I only have two weeks left in this country! I can't believe it; I don't know where this time has gone at all. I've finished my job and am now doing all the stressful stuff to sort out my belongings and get ready to go.
I'm actually feeling a bit overwhelmed because there seems to be so much to do, and I'm already unhappy about going. I'm sure I'll manage to get everything sorted out, and hopefully get myself together by then. On Wednesday a courier is coming to pick up one of my suitcases, filled with non-essential things, and hopefully everything will seem a bit more straightforward once that's been done.
I hope I can get my mindset into a more positive frame of mind, as I'm not succeeding with that right now. I can see some positives to being in England again - I'll be busy with university, and will have a purpose again, so there won't be that bored, frustrating feeling I've had whilst I haven't been working here. I'll have a student loan too, so money son't be quite as much of an issue as it has been here at times. On Friday my employer asked me what will be the first thing i do when I get home - I said sit down and eat solidly for a week. I'm looking forward to that, at least.
I just read the entirety of this blog, and... I just want to somehow express how impressed I am with you, in your determination and intrepidness in coming to know and achieve in a foreign country and also, how sorry I am for the rough time you had in the beginning, both in terms of inane bureaucracy and in the apparent a*hole you dated. I'm also sorry that you came to Finland at a time when irrational xenophobia seems to be gaining intolerable popularity among us.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found the Finland I'm proud of in the honest, open and caring people you've met during your time here as well as in the innate beauty of this country.
I confess I am not much of an aficionado in visual arts, but in my judgment your work is definitely professional, often impressive, and I hope for all the best for you in the future, both in personal and professional life.
- A Passerby -
P.S. Oh, BTW, Turku has a bit ..different atmosphere from rest of Finland, as far as artistic scene goes. If you like it, there is a chance you won't like rest of Finland, even though there are places us natives find far more pleasant. Nevertheless, Fortune be with you :)
Your blog has been a great help to me, both for general information and for a look into another expat's experiences in Finland. I really hope you'll keep us updated on your life in England. Good luck with everything -- leaving Finland, arriving back home, continuing in school, and, hopefully, coming back to Finland again.
ReplyDeleteThank you both so much - the first comment actually made me cry a bit as it's so thoughtful, and I find it so amazing that completely strangers have sent me so many heartfelt good wishes throughout this whole experience. I'm so pleased I decided to write throughout this year.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to say that, although I love Turku, I've also really liked the other plaes I've seen in this country. I've certainly recognised a difference in atmosphere though, but maybe if I spent more time in other places/lived in them, I'd have the same fondness that I do for Turku.
But again, thank you both, I am so grateful for so much kindness.
Ditto on the first post (except for the xenophobia part).
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