I was born in Helsinki, Finland on a cold December day in the year 2000. I got to live here for roughly three years, until I was already taken to my next destination.
Baby on Board
Like I said before, I moved to Hungary at a very young age, therefore most of my knowledge of that place are from stories my parents have told. During the two years we lived there, I went to a regular Hungarian daycare, not speaking a word of their language, but somehow I miraculously survived. The memories that I remember from there are very vague and limited, but I do remember learning to ride the bike there and running into the glass doors we had. One of the greatest things to have come out of this experience was that I met a lifelong friend. Their family is also Finnish and are living back in Finland now and we are still best friends to this day. Eventually, my family and I moved back to Finland, just in time for me to attend my first day of school.
I was in the 4th grade when it was time to leave for our next destination. When my parents told me we would be moving, and that it would be to America, I was excited but at the same time extremely nervous. I was having mixed feelings because even though I am one to always be up to new adventures, I had made so many close friends at school and from my soccer that it was very hard to leave them and move to a completely new environment. I decided to suck it up, seeing I really had no say in the move, and prepared myself for the times ahead.
Stars and Stripes
Traveling to the states was on its own a whole new experience for me. Flying in business class on the second floor of the plane, going to our new house from the airport in a limo, it all seemed too good to be true. We moved to the state of Wisconsin and I really had no idea what it would be like. Once we arrived at our new home, I was completely blown away. The house was modern and big, and the neighborhood was filled with identical houses. It was really something I've never seen before.
The beginning of our time in America was mostly spent learning English, schoolwork and soccer. The only bits of English I knew was how to introduce myself and "how are you", and you can imagine that didn't get me very far. It took me about six months to speak fluent English and that made things so much easier. I was lucky the people at my school and around me were so polite and caring and helped me adjust to the new environment. Soon my life was filled with amazing friends and sports, like soccer, volleyball, basketball and cross country running. My new life in America was nothing like I had expected, mostly my expectations were from the movies I had seen. The nature was beautiful, quite similar to Finland, so I felt very comfortable and it started to become a place I could call my new home.
We lived in Wisconsin for three and a half years. I made so many amazing friends who I couldn't have survived my time there without. I made so many memories and experienced new things. It was such a different lifestyle I lived there, but I love it. It was filled with large highways and shopping malls, completely different to Finland. During our time there, we traveled all over the country, to a total of 11 different states. In the summer of 2014, I was told that we had to move back to Finland. I was completely heartbroken. I had gotten so used to the things and people around me and had made my closest friends there. It was the hardest thing to leave that all behind and move back to Finland, but all good things eventually must come to an end.
The memories I made and the people I met in Wisconsin will be carried with me throughout my life. I am so lucky I've still stayed close to my friends who live there and even got to visit them in the summer of 2015. I had the best time in America and I hope to go there again soon.
Because of my traveling experiences, I've learned a variety of things about myself and the world around me. I've learned to be confident and never to be afraid to take risks and try new things. I learned always to be open-minded and not be too quick to judge, because new things take time to get used to. Even though I was extremely scared before both moves, they both turned out to be life changing experiences. All the lessons I've learned during these journeys have built me up to the person I am today. I'm so blessed to have had these opportunities to see the world and I can't wait what new places I will be able to visit in the future.
Now being back in Finland feels different, but it is my home. I've made so many amazing friends once I moved back from America and I wouldn't trade the memories I've made with them for the world. Even though I am happy here with the life I have, I can't wait to see the world again.
I think your topic was very eye-catching however the text is not what I expected when I read the topic. I really loved the subheadings! They were really creative. The photos were a nice addition. I think your text was really interesting, personal and relateable which is good!
ReplyDeleteI think that you told your story in a very nice way. I also really liked the subheadings! You made it really easy to read through the text. The text also inspired me to always look on the positive things in life. I think that the blog post is very positive and uplifting.
ReplyDeleteGood! This is a well-written and interesting post. Thanks for sharing your globetrotting experiences!
ReplyDelete