I feel that there is so much to say in conclusion about my stay in Finland that I must split it up into multiple parts. There is no way I can thank and say everything I want to say about Finland and my experiences in one sitting.
Before I left for Finland I wasn't really expecting much. Not that I had negative expectations about Finland, but I had never left the country or even been further west than Iowa. I was hoping to move into Finland with an open mind and that is what I did.
There is no way to describe in words what it feels like to be in Finland versus the United States. Its just different and not in a bad way. The attitude and the atmosphere are different in both places. In Finland I can walk downtown at 1 am in the morning and not be one bit worried about who I might run into. I could walk down the street and pass a group of 18 year old boys and not feel like they wanted to jump me. Whereas sometimes in the U.S. you walk past a group of the same looking kids and you get stared at. I would say people in general are more kind in Finland.
In Finland, everybody walks in downtown. You hardly see any cars on the street unless its raining outside. The United States is very much a automobile dependent country, where people prefer a 5 minute drive versus a 15 minute walk. I believe that is part of the reason that Finland seems much cleaner than the U.S.
I don't know if it is me or what but Finland just has a totally different feel than the States. It might be the Finnish language or the lack of fast food restaurants, but Finland just didn't feel like home. Or should I say it feels like it is so far away from home. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my stay in Finland very much and the people there made me feel very welcome, it is just that the people I have lived with and associated with and been friends with for the first 22 years of my life were suddenly half way around the world. I was forced to meet new friends and new family in a different country. I was intimidated and quite frankly a little scared at first, but the more I got to know the people the more comfortable I got. Thomas, right from the get go, was a good friend to me. Now I feel like I know him just as well if not better than any of my college buddies. Others made the transition easier as well. Hatsa from the first time he took me out to lunch to the last play we called in the final, was a very good friend to me. I feel like I have known Hatsa my entire life now. Those are the examples that made my Finland summer most memorable.
Someone said during the final week of my stay that I can visit Finland and go to all the old castles and museums, but I'm not really experiencing another country. Its not until you can meet the people and interact with the people of the country.... that is where you get the experience... that is where you get the most out of your stay.
I say, who cares that I didn't go inside the Turku castle? But what I do care about is meeting all the nice people that made my stay so memorable. And most of all, playing the game I love with the people of Finland. It is so cool to come from the United States to play with a bunch of Finns the wonderful game of Football, or as the Finns call it "American Football." Its cool to meet some young players like Mike the junior QB, who loves to play football even though American Football isn't the most popular sport in Finland. Its cool to hear from fans like Bjorn and Markus, the greatest fans in the world, who love the game of football so much. Its neat to play for coaches like Hatsa, Ninikowski, and Coach Haula who love to coach the game even though their glory days are over. And even though we didn't win the championship it was the coolest to play with the group of guys that made up the Turku Trojans.
Coming up Conclusion part 2....