Readjusting

Home sweet home :)

Lovely

So I've been back home for a week now and I thought it would be good for my last blog to talk about life after Finland. 1st off, it's super weird being back. As I've said before, it doesn't even feel like I left. Feels like the whole thing was a dream. A really long dream and now that I'm awake things feel a little foreign at first, but quickly becomes familiar again. Example: Light switches. Instead of pushing a square, I flip a switch again. Example 2: Heaters. Instead of a radiator on the side of the wall, there are vents that blow out hot air. Example 3: Locks. It's so hard to remember to lock doors now since they locked automatically there. I could keep going with these kinds of examples, but that's kind of boring so I'll move on :P

My first couple days back I spent in my hometown seeing family and enjoying some good 'ol Missouri country landscape. I never thought I would be in such aw seeing a mess of brush and barb wire surrounding a hilly field with cows on it! So pretty :) 




After that I came back to my house for a couple of days. Springfield is... Springfield :P Most everyone is back home for the holidays, but one roommie was home that night and we had a Chinese food night with a couple of friends. It made me feel like I was still in Finland and was just hanging out with exchange students, so that made me feel a little better.

Pretty sun set at 6pm
Silly telephone wires in the way...

 Shopping is another strange thing. I don't like having to drive so far to get to the store. And it's always annoyed me how many plastic bags we go through, but now it really ticks me off. The same with cans and bottles not being recycled... It was nice having such a large selection of all the foods that weren't available in Finland though. I never thought having American money back would be so strange. It fits so nicely in my wallet! HAHA! I go back to my job (Walmart cashier) on Saturday... it's gonna be difficult :/

1st shopping trip was to buy stuff to
make pot stickers. I've missed them!

Peanut butter!!!! And it's so cheap!
Also: GRAPE jelly right beside it!
and bread on the other side to make PB&J!

Then of course it was back home for the holidays!

Grandma's on Christmas Eve
I miss the snow, but it's still pretty as always
I love this place

The siblings
So awkward! haha :D

Two great countries <3

So anywayz, now I am back home trying to get moved back in, but Netflix is a terrible invention... Besides that, I have had a very productive week! I've reactivated my phone, become comfortable driving again, got my work schedule, got my missing bag delivered to me from the airport, seen family and some friends, survived the end of the world again, and I received an e-mail saying I was nominated for the Peace Corps! So that's a good sign :)

It's good to be home, but I really, REALLY miss Finland and all of the friends I made there. I can't even believe how much of an amazing experience it was. It was a thousand times better than I ever imagined it would be and really wish I could have been there longer. I learned so much and I know that this was an experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life. I've already been talking about it non-stop and I know that I'm probably really annoying, so sorry about that :P I was only there for four months, so it's not really hard to readjust to life here again, but I'm really missing the Finnish lifestyle. I hope to live there again someday. I really loved it and felt at home there. But more than that, I really miss my friends. Facebook just doesn't cut it. I think we all need to have a reunion. And when I say think, I mean we definitely need to have a reunion!! O_O I can't wait to see everyone again someday :D

Thanks everyone for reading these posts! It has been the most amazing journey. I'm glad I did this to help record my memories. I recommend it to anyone who goes on a trip. And I definitely recommend going to Finland! I love Oulu. It has been a great second home :)

Until next time ;)
<3 Hannah