Graduation!

I graduated last week as Bachelor of Laws! In Poland the process for Bachelors is a bit different than for example in Finland. Apart from my thesis I also needed to have final exam (defence) and answer to some question about my thesis as well as a general question in relation to the department I wrote my thesis to. 3 years of hard work behind but for me these three years mean so much more than just Bachelor degree. These studies were the final reason why I decided to move abroad to Poland.

If I look 3 years back, I was just selling some of my furniture as I already knew I will be moving to Poland. I showed my apartment for the new tenants and packed my stuff to be stored at my parents place. I was excited about moving, but at the same time I had no idea how it would go in reality. Afterwords I have wondered how I had so much courage to change my life so dramatically, but I'm more than happy that I took this opportunity and learned something new also about myself. I'm not sure what were my expectations about Poland and about the studies, but as I look back I was just so excited and maybe also a bit stressed about everything new. When I left Finland I did not know when I would come back, that feeling is even more stronger now. I do not see myself living in Finland at least in the near future. Poland is my home for now, but I could see myself in other countries too. I think that once I left from Finland and survived so well, it is now easier to think that I could live almost anywhere.

These three years have passed so fast and now it is already the time to start something new. I'm so happy that my family has supported me in my decisions, even when I know they would like to see me more often. During these years I have built new friendships, another safety-net apart from the one I have in Finland. What really makes living in Poland so good, are these people. At the same time I feel guilt that I haven't been able to spend that much time with my friends in Finland. Maybe this quote shows my feelings towards these friends: "Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they're always there."

Having coffee with my Erasmus friend during the first semester in Poland. The first semester was about getting to know new people, learning polish and discovering the new city. We had a nice girls trip to Berlin and I made the first contact to Finnish community in Wroclaw.

The second semester my family came to visit Wroclaw, I was so proud to show them around the city. For the first time I experienced the early spring (at least compared to Finland) and the warm weather. The first year of studies was done and I was happy to go to Finland for the summer.

The third semester was studying in cafes and meeting with friends every Wednesday in a jazz bar. Our friend from Finland came to visit us here in Wroclaw and I met many new people.

The forth semester was great! We had a nice weekend in Prague, my sister came to Wroclaw, I met with my brother in Gdansk.... So many great things! I also came more involved with the Finnish community as I became a teacher in the Finnish School in Wroclaw.

The fifth semester started the final year of  LLB. I met with my family in Stockholm, I continued teaching at the Finnish school and I got involved with the Telders moot court. I also started to write my thesis.

The last semester was probably the most stressful and eventful. We had a trip to Ukraine, I visited Finland as a surprise, Telders competition in Warsaw and in the Hague, thesis and finally graduation! 

-Camilla

What do I miss from Finland? Top7

I bet there are some things everybody are missing from their home country if they live abroad. I don't know the next time I will be visiting Finland so maybe I feel a bit home sick and sentimental about everything related to Finland. I'm even planning to order a package online full of Finnish treats!

So, What do I miss from Finland?

1. Family and all my friends and loved ones. 
People I miss the most! I think this is quite obvious remark, but it is the truth. I can try to cook something Finnish here, but I can not spend all the time I wish to with the people that I miss. I'm happy that it is possible to stay in touch via skype, facebook, whatsapp... but it is still different when you are not able to hug and to be honest I'm not the best person to stay in touch via internet. That is why I really appreciate my friends who get that. When we are able to see each other again it feels that we just saw yesterday.

2. Sauna
The warm relaxing feeling without any stupid restrictions like: you can not throw water or there is a maximum temperature that is not enough or you can not bring children to sauna. I have tried sauna here a couple of times but it was like torture as I couldn't throw any water. The sauna was so dry it was almost impossible to breathe. Never again! I miss the normal Finnish sauna.

3. Food! For example: rye bread, black sausage, carelian pie, different milk products, liver casserole (maksalaatikko), hot wings.....
There are many kind of foods that are not sold here or I'm not able to prepare them on my own. Also our oven is the size of a microwave so that I'm not able to prepare everything I wish. I miss Finnish supermarket and all the products (just not the prices!). Before Christmas I'm planning to bake many Finnish treats, for example cinnamon rolls, gingerbread's and maybe even Christmas tarts.

4. Candy, specially all black candies! 
I can get good chocolate and normal candy from Poland, but salty licorice and salmiak! I also miss normal candy by weight, there is something similar in Poland but everything is always hard and dry and the selection is not as good. I can not wait to order my package!

5. Drinks, like glögi, longdrink(lonkero) and different kind of ciders.
I want glögi for Christmas, I think there is something in Ikea but the selection is not as good I could hope for. Lonkero is a soft alcohol drink sold in Finland, I don't like it so much anymore but as I don't like beer I hope to have bigger variety of choices. The same goes for ciders, in Poland you can find only a couple of brands and couple of tastes where as in Finland there is a plenty of different kind of tastes.

6. Easy instructions how to do things, for example for university
I feel that in Finland I was always able to find easy instructions how I should do something and here I just should know. Not any official infos about anything, everything I have learned about the whole university system is from my friends. We are now having a separate classes for writing thesis with our supervisors. At the same time I know that in Finland you could have a separate class for research, for writing and meetings with the supervisors. I miss this feeling that I know everything!

7. Nature
We live in the city so that it is hard to find a place just for yourself. I miss everything clean and green. I have grown up in a place where the nature was always close, just to go out for a walk in the forest and barely see anybody else. Playing in the forest and building some shelters, climbing to trees.... Maybe I wouldn't do the same things anymore but I miss walking alone, being able to pick berries and mushrooms.

There is many more things that I miss, the list could probably be endless. Even when I miss many things from Finland that doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy here. I feel happy and that Wroclaw is my home now. I could also make a list why I love my life here, but for now, feeling a bit sentimental about Finland list about the things I really miss felt more suitable.

-Camilla

First week @Uni!

The first week at the University is over! It feels weird that all my friends from Finland have already studied for a month and I just started. Even when only one week of this semester is over, I feel exhausted. During the summer I was not using English in such a high level that University requires, the autumn started at the same time as the Uni (it has been raining and colder than before), maybe for that reason I also got a flue. Enough reasons to be exhausted? :D

During the first week we needed to choose a supervisor for our thesis. I was stressed about this decision as I felt it will define my next year. I changed my mind the evening before and now I feel confident about my choice. Now starts stressing about the real work related to the thesis!

The first week at the Uni was also great as I was able to see my friends and spend some more time with them. I was already missing the coffee and lunch breaks. I think loveat noticed we are back :D After the classes it was nice to be able to say "see you tomorrow". Friday afternoon I spend maybe 4 hours just talking with my friend and enjoying our desserts. We went to Dinette just in time for their lunch menu and we saw this  pumpkin and salted caramel (pumpkin cream + salted caramel and juniper ice cream + apple gel + sea buckthorn jelly + apple and bison grass cake + hazelnuts oil powder) We needed to have it and it was delicious! I feel lucky as everything is so cheap here, for the dessert and homemade lemonade just 6 euros!

Now for the weekend the plan is only to relax. Not to do anything, just hope that next week I wouldn't feel this sick anymore. Sleeping, movies, good food... Reality may come back next week ;)

Happy Sunday! :)
-Camilla

8 things to do in Finland during the summer!

Sometimes I feel that staying in Finland is a different reality for me. Two months past so fast even when I was missing Poland. 

Me at my mums birthday

1. Spend time with my family

 It is important for me to spend time with my family when I'm able to do it. 

2. Enjoy the nature

Everything seems to be so clean and pure. I don't miss that so much while in Poland, but when I get to Finland, I need to get to the forest and just walk.

Mustamakkara

3. Eat Finnish food

I love to eat all the things that I can not find from Poland (or things that only grandma or dad can cook). Favorites 4ever mustamakkara (black sausage) and wings. :D

4. Work

Summer is the time to earn money for the next school year.

5. Spend time with my friends

It is important for me to see my friends, I always have a great time with them. Unfortunately I feel that I didn't have enough time this summer.

6. Sauna

Relaxing in sauna. Best is when there is also a lake and you can just swim and go to sauna and repeat for hours.

7. Road trips! 

Different kind of nature, more people to see... Perfect!

8. Shop Finnish design to bring  back to Poland

I didn't buy almost anything for myself, but a lot of things to our home. Finlayson, Iittala.... It is a great reminder about everything during the winter.

-Camilla

Back in Poland!

I arrived to Poland about a week ago. It feels great to be here! This is like a second summer for me as it is still so warm compared to Finland. Sometimes even too hot! Even when I have been here only for a week, a lot has happened. I met a new friend and had to say good bye for another. We even had a small trip to Poznan already.

-Camilla

Summer!

Finally I could say that summer started for me! On Wednesday I had my last exam at the Uni and now I'm free to go to Finland! Yay! My travel will start today with the train to Gdansk. I hope I will be able to sit in the train as all the seats were already fully booked. It would be awful start, 6 hours in the train with all my luggage without a place to sit! Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best... After the train, I will still need to spend the night in Gdansk as the flight will leave early on the next morning. And then finally I will be in Finland!!!

Edit: I upgraded my ticket to first class so I got a seat in the train! :D 

Quality time before leaving :)

I will get to Finland in perfect time as in Friday there is Juhannus (mid-summer) and I will be able to enjoy the Finnish summer, sauna, lake and summer cottage. I will tell you later more about Juhannus and add some pictures how we celebrated it!

It got extremely hot here, but I know I will miss this kind of weather in Finland! 

I still want to say good bye for the summer for all my friends from Poland (specially for those I was not able to do that in person!!). I hope everybody will have perfect summer! This has been amazing school year, I have got so many great new friends and had so much fun with the old friends too! I can not believe I have already been in Poland for two years. Time flies so fast that I'm not able to follow.

While telling best wishes for the summer to my friends in Poland, I can not wait to see my family and friends in Finland! Now it is only matter of days that I will be able to meet everybody! For the first week I'm planning to stay in the summer cottage enjoying the nature and beauty of Finland, call me after that and lets meet! :)

-Camilla