In the past month, a lot has changed. I have already completed my International Management course and just have to turn in a paper by the end of February to check it off my list. My Survival Finnish course will have its final exam next week and I will be studying for that in the coming week. I started a new class this week called Education in Finland. We’ve only met for lecture once so far and it seems it will be a very interesting and informative course. I have officially become a member of the University (my mobile student ID never leaves my side) and have benefited from this because student ..read more

This past weekend, me and seven other students traveled to Stockholm. There are several ways to get there but we decided on flying because it was the cheapest option. That is definitely something I will not get used to while I’m living in Europe. Regardless, early Friday morning ( I’m talking 1:30 am) we took two taxis to the Jyväskylä travel station and hopped on our bus at 2am. A few of us at the travel center early Friday morning (or late Thursday night, same thing) Our three and a half hour bus ride took us right to the Helsinki airport and we boarded our flight and landed in Stockho ..read more

It was 38 degrees Fahrenheit in Jyväskylä today. Looking at the weather last night I couldn’t wait for it! So when I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, I grinned. It has not yet been warm enough for snow to turn to rain so it was really exciting. I knew the snow on the sidewalks would melt and it would be kind of ugly and slushy outside, but what I didn’t know was that under that snow on the sidewalks are just layers and layers and layers of ice. My walks to and from campus were much longer and included many more moments of me on the ground. The city workers here in Finland do lay ..read more

“Yes, but have you ever been to a Finnish sauna?” Through the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), exchange students from everywhere in Europe have the opportunity to take part in activities, events, and trips at a bargain student price. Today I attended “The Ultimate Sauna Experience” through ESN Jyväskylä and it was a blast. We traveled by bus to a small town outside of Jyväskylä and stopped at a sauna resort of sorts. We got to walk around and explore the ancient sauna buildings and huts still in use today. Then we came inside for a nice lunch, went to sauna, and then came back ins ..read more

These first few days have been FULL  of new faces, new places, and lots of defining moments. I have so much to share and a lot of time to share it so I might as well. I last left you on Wednesday evening after my first day of orientation and it is now Saturday evening…so much has happened! On Thursday I had another orientation session and it was up to us to find our way to the Agora building. This is a 40 minute walk from my student village and I had walked it only once the day before. Luckily, I walked with Anna, a girl from my tutor group, and we made a great team. We both remembered di ..read more

In Finland time (8 hours ahead of most of you), I have officially been in Jyvaskyla for about 24 hours! Yesterday was eventful and so was today. I will try and catch you up. Most of my flights went well, with only two minor delays. One of the delays was my connection from London to Helsinki, Finland and that is the one that caused me some worry. My flight was supposed to depart at 10:20 am and arrive in Helsinki at 3:15 pm. My flight didn’t leave until 11:30 which put me back an hour arriving in Helsinki and gave me only 45 minutes at the very most to unboard the plane, go through passport che ..read more

It was 7 o’clock on a Monday morning in mid September and I was still half asleep when I got the email that would confirm my placement for my semester abroad. Imagine me, standing in my bare feet and sleep wrinkled pajamas with hair sticking in all directions and a major life changing notification, almost a month sooner than expected, on a screen in my hand. I was not at all prepared. But now I am! January 1st, 2018 marks the beginning of a new year, but also the beginning of my semester abroad studying at The University of Jyvaskyla in Jyvaskyla, Finland. The morning of the first, I ..read more

Before arriving, I did not picture Korea to be such a mountainous or nature loving country. I imagined the neon flashing lights and bustling streets that are shown in movies or other medias. While those features do not lack, the nature is more likely to be found across the country as a whole. This past weekend I attend a couple flower festivals and below are  pictures that came with the fun of exploring through open fields of flowers. Enjoy! ♥   ..read more

This past weekend I had the chance to visit Gyeongju which is located about 40 minutes North of Ulsan. Gyeongju is rich in history and even richer in beautiful scenery. However, it wasn’t always known as Gyeongju. Its early name was Saro which was the capitial of Silla, an ancient kingdom from 1st century BCE to 10th century CE. While most of the kingdom has been destroyed from war three structures and the artificial lake that was created still stand as beautiful ruins. Our next stop was to the tombs that were left preserving the royals. Korea has only excavated one tomb, Cheonmachong, and dec ..read more

I have officially been in South Korea for a month and I have to say it’s stealing my heart. One of the best things about the University of Ulsan is that they offer a simple conversation program for Korean students to practice English, Spanish or French from the exchange students who are native speakers. I cannot thank the University enough for choosing me to be a part of this program for the semester. While practicing English is the main focus with my three groups that I meet with three hours each per week, they are so excited to show me their city and the surrounding ones! From movie nights a ..read more