As you read in “How Did I Get Here“, I visited eight countries in Europe before going to Thailand to teach English. After three days in Germany (“Take the Leap “), I flew to Helsinki, Finland for the second leg of my trip. I was so excited to meet up with my friend/family member, Marja.

Marja was a foreign exchange student who stayed with my family in the ’90s when I was in college. After playing basketball for and graduating from my former high school, she went back to Finland and became a teacher. Like myself, she loves traveling and has visited numerous countries. She came back to visit us in Pennsylvania and Virginia over the years, but I had never been to her home country, and I couldn’t wait to see her, her family, and her hometown.

I made plans with her before I left the United States. We messaged through What’s Up and Facebook while I was connected to wifi in Germany to finalize plans. I don’t know what I would have done without modern technology:)  She said she would meet me at the airport exit. I wasn’t sure how big the airport was or how I would ever find her, but to my surprise and relief, she was right there! Have any of you traveled before cell phones and the internet? Please tell us about your experience!

Marja and her partner were the BEST tour guides! They and their son welcomed me into their apartment with open arms. Marja had the most creative agenda for me neatly decorated and laid out. I was so excited!

 

As you can see, on Saturday, we rode our bikes to a child’s birthday party where I met other Finns. It was nice to be immersed in Finnish culture and actually see the homes of people who lived there. The thing that impressed me the most was that I was in a roomful of people, I was the outsider, and of course, didn’t know a lick of Finnish. Once they knew I was a visiting American, many of them spoke English to make me feel more comfortable. It was a shock to me. I was so grateful they all knew English and could communicate with me, but it made me a bit sad to think about all the people that come to the United States who don’t know English and who can’t understand what is going on. And I was further impressed by Marja who came to the US and immersed herself into our culture. What courage and strength! Have you ever been in a roomful of people who didn’t speak your language? How did you feel?

We went to dinner at Juuri, a fabulous restaurant, and spent the night in the heart of Helsinki at Hotel Indigo. The next day, we took a bike tour of the city and went to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. Helsinki is a beautiful city right on the water, and although it was a little chilly, it was an amazing fall day.

Monday, I went with Marja to the school where she teaches. It was such a cool experience to be in an educational setting in another country. Most of the day, I didn’t understand a word but definitely got the gist of what was going on. It was a fantastic experience seeing her in action and meeting other teachers in her school. The kids were very similar to American students…laughing, learning, engaging, and just being kids.

Tuesday, Marja and I explored the city. Click Helsinki for more views of the city. We went up to the Tower bar to view the city from above. Then we got on a cruise ship to Sweden. I was so excited to mark another country off my list! Viewing the archipelago from the ship was amazing. Although we only had one day, we explored the old and new town of  Stockholm. One of my favorite spots was the Himlen, a rooftop bar. We also explored Kungsträdgården, a beautiful park in the middle of the city.

The next day we took the ship back to Helsinki, and I boarded the plane for my next adventure!

Have you been to Finland or Sweden? What were your favorite spots?