Mail & Camp

Hello! I'm back with new pictures! I just came back from Nurmes where I was volunteering at an International camp.. I've been in a rush for the last 1,5 months but now I'm settling down again. And I've got plenty pictures and stories for you guys! I'll write you another part of my Turkey exchange very soon, I just wanted to talk about these newer things first :)

So, yes, I was at the camp. It was amazing experience and I learned a lot more about myself. It turned out very well even though I wasn't really feeling like going there at first.. The bus trip was so long and I felt like I would have preferred staying home with my friends and family since I'd just came back to Finland. But I'm happy I went there! Now I'm just happily at home again :D

I had these two cuties waiting for me when I came back home and I was thrilled to see them! ↴

This one is from Kinga, Poland. I hadn't heard from her for months so I was sooo surprised and happy to receive that letter!! She sent me a postcard and some interesting-sounding sweet chili tea along the letter :)

And this baby is from Jade, California! You guys have no idea how happy I was to see that letter waiting for me :D She also sent me some stickers that I just noticed I had unfortunately left out of the picture.. I don't know how that happened xD And that postcard is from Hawaii <3

Thank you both! 

Turkey ✰ Part 1

Hello, loves!! ♥

I'm back in the business again, after three weeks I finally have some time to sit down and open my computer and write about all those crazy things that have happened to me. I actually tried to write a blog post a few times but I always got distracted and/or I just didn't feel like writing... But here I am again. With a bunch of pictures!! I think I have so many pictures that I should do two or three separated posts. :D

Soo as you know I've spent the last three weeks in beautiful and sunny Turkey! First I was living in a host family and this post will be about that time. I really liked my host family and I feel like I couldn't have asked for better family! ♥ I landed on Istanbul on Sunday and went to the seaport to take a ferry to Mudanya, Bursa. My first view of Bursa was unbelievably amazing, it was at night and the first (and only) thing I saw was those beautiful lights in pitch black city. It shocked me at first, because I had just gotten used to Finland's clear and not-dark-at-all nights. :D

This first collage is from my first two days in Bursa:

1. Walking around Bursa with friends 2. Seaport where I took the ferry 3. The first Mosque I visited, Bursa the Great Mosque ♥ 4. We went to an amusement park and there was this cool water fountain 5. Look at that view!!!! 6. Melisa (with one s) is also a common name in Turkey so I was so thrilled when I saw that cool shop :D 7. Yours truly and the view *__* 8. A tower near the vantage point 9. Just a picture from a bridge in Bursa, I love the mountains!

And these pictures are from the other days in host family:

1. My host family had also a daughter who lived a few houses from their house and her house provided this AMAZING view, I'd never seen anything like that before! It looks a bit bland in the picture, but it was incredible! 2. We also visited the Bursa zoo and saw many animals, for example that giraffe ;) 3. Same place :D 4. Iskender kebab is the special kebab of Bursa and we also ate that and OF COURSE it was reeeally good! 5. My first postcards from Turkey to Finland 6. Just walking somewhere (?) 7. Dut!! Have you heard about that before? Especially my Finnish readers: We don't have anything like that in Finland, right? Oletteko kuulleet tosta ennen? Suomennos taisi olla silkkiäispuu tai jotain sinne päin :D But I really liked it!  8. & 9. More pictures from the Zoo 

Last days in host family ♥:

1. We went to Istanbul for one day and this picture is from the seaport when we arrived there 2. Dolmabahce Palace and 3. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque were both so cool! 4. Back to Bursa! Another view :D 5. More postcards.. 6. Me at the balcony of my hosts' house 7. I really like those Turkish houses! This is the neighborhood of where my host family lived 8. Pool, I have so many great memories from there ♥ 9. Bursa, again :D

That's all from now, I hope you liked my little travel story part one! Stay tuned for more.. ;) ♥

New Layout + Letter

Yey, I just changed the blog layout! I thought that this blog needs something new and fresh. What do you think? I might still do some changes, let's see how much time I have! :)

This is a letter to Martyna, Poland! I sent it like ages ago but I've just forgotten to show it here. Actually I found the picture from the draft folder :D

My preparation for the Turkey trip is now pretty much done. I just have to do the final packing. :) For the end of the week I'm going to my godparents' summer cottage with my parents to celebrate Midsummer. I don't know yet what we are going to do, but I'm sure we'll figure something out. :D

T-U-R-K-E-Y!

Hi! I have something amazing I want to share with you!! I'll only write this in English because that's the language most of my readers understand (not to mention how lazy and busy I am these days lol).

(or idk at least it's awesome for me :D)

A few of my penpals (the ones I've written to recently) already know that, but I wanted to tell this here too... This is something I'm really excited about, but also very nervous about; I'm going to an exchange to Turkey very soon!!!

I have been dreaming about going to an exchange for a long time. Mostly I've thought about a summer exchange. This year I decided I would apply for as many exchange programs I could think of and see where it leads. I don't even remember how many different things I tried, but none of them worked (one time my application had gone lost, I still don't understand how it happened). At one point, I was sure I can't go anywhere this summer and I had already accepted the fact I have to try again next summer. Then the miracle happened.

I received a phone call from this lady who worked for an organization whose exchange I had already applied to several months back. The organization was Lions Clubs International (LCI). For those who aren't familiar with that, it's an International organization with several clubs in many countries.  The main point of the organization is not Youth Exchanges, even though exchanges are big part of it. Anyway, there's also one Lions club in my village and they were able to sponsor (= give the opportunity for an exchange + give you some supplies ^_^ ) the exchange for only one person. They didn't pick me, so you can imagine how surprised I was when that lady called me. She said she had seen my application and wanted to give me a second chance. I was so amazed and started to feel a small glimpse of hope again! She told me that there were still a few countries that had free places left and I could apply for those countries if I wanted to. Well, of course I wanted to! :D

One of the countries was Turkey, the exchange was for only three weeks but I was (still am xD) happy with anything. In three days I had done all the paperwork and sent my final application. Everything happened so quickly that after a long time since I had sent the application I still couldn't understand I would actually go to Turkey. The realization hit me when I received an email saying I was accepted to the exchange. Oh. My. God. :D

^ The province of Bursa ^

Then I started to receive more and more information about my trip. When I arrive to Turkey, I'll spend one and a half weeks in a host family in Bursa city (the population is almost 3 million, Finland's population is 5,2 million, so it's a huge city for me xD). After that I will go to a Lions Youth Camp in Turkey. I'm still waiting for further information but I wanted to share this with you guys. I'm very excited and ready to explore and see new places and culture. I feel so blessed for getting an opportunity like this! I'm also nervous, but in a positive way I guess. 

I'll leave on June 22 and come back on July 12. I would love to blog during the trip, but I'm not sure if I have time to do that or if I even can do that. Let's see. At least I'll start blogging again when I come back to Finland! :)

But don't worry, I'm not gone yet. I'll still be around for awhile and blog..

For my penpals: I won't be able to write for three weeks, but I'll make sure to reply to your mail as soon as I can! I hope it's okay! :)

As I told you, I'm eager to know more about the culture. So if you live in / been to Turkey, I'd love to read about your experiences or just anything related to the country!!  I know some small things, but I'd love to know more. Thank you!

ps. This is the 200th blog post!! <3