Vote!

Okay...so nobody voted on the poll last month. I'll give you another month to vote and then you can also comment on which character you would want to be/which costume you want to put on. It can be anything from a professional sports mascot or local sports mascot or a fictional character (like one from Sesame Street). My vote would be number 3. Put the costume on and dance like I've never danced before. Nobody would know who I am and I could make a fool of myself without the total embarrassment of people knowing who I am or seeing my face. :) What would you do?

God knows...

At church this last week I learned that a family at my church will be moving to Texas very soon. I met this couple very early during my time in Boston and the wife/mom is a Physical Therapist. It was so nice to have her to talk to and go to for encouragement throughout school. Although I didn't meet with her regularly, it was nice to know that someone at church who is a PT and someone I could talk to who understands very well what I'm going through and then someone I could look to for Godly advice in the world of PT. It was just nice to know I had that option available if needed. So, I am excited for their move to Texas, but a little sad to see them go.

However, while I was in service just an hour or two later, I sat in front of a girl who I met for the first time who, SURPRISE, is a physical therapist! She graduated from Northeastern (in Boston) last year and is now working at one of the hospitals nearby. So, even though my other friend is moving far away soon, God put this other woman in my life who is a young therapist, but another PT close-by to talk to with regard to school and jobs and being a PT. Thank you Lord!

It's COLD!!!

And, yes, COLD does need to be capitalized!!! There is a windchill advisory in the weather forecast tonight. Don't know what a windchill advisory is? Neither did I until I read this description on theweatherchannel.com:

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE WIND CHILL INDEX IS LIKELY TO REACH -15 TO -24 DEGREES FOR AT LEAST 3 HOURS. FROSTBITE CAN DEVELOP IN JUST 30 MINUTES WITH A WIND CHILL INDEX OF -20. IF YOU ARE HEADING OUTDOORS... DRESS IN LAYERS AND WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES.

Frostbite?! I don't think I've ever had to seriously consider frostbite anywhere at anytime before. I may have complained about being cold and getting frostbite or hypothermia or something in the past due to the cold, but those were just exaggerations. The high for tomorrow is lucky number 13 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, my friends, the high temperature. That means, it won't go above 13 degrees! 13 degrees is the warmest it will be tomorrow. Who thought "13 degrees" and "warm" would be used in the same sentence/go together? Okay...I know there are many other places that are much, much colder than this, so I'll stop my ranting now. My friend told me that her school has been cancelled in the past in Chicago because it was too cold (at -50 degrees). I'm thankful for our 13 degree weather! The cold can be very refreshing when experienced in small doses! Thankfully I'll be in class all day tomorrow to make up for snow days and holidays over the past two weeks.

This semester, one of my classes meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Because of snow days and MLK Jr. day, we have met 3 out of the 6 classes we were supposed to have. That means we will have make up classes in the weeks to come! That means my afternoons that were free will no longer be free as we make up this material. It's definitely better than extending school an extra week, starting our clinicals a week later, and foregoing our "spring break" in May though.

Last Friday was our second snow day in two weeks and it was nice to sleep in. (Last week was the longest 3-day week ever!) I suppose adjusting back into school mode hasn't been as easy or as quick as I thought it would be. My roommates and I did not make a friend for Raphael, but we did clean the apartment and relax a bit before going to game night! Some catch phrase, taboo, and hanging out with friends was a great way to spend a Friday evening on our snow day. There wasn't as much snow as the week prior, but there was still some snow, making it more of a snow day than last year's snow day, again. And, there's talk of another storm (nor'easter) coming through this week (on Wednesday again). As nice it would be to stay home and enjoy the snow, I suppose having class during the normally scheduled time would be beneficial too. Oh, snow....how I don't know so much about you....

Here are a couple pictures from my birthday celebration last weekend....enjoy! :)

my roommates surprised me by blowing up and covering my bed with balloons. then, they hid a gift among the balloons....a t-shirt and jewelry box! They're great! (my roommates and the gifts are all great)

most of the crew at dinner, starting at the L: Vanessa, Jenna, Emily, Brian (head between Jenna and Emily), Neil, Jonathan, Erin, Theo, and me (missing Trisha, Hannah, and Shirin who were at this end of the table)

some of the girls at Hard Rock Cafe for my Boston birthday dinner

bottom: Erin, me, Trisha

top: Shirin, Hannah (roommates)

everyone at the bowling alley! (we went bowling after dinner)

from L to R: Neil, Jonathan, Shirin (above), Erin, me, Erin, Jenna, Trisha, Hannah

the scores of game 1

the scores of game 2 (some didn't play a second game)

Here are a few pictures from Friday, the snow day! I was just playing around with my camera a little bit. Enjoy some pictures of snow, and the view from my bedroom, which I think is a pretty good one! :)

the view out one window...one person walking down the alley

view of the rooftops across the street from the same window

view out of another window of "Brookline Village Corner/Center"

closer view of the clock tower in the picture above

closer view of the same streetlight and lamp on the corner in the above picture

These next few are from this weekend. My pastor turned 40 and his wife threw him a surprise birthday party, 80's themed. So, some people dressed up and these are a few pictures of my friends and me from that night!

Karoline, me, and Jillian

me, Karoline, and Janna

this picture has a dual purpose: to get a full appreciation of my outfit (arm warmers and all!) and also to see a bit of my room...the color my quilt adds to my bed/room (also can be seen in the picture with the balloons on my bed) and the balloon on the wall (I moved all the balloons from my bed to my walls)

Pictures and Snow Day

Well, today was much, much more of a snow day than our "snow day" last year!!! Below are some pictures from today! :)

one view from my bedrooom window of the street lights

this is a house down the street from us and I liked it, so I took a picture of it

the park down the street where we went to play

and we made this! Meet our new friend, Raphael

and, Hannah made a great snow angel! :)

It was a fun day with lots of beautiful snow, though I'm not sure that's what some people were thinking as they were shoveling their driveways and cleaning the streets. Now, here are a couple pictures of my Christmastime projects (and my birthday).

the quilt I made

my sister (my teacher) and I in the huge quilt I made

the soldier I made for my mom, who had her friend's soldiers to copy from

me with my birthday balloons and birthday flowers my mom came home with on my birthday!

Thanks mom! :)

New Poll

I posted a new poll! After you answer, I would love to read your reasoning as to why what you chose is your favorite season! Comment on this post to explain why! :) Thanks!

It's a New Year and it's January 11, 2011 (1-11-11)

Wow! Where has the time gone?! Thanksgiving was great as I spent some time with my friend, Katelyn, who came up from Rhode Island and we went to my pastor's house, where there were lots of people and food and it was nice and relaxing. It seems as if families on the east coast eat an early Thanksgiving dinner (1 or 2 pm) and so they have time to eat another meal (or appetizers or a snack or something) later in the evening or night. Then, for the weekend after, I was able to spend a few days in Maine with a couple families I met over the summer and spent time visiting and more time relaxing and away from school and the craziness of city life in Boston (which isn't all that crazy all the time...just, constant noise and people around).

Well, another semester of PT school has come and gone, and I think it was our worst schedule as we were at school what seemed like all the time. However, we made it through and learned a lot and, now, I've forgotten a lot! (But, I have remembered some of it too.) I left Boston the evening after my last final in the morning, which is new for me. I am usually the one to stay a few days and take my time packing and cleaning and getting ready to leave. However, not this time! I packed in maybe an hour by throwing a bunch of things in my bag and hoped it was enough for my time at home and then went to off to the airport. :) It worked out just fine. Surprisingly, I did not get stuck anywhere this trip! Praise God! We ended up leaving Boston and hour late because it was snowing and they had to prepare the plane so the snow didn't turn to ice at 30,000 feet. However, we only got into Dallas/Fort Worth a half an hour later than scheduled. I had an hour layover, which quickly turned into a half an hour and thankfully my departing gate wasn't too far from my arriving gate. So, I made it to my plane to San Francisco with a little bit of time to spare (more time than I thought since the mechanics had to do things to the plane before we could leave). I arrived in San Francisco and walked out to my family waiting for me and my sister taking a bazillion pictures of me, half asleep.

Christmas and my time at home was great as I got to spend a lot of time with my family and enjoy that time together. Got to see everyone multiple times and Cari and I did a lot of sewing. She taught me how to make a rag quilt as she made a quilt of her own too. We also had some quality, fun competition in Wii games in between times of sewing and sports games on the television. I will post pictures of my projects over Christmas break as soon as I put them on my computer from my camera! :)

My birthday was also recently. I turned 25, which is kind of a milestone birthday, I suppose. I was able to spend time with my parents and my younger brother on my birthday. We saw Country Strong and then went out to dinner. Then, the next morning, I was able to have breakfast with my grandparents, my brother, dad, and uncle which made for a delightful morning after my birthday. :) My older brother and sister-in-law came over that afternoon/evening for a yummy home-mom-cooked meal and to hang out before I left that night to return to Boston. Now, I am hoping and planning on celebrating my birthday with my friends in Boston by going to the Hard Rock Cafe (weather permitting). If not tomorrow, then Friday! :)

My flight back to Boston was also, surprisingly, on time and no delays! It's almost like a first. Although, I was hoping for an overbooked flight in which I could volunteer and get another voucher towards another flight and keep getting free flights. Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you may look at it, that did not happen and I arrived in Chicago and left Chicago and arrived in Boston all on time.

Now, school has started for our 7 week semester of class and it's already going by so quickly! :) After two days of class, there is a blizzard warning and school is closed tomorrow, so we get a day off. Since being in Boston, I have had 2 snow days now and the first one, there was no actual snow. I'll find out when I wake up whether the blizzard actually comes through Boston or not! :) I am hoping to wake up to a fresh blanket of snow covering the ground that I can go play in and have a snowball fight and build and snowman and enjoy the day!

Well, I couldn't resist posting on such a monumental day with a date of 1-11-11!!! The only other time there will be more 1's will be on Veteran's Day of this year! :) Okay....I guess there were more ones on November 11, 1111. But, that was a really long time ago and not in our lifetime, so enjoy the ones!!! :) And, now, I am finishing this post at 11:01. How fitting. Maybe I should write for ten more minutes. Nah...I'll head to bed so I can wake up early and be greeted by the snow (hopefully). :)

Weather

According to weather websites, it is in the 80s in Clayton and 50s in Boston. In the 80s at home?!?! It's like summer never ended, but school began. Though I'm thankful it isn't freezing here quite yet, the 30 degree difference makes me miss the CA weather. However, I suppose the foliage here in New England makes up for it. :) I suppose winter is upon us, but I'm not ready to admit that quite yet. Thank you Jesus for the crisp, cool air and the warm blankets I can cuddle up in. Now, to continue studying for my midterm tomorrow morning! Last midterm of this 2-week long testing time! Then, I can really cuddle up and get warm and relax a bit before I continue to study the new material. Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to learn and further my academic education!

10-10-10

Yes, that is today's date. October 10, 2010....10-10-10. Could we say today is "10 cubed"? Just felt the need to bring attention to today's date since it will only happen TODAY, once next year and once the year after and then we will have to wait 91 years or something like that until it happens again, which will likely not be in any of our lifetimes. So, enjoy it while we can!!! :)

Poll

Well, the story behind the September poll is that I moved into a new apartment at the beginning of September and I think it took about 2 weeks before we could get our internet set up and running in our apartment due to the previous tenants failing to cancel their internet service. We contacted the internet company and they said that we couldn't start service because there was already another account open for this address. Therefore, we had to mail our lease in and then they could cancel the previous account and start service for us. However, the town I live in has an hour of free internet for computer users while in this town. It is an hour free everyday, but once you begin using the internet, the hour countdown begins. It doesn't keep track of how long you are actually using the internet. It doesn't matter if you close your browser or even disconnect from the internet. Once you start, you can't stop or pause or anything. Therefore, we had one hour of internet at home for the first two or two and a half weeks we lived here. It was manageable, especially once school started and we were able to use the internet at school while we were there. We had to plan our hour of internet use; I ended up writing a list of what I needed to get done using the internet and after I had a list of a few things, I would begin my hour and get the most out of that one hour I had. Now, I have unlimited use the internet. Oh, how I rely so much on technology....

July

So, my summer in Maine was quite the unforgettable experience. I had always dreamed of, or wished, to have the opportunity to live in Maine while I was growing up just because Maine was so far away and nobody ever really talked about it. It was like one of the "forgotten states" (kinda like some of the states in the middle of the country). However, I think I want to at least visit those as well. Anyhow, my dream/wish came true and after moving to Maine, I was not prepared at all for how rural it is. At the beginning of July, I was able to take a small little break from Waterboro, ME and spend the weekend of the 4th of July with my parents in Boston, which was fabulous! On the fourth, we went to church in the morning and then met my friends on the esplanade to take part in those fun Boston festivities. Then, we made our way back to Maine on Monday, spending some time in northern Mass and New Hampshire. Having my parents in Maine that week was helpful with my adjustment to Maine because they gave me something very familiar to come home to after work and people I could interact with that didn't have anything to do except to spend time with me. :) (It also helped that they took me out to dinner and spoiled me rotten while they were here.) Then, before they left, they came by the clinic and met the people I was working with this summer, which was also good. It makes it so much easier for me to talk to someone about where I am and what I've been doing when that person has seen where I am and have met the people I interact with on a daily basis. Then, they left and I continued living and working in Maine, adjusting more and more everyday and gaining more of an appreciation and liking for that state that was once oh so far away and "forgotten".

The next weekend, the family I was living with took me to Fort Williams park to see the Portland Headlight on Cape Elizabeth. It was a pretty area with a lighthouse and a view of other light houses. The kids had a fun time showing me all the cool places to explore and hide out in and rocks to climb and all the different paths to take. And, I had a fun time being introduced to such a fun area too. The next day, they took me to Kancamagus highway in New Hampshire where there are a lot of pull outs on the side of the highway with a bunch of different short hikes to take and waterfalls and lakes to see and water to play in and all kinds of fun exploring and nature to see. It was such a nice day (it reminded me of a CA summer day) and it was the perfect day to be in the warm sun and near water. Needless to say, I enjoyed that weekend and it ended up being one of many good weekends. :)

The next week, I had the wonderful (scary) opportunity to experience my first real life tornadoes! I suppose they weren't the real big tornadoes, but they were classified as touch-down tornadoes. I don't know much about this natural disaster, but I did know that I wasn't about to drive in the heavy rain and wind that I met after leaving the clinic that night. Therefore, I ran back inside, soaking wet, to wait it out with the girl who was closing that night. After about an hour, the wind and the rain let up a bit and I was able to safely drive home. It is a storm I will never forget and am so thankful that everyone I knew was okay. I didn't hear of anyone getting hurt in it, but I did hear (and see) trees uprooted and blocking the roads all over. One of the physical therapists at the clinic I was working at was unable to come to work the next day because the trees were blocking his road so much. His pigs had gotten out, other people's outdoor furniture was destroyed and taken to other people's yards (and these people have acres of land...the neighbor's yard isn't necessarily right next door). That was an eventful evening and I'm so thankful it wasn't too bad.

That weekend, I went into Portland, ME and spent the afternoon with my fellow student at the clinic, and friend, in "the city" exploring a little bit and walking around the quaint downtown area. Portland is a cute little city with small shops and cobblestone roads and water and an enjoyable atmosphere. The next day, we went for a little hike to overlook a town nearby and go to see a pretty view of the treetops and some lakes in the distance. It was a nice hike and a good way to spend the afternoon. Let me tell you...the tops of trees can be very different. They are not all the same. If someone can explain to me the majesty and excitement in these differences, I would be more than happy to listen because I can't tell you. :) Honestly, though, it was a good way to get outside and do something and enjoy the nature that one can't enjoy everywhere because there are people and houses and businesses that have cut down the forests and open space. There is a lot of beauty (and trees) in the state of Maine.

That last week in July, my CI (Clinical Instructor) and I went to do an ergonomic assessment for some business one afternoon. It was a good experience to see another aspect of what a physical therapist can do. It's not something I would want to do full time, but it's necessary to do from time to time from the business perspective, but also what needs to be considered with my future patients who will be working at a computer with a desk job for 8 hours a day. So, that was a good one-time experience to have and be a part of. I also received my first gift from a patient that week, which was exciting. I was given a can of those Pirouline cookies...oh, they are so yummy! The hazelnut flavored ones are my favorite, but the chocolate ones were tasty too. :)

I saw The Sorcerer's Apprentice with my CI and his family. I usually don't enjoy movies with Nicholas Cage, but this one wasn't too bad. I usually don't go to see movies in general, but I suppose I'll go every once in a great while and this was one of those great whiles. It was fun to meet his family too. Family time is something that I generally enjoy, whether or not it is my own family. (Although, I will say that family time with my family is by far the best family time. I am a little biased though.)

To finish July off, my friends came to visit me in Maine! Shirin, Hannah, and Trisha took a bus from Boston to Portland for the day. I picked them up and we went to eat at DiMillo's (a floating restaurant) for lunch. By floating restaurant, it was more just a restaurant on a boat that was docked and it didn't feel like we were even on the water because it was such a large boat that it didn't move. It was still fun though and we were outside on a nice day, eating lobster club sandwiches--YUM!!! :) After lunch, we took a ferry over to Peak's Island. There are so many islands off the coast of Maine and people can visit, or live on, many of them! When we got to Peak's Island, we got ice cream from a place that gave gigantic scoops and it was oh so good! Some were rather messy as it melted and got all over our hands (Shirin's was extra melty), but it was a tasty treat! We walked around the island for a short while and then took the ferry back to Old Port (Portland) and walked around downtown and in the shops too. We finished up their time visiting by going to the Popcorn store where they have all kinds of crazy flavored popcorn. There are so many unique flavors and then they mix and match their flavors to make new flavors. The sky is the limit with this popcorn company! Go look at their website to browse some of their creative creations!

If you thought July was busy, just wait until you read about what I did in August! Some crazy things and some true "Maine experiences". The best is yet to come! :)

I'm Famous

Yeah, right! I am hardly famous. However, I just found out recently that my face is featured on two different websites, one of which has probably been there for almost a year, completely unbeknownst to me. It is on my church's website when we took pictures with our community group last fall (October or November). I have no idea how long it's been there, but probably since soon after it was taken and will be replaced with another picture from community groups this year, which begin in October. Check it out and see if you can find me here!

Secondly, while I was in Maine this summer, the clinic I was working at had someone redesign/revamp their website. They took more updated pictures during this process and a picture was taken of me and used on the home page. Can you find me?

Also, in case you didn't realize, there is a new poll question and is only there until the end of the month! I'll write about the story behind the question and why it is relevant to my life after the voting has ended. :)

Blog Poll!

So, to make this a little bit more interactive, I have decided to put in a little poll to see what people think. Right now, I plan on having a new poll every month, but it could change to more often, depending on how many people are voting/if you all want to give your opinion on things more often. Just let me know! And, if nobody votes...well, then, I suppose nobody reads my blog then, which is completely fine too! :) Happy voting!

The second half of June

I returned to Boston later than I had expected due to airplane issues...surprise, surprise, right? I was supposed to leave SFO Tuesday night sometime, maybe 11 pm? Well, the plane I had boarded was overbooked and they asked for volunteers to come off and leave on a later plane. Well, that later plane was 6 am Wednesday morning. So, I (so kindly) volunteered to get off the plane and the airline put me up in some hotel for the night...well, it was really only 4 hours maybe, considering I had to be back at the airport at 5 or so the next morning and I think I finally got to the hotel at 12 or 1 am? Anyhow....I got a free (or almost free) flight out of it...as long as I know where I put my voucher. Hmmm......I hope I find it when I move! :) So, I returned to Boston Wednesday night and had a little bit of roommate time. Then, Thursday night, I had the opportunity to go to the Foundation of Physical Therapy dinner. It was quite the event and a bit extravagant for my taste. It was a very nice evening. However, I did feel like nobody was really paying attention to what was going on when the MC was going through all they had planned out for the night. Also, it was the same night as the NBA Championship finals, which people were all caught up in. After all, Boston was playing the Lakers. I left the dinner a bit earlier than most people and came home to watch Boston lose....sorry Boston fans!

Then, that weekend, we had some fun roommate tennis attempts, which worked out not too bad! We were all equally as terrible, so it was a perfect match! :) I also had a whole car fiasco weekend, which continues today, BUT I have a car for which I am thankful for and trusting the Lord as the pieces continue to unfold. I eventually made it up to Maine and began my clinical experience Tuesday, June 22. I spent one week in the clinic and then my parents came to Boston that second week. While my parents went frolicking and flittering around Boston seeing all that there is to see and experiencing the fun sights of Boston, I was (stuck) in Maine, unable to see them after work/clinic. But, alas, thankfully I have Fridays off this summer and Thursday night came when I drove down to Boston after clinic. I was once again reunited with my parents this summer. Except, this time, we were on the east coast. Well, that Thursday was July 1, so I suppose this post is now complete.

Stay tuned for the fun adventures and happenings of my life in July! :) And, maybe I'll post some pictures one of these days too....

The first half of June...my time in CA

May was a busy month, but so was June! After our classes ended and the wedding festivities, my roommates went off to work in the clinic and I had 3 weeks to wait for my turn to start in the clinic. So, I took a trip up to Maine to move a few things before moving for the summer. Then, I got to go home to CA for two and a half weeks, which was SO good, but left me wishing for more of a CA (real) summer, especially when I got back to the east coast. Time at home was short, but fun. I got to take a trip to downtown Palo Alto (which we were so pleasantly surprised with the food at University Cafe) for lunch and then we walked around Stanford for a bit. And the best part about it, we started at Walnut Creek bart and took bart and caltrain down on our little adventure, giving us the chance to talk and catch up the whole ride, without having to worry about what the next turn was or where to get off the freeway...just as long as we knew when to get off caltrain (bart we took to the end of the line). Then, my mom, Stephen, Cari, and I took a day to explore the city (of San Francisco). We were originally going to go to the Walt Disney Museum, but when we got there, we found out that it is closed on Tuesdays, which was unfortunate for us because we went on a Tuesday. Anyhow, we drove down and walked around the Golden Gate bridge and then we drove through Golden Gate park, which is a really nice park (I had no idea!). We also drove up and around west of the Golden Gate and around the super nice neighborhoods and homes and whatnot, getting a beautiful view of the bridge from the ocean side. So, our Walt Disney Museum trip was not successful, but our San Francisco trip most definitely was and it was really nice to do something other than go to Pier 39. Oh, and we ended at Ghirardelli Square with some yummy ice cream too-it was SO creamy!!! (I had forgotten!)

During my time at home, I also had a special opportunity to spend some time with my dear friend Julie, which was so good catching up and having some face-to-face time together. We went to BJ's for dinner, and of course had to have a pazookie! Then, we had a little sleepover with some more chit-chatting and some slumbering...she did have to work in the morning. :) When she left for work, I left for home. However, she lives five minutes from my grandparents, so I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop by for a bit to spend some time just my grandparents and me. They weren't home when I got there, so I just waited for a bit on their back deck and spent the morning-afternoon with them, which was so special as well! It makes me wish I could see them more often and spend that quality time face-to-face with them more than twice a year, but I suppose I'll take advantage of what I can get and enjoy the time I have with them to the fullest! To finish up my time at home for the summer, we had a family dinner with everyone (except Cari...) and homemade ice cream--so delicious! Went on a little shopping spree with my mom (thanks for the clothes and shoes...I use them all the time!) and we also went on a little hike up and around Mt. Diablo, which was a lot of fun! :)

The Month of May

After returning from Finland, I went to see my last play as part of my season pass. It was titled, August: Osage County. I don't recommend it. It was a strange play and the family had some issues going on that I didn't find all that engaging nor entertaining. Then, I had two weeks of classes learning about learning (and teaching) and some different exercises that we could use while out on clinic. The first week was a four-day week and then I took a trip up to Maine to look for housing on that Friday. Saw a few different places, some I would never want anyone to live in and I was able to choose the best option for me at that time! Had a second full week of class, during which both my Grandpa and Grandma celebrated their birthdays!!! (Happy Birthday you two!!!) Then, that last week of May, I had a day of review and then a day of testing for my classes. I was able to take my test on the first day of testing (out of the three needed for everyone in my class to be tested) and then I took a bus down to New York that Wednesday, the day after I took my final. Vilma, another Finnish cousin, had spent the prior five months maybe (?) in CA doing a study abroad program and she was able to meet my whole family, except for me. Before returning to Finland, she and her friend Aliisa stopped in New York for about a week to explore and be in NYC. So, I took a bus down there and was able to meet up with both of them and explore some of New York with them. How fun was it to meet Vilma, someone I had only heard about from my parents and family who had been spending time with her! I was able to stay with a childhood friend, Christina, who has been living in NYC for the last year (and has just recently moved back to CA). So, it was good to see Christina again, meet Vilma, and see NYC all in one trip! It was a good time and definitely worth the trip! To finish out May, I went to my friend's wedding the day after I got back from New York! What a beautiful bride Emily was and such a fun group of people to celebrate with them! :) It was a very special day and I am so excited for her! She is a classmate and a friend, and I can't wait to see her again in September!

Finland

What?! A post two days in a row?! Yes, it's true.

I was in Finland for two weeks, which was quite the trip. It had been one of my dreams to have the opportunity to go to Finland with my Mummi to see where she was born, raised, and to meet some of her relatives with her. My mom has been twice, my sister once, and my aunts have been as well. I really wanted to go sometime in my life, but wasn't sure if I would have the chance to go with Mummi. When I found out that she and Scott were going for an extended period of time, I found the dates they would be there and looked at my schedule to find that I had a two-week break between semesters, while they were in Finland. So, my last final was Monday, April 26, in the morning and I left that night, at 9:30 pm. I flew from Boston to London Heathrow and then Heathrow to Helsinki, Finland. I was warmly welcomed with open arms in Helsinki by Mummi and Scott, and Mummi's cousin and her husband. We had dinner at their home in Helsinki and then we (Mummi, Scott, and I) took the night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. After maybe 10 hours of plane travel and 12 hours in the train, we met some relatives in Rovaniemi and borrowed one of their cars to make the 2 hour drive to Kongas, the village where Mummi grew up. We got to spend a few days there and I saw the house she was born in, the bed she was born in, the school she went to, Ounasjoki (a river through the village), I met other relatives, saw our cousin's reindeer farm, went bowling, ate food, relaxed a bit from all the traveling and finals I had just finished, and spent precious time with my grandmother in her homeland.

the night train from Helsinki

we arrived in Rovaniemi the next morning!

Riita took us to her home

welcome to Kongas!

we made it to Kongas, where we met Elsa (Mummi's aunt) and Terho (Elsa's son, Mummi's cousin) and stayed with them

Mummi's birth bed, in Elsa's home

Jari, Katariina, and me after bowling (Inkeri-Katariina's mom-was also there)

feeding some reindeer

Siltila (sp?) today, where Mummi grew up

After spending a few relaxing days in Kongas, we began our trek back down south. We stopped in Rovaniemi for a few hours and went to the Arctic Circle, where I met Santa Claus, in his workshop. We spent the time with Riita and did a few other errands (post office and driving tour of the city) before getting on the train to Kokkola to spend a couple days with Mummi's sister, Anna-Liisa and her husband, Lasse. There was quite a gathering at their home with people from nearby in Kokkola and others a bit further away in Pietarsaari. I had the opportunity to meet many more relatives and see them all together, which was a lot of fun. There were babies, little kids, parents, and grandparents alike; it was so enjoyable and so neat to meet relatives that I had only heard about and seen a couple pictures of a few times! :) Anna-Liisa is a very talented artist and she gave me one of the beautiful ceramic plates that she had painted. It was very interesting communicating with people who speak a completely different language; easier with some people than with others, but regardless, fun everytime!

I was on top of the world at the Arctic Circle

After a couple nights in Kokkola, we got back on the train and went to Hameenlinna to spend some time with Paivi and Paula and their families, which was a grand time! :) Lots of fun and lots of laughter being around those two! They spoke English, which made it easier to communicate with them and get to know them better as well. It was a great time to meet them and their families, see their homes, see their town, and spend time with all of them! After a night stay in Hameenlinna, we said good-bye and boarded the train once again to return to Helsinki!

The train ride from Hameenlinna to Helsinki was a rather short ride (only an hour and a half or two hours, I think), compared to the previous train rides. We arrived in Helsinki, which was the end of the line, and took a taxi to Minna's home, who is Mummi's cousin. It was so wonderful to meet Minna and her two children, Paulinna and Oskari. They are darling little ones! We were able to spend some time with them and then the next day, we (Mummi, Scott, and I) went on a tour bus to tour Helsinki. It was a rainy day, so not the best day to see the city, but still fun nonetheless. Helsinki is not a very large town and I think on our 2 hour(?) tour, we drove by the same places multiple times. I think we drove by the library 3 times. I definitely recognized places (again) the second time we drove past the same buildings. Either way, I got to see the city of Helsinki (multiple times) and it was a nice audio tour and a great way to see it on a rainy day! :) And, Mummi lived in Helsinki for some time before coming to the states, so she would tell me some of her stories of the apartment she lived in and how she would walk all around the city, from one end to the other in 45 minutes or so, when she lived there. She showed me where her apartment was (just don't ask me to take you back to it because I don't remember where it was). Then, later that evening, there was another gathering with relatives closer to Helsinki. Everyone who came that night spoke English, which made it MUCH easier for me to communicate with them. The further south we came, the more people spoke English. I think we counted 18 people who came that evening, and what a fun gathering and send off party it was! I left very early the next morning. Said good-bye to Minna, Mummi, and Scott, and took a taxi to the airport.

I found my way and got on a plane from Helsinki to London Heathrow, which took off without a problem. Then, when I got to Heathrow, I waited through my layover and boarded the plane a bit late and then waited on the plane for a couple hours before we could take off. You see, it was during the time the volcano in Iceland was erupting and all the planes were being re-routed to an alternate route. Fortunately, we were able to take off after some time of waiting and I didn't get stuck overnight in Heathrow. And, because of the new route, the flight that normally takes 6 hours took 7 and a half hours. When all was said and done, I was back in Boston the day I was expecting to be (May 8th), just 3 hours later than originally expected, which I was okay with. Instead of getting back at 1:30 in the afternoon, I got back at 4:30 pm, which is still a very decent time to return from a long trip.

The day after was Mother's Day (Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my grandmoms, and all the other moms out there!!!) and I was able to talk to my mom (and the rest of my family) for the first time in a couple weeks, which was extremely nice and refreshing! :)

That's about it for Finland; well, not all of it, but a small glimpse of my time there. I took so many pictures to help me remember my time there and the people I met. It is such a beautiful country and loved seeing and experiencing God's creation in that part of the world. It was so amazing and such a blessing to meet relatives face-to-face and get a little taste of Finland and Finnish culture and to learn more about my grandmother and my own family heritage and culture. Thanks Mummi and Scott and everyone for such a wonderful and memorable trip to and experience in Finland!!! I hope I can return again one day; maybe with my mom and sister and aunt(s)....maybe some of the boys and some of my first cousins too?!?! It's another dream at this point in my life...some dreams do come true though (like this first trip with Mummi!)!!!

Next time: the rest of my busy month of May.......

so, I have tried adding more pictures a couple times, but blogger has not let me. Maybe I have reached the max number of pictures for one post....is there such a thing? More pictures of Finland to come soon...

It's Been a While

For those who check in regularly, there's been nothing new in over 3 months! Oopsies! It's not that I don't want you to be "in the know" about my life, I promise. I wish I could remember all the exciting things from April 1, but I'll try to hit the highlights. Let's start with EASTER! April 4 was Easter, when we celebrated Christ's resurrection! He is Risen; He is Risen, indeed! I went to church in the morning, and then I went with Hannah and Shirin (roommates) to our friend and classmate's (Vanessa) home and had Easter dinner and afternoon with her family. It was so wonderful to get out of Boston for a bit and spend some time in a home with a family. It was a wonderful afternoon, and included some (not so wonderful) mosquitoes.

NEXT: BERKLEE SHOWCASE (April 15, 2010)

Berklee is a music college in Boston and at the end of the year, there is a showcase with maybe 10 of the top musicians at the school where they have the opportunity to showcase some of what they have been working on recently. One of my friend's (and classmates: Cecilia) friend works at the box office at Berklee and he was able to get cheap tickets for us to this showcase. We sat in the 2nd or 3rd row and it was a very fun evening. We went out to dinner beforehand and then the show was very enjoyable and we saw some very talented vocalists (and musicians).

NEXT: FINALS WEEK (April 21-26, 2010)

Don't really remember too much about this week, except there was a lot of studying going on and I passed everything. One more semester down, one less to go, and one more closer to graduation/taking the boards/and becoming a licensed physical therapist. That's all about that!

NEXT: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (April 23, 2010)

As part of my "Broadway across America" package deal, Young Frankenstein was one of the plays I went to with my friends. Suzie, who I have been going to all the plays with, was out of town this Friday night, so she saw the play a few days before me and Neil (roommate and other play goer) didn't want to attend this play, so he gave his ticket to Shirin (other roommate). It was HILARIOUS! Maybe it was because it was towards the end of finals and there were songs like "The Brain" that we can relate our nerdiness/learning to, but there were many parts of this play that made us laugh. I wasn't expecting much from this play, but was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it. :)

NEXT: FINLAND (April 26-May 8, 2010)

WOW!!! What a 2-week trip this was! And, there is SO much to say about it! It definitely deserves a post of its own.

That's it for April! I'll do one month at a time and catch the blogging world up on my life soon enough! :)

Dreams and April Fool's

The other night I had a dream that there were fish swimming outside my window. I wasn't living in an aquarium...I was in my bedroom and I saw fish swimming around the flowers and in the trees and it wasn't a body of water out there. Maybe all this rain is affecting more than I thought it would. Fortunately I am not personally experiencing the effects of the flooding that is occurring on the east coast (or maybe I am psychologically?). Also, the rain has stopped and the sun is now shining and it is supposed to be a nice weekend; great weather for Easter! And, no, this is not an April Fool's joke. No April Fool's pranks this year. Did you do anything to trick someone else, or were you tricked yourself?

I'm Going...

yes, yes, I am going to Finland! After my parents looked long and hard through my entire room at home this past weekend, I found my passport with me, here in my room in Boston. Sorry mom and dad!!! Thanks for looking though...I owe you! :) I had put it safely inside one of my journals with a snap close to be sure it did not get lost when I moved in September (shows how often I use that journal). Well, I had looked in the drawer that the journal was in a number of times before I decided to go through every single item in my room on Sunday. So, there it was, waiting to be found Sunday night, right with my immunization records card. So, it's good that I found both of them and since I can actually leave the US and come back now, I decided, why not?! So, I booked my ticket last night to go to Finland and am so excited! When will this semester be over? But, at the same time, I have SO much to do before it finishes and before I leave. I leave Monday night, after all my finals are done, on April 26 and then I come back on May 8, which will be just enough time to rest up some and get ready for school to begin once again on Monday, May 10. That's my exciting news this week and I am thoroughly looking forward to meeting family and being with Mummi in her country of birth. :)

Finland

I was talking to my dad the other day and he mentioned to me that my Mummi (my mom's mom) will be going to Finland for 2-3 months. It has been a desire of mine (more so in recent years) to have the opportunity to go to Finland with my Mummi. With that, I do have a two week break from school at the end of April to the beginning of May, which is during the time she will be there. I began looking at flights, and am playing with the idea of going. hmmm......If I knew exactly where my passport went, that would be helpful if I do end up going. I wonder where it went...I briefly looked for it here, but was not able to find it. I wonder if it's in my sock drawer at home. Or maybe in my shelves somewhere. A prize to someone who finds it first! :) Maybe Stephen will look for it this week while he's home for his spring break?! If I am able to locate my passport soon, I will definitely be looking at flights more seriously. Anyone know of a good deal for a plane ticket to Finland?