This is it. My time in Finland is over. Wow did it fly by. I feel like I just got here! I mean wasn't it just yesterday that I went on the longest plane ride over here to this retirement center room??? How I am going to miss this silly room, and this cold windy city, and these awesome friends I have made. I am so excited about the journey ahead of me, but sad to be leaving this behind. I hate goodbyes! Today I have said too many. Luckily Facebook can bring us all together again. I just feel like it is the end of high school all over again. You know, when you know you are never going to see these people again? I'll admit that I cried today. Abbie, Asha, and I watched Grey's Anatomy (Like we do about everyday) for the last time tonight... the last time! We even bought 6 euro Ben and Jerry's to make it memorable. Luckily I am going to see them in Berlin in two weeks. But we will never be back in Domus (my building) eating chocolate and watching Grey's again.
Ok, so enough about my bittersweet feelings and emotions going on inside me. Let's talk about Vappu! Vappu is May Day. This is a huge event for the Finns! To put in a non-Finnish way, its when all the Finns come out of hibernation, wear bright colors, fill the city with HUGE balloons, and enjoy the outdoors! It was so much fun. It starts on Thursday(30th) and ends technically on Friday (1st).
The Finns get this sailor hat when they graduate high school, so this is the day they wear that hat. Also, university students usually wear these overall things that are really ugly actually but very practical. They wear them for special events. They also fill them with patches, kind of like the girl scouts vests. So, most people were walking around in their overalls and hats, but there were also cute old ladies with their cute husbands walking around in their hats too! Sailors were everywhere!
Vappu is a just a huge party on the streets of Finland. On Thursday there is this ceremony where about 7 or so people get hoisted up on crane in the air so that they can place a huge sailor hat on Havis Amanda, a statue of a naked girl in a park in the city. It was really cool. Then, after they party in the streets for the rest of the night, they wake up early to cookout in the park. The park was so crowded! We went with this disposable grill, which is the neatest and coolest thing ever!!!! Anyways, the Finns were much more prepared than we were. Some had actual tables, others had DJ's and mini dance parties, and then a lot brought their own grills. The park was so crowded, full of balloons and people in sailor hats and bright colors. Vappu is a huge deal for Finland, so it was neat to experience it here.
After everyone got burnt by the sun in the park, we grilled out again on the roof of our building. What we thought would just be a couple people turned out to be a huge gathering! It was great though just to hang out with everyone. I miss cooking out.
The weather is not warm, but its not cold either. Its about 50 F. So, Sunday a couple of us went to the beach and had a little picnic. The sand was actually out and not covered in ice! It was weird to be at the beach! I hate that I am leaving right when the warm weather is coming.
In about two hours I am off on a train to the airport where I will fly to Bremen, Germany. I am about to start my travels around the rest of Europe. Let me just say it is so bittersweet. I am so excited to see the rest of the world!! But, I am so sad to leave everyone. Also, I am sad to be leaving Europe all together in less than a month and to go back to the "real world".... but I am so excited to see everyone and to be back in TN with sweet tea and BBQ. A little side note: the Europeans/Australians call grilling out a BBQ, which is really confusing. I keep trying to tell them that you can have BBQ and have a cook out, but not every cook out has BBQ...confusing.
All day I have been packing and cleaning and saying goodbye. I guess this is real now. I am really leaving...
Above are pictures of my Vappu weekend.
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