helsinki...wow this feels weird!! Almost five months have passed since I set out on this adventure...and now it is almost over. Thursday I fly to Paris to drop off my luggage and then it is off to London to stay with my friend, Pauline, for a couple days. My friend, Lindsey, is coming over from the U.S. on the 15th and then we will start our backpacking adventure until June 14th when we fly home. Some of our stops on our route include; Brussels, Luxembourg, Hannover (to stay with Sina and Thomas), [View Full Entry]

---

---

10 days to go in Helsinki...time is going so fast. My birthday was this weekend, April 30. The finns really know how to throw a birthday party! :0) Actually my birthday takes place on the eve of May day...known as Vappu in Finland. Finnish people take this holiday seriously. We went downtown for the celebration and festivities. I had heard a little about how big of an event Vappu is but in no way was I expecting this... Vappu gives Finns the opportunity to behave contradictory to their reserve image and parade around the center of Helsinki dressed up in costume [View Full Entry]

---

---

The days are counting down until I leave Helsinki!! :0( The snow is finally melting, the sun is shining, the birds singing, the flowers growing...ahh life is perfect! :0) We made our way down to the city center yesterday to enjoy the beautiful weather. Just as we were about to leave to go downtown my mother called and just had to rub it in that it was 85 degrees outside...Humph! I love bets...they are so much fun. I also love dipping french fries in ice cream...so it was a perfect idea to combine these two loves of mine yesterday. For some [View Full Entry]

---

---

Being a foreigner in Finland one thing I have gotten accustomed to is the Sauna. To Finland the Sauna is such a substantial part of the culture, it is like peanut butter to Americans...well in a way. Finns take the Sauna very seriously and to them a sauna is not a luxury it is a necessity. This weekend I took my sauna experience to the next level...going to a sauna located next to an ice hole. Usually the custom when 'taking a sauna' is to sit in the sauna until you can't stand the heat anymore, exit and cool off either [View Full Entry]

---

---

This past weekend (Thursday through Sunday) Sina, Thomas and I took a short holiday and traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia. It was a fun and interesting trip.... Thursday We traveled by bus for most of the day...leaving Helsinki at 7am and getting to St. Petersburg at 8pm. We went through a travel agency called Bair Travels. Also on the weekend were about 30 other exchange students from different universities in Helsinki. During this bus trip our theme of the weekend became apparent....waiting! First off, we waited in Helsinki for the rest of the students for an hour...and through out the day [View Full Entry]

---

---