The End of September News

On September 14th, 2005, I received a call from the international office director Maria Costa. She informed me that I was accepted to the University of Oulu in Finland! I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe it. I had been looking in my P.O. Box all summer long, for any clue as to where I might be heading to this Spring '06. Well, obviously I was looking in the wrong place, because all info about the site was and is being sent to Maria.

As I began to tell friends (I am still in the process of telling more of my family) about my placement in Finland, I realized how close this adventure is to begin. January 2nd in fact! This past Spring and Summer, I felt that studying abroad was in the far future, but now I can hear it coming down my street :)

I won't be writing in this blog really until a couple days before I go to Finland and of course, during the time I am there. Thus, I am sending this site to YOU friends and family when it comes closer to time. Then you all can check up on me and make sure I'm not getting in to any trouble! hehe :)

Oh as a side note . . . the "Suomi, he sananvalta!" 'should' be translated as --> Finland, they say! Get it? I say Finland and they say Suomi! hehe, well, I thought it was clever ;) I'll have to change the Finnish part when I get to Finland, if the "free translator" I used wasn't correct and gave me incorrect grammar.

I found this quote and feel it is appropriate to my situation. I have chosen to study abroad for a sense of finding out who I really am, counting moreso than ever on myself and what my parents, siblings, family and friends have taught me. BUT to do this . . .

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the
wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful.
What you'll discover is yourself. ~Alan Alda