Finnish Summer Time

My time in Finland is rapidly coming to an end. I leave on Monday, scary. 

Since I went to Stockholm I've had a busy last few weeks in Lapland. As per usual around this time of year I've had a few deadlines in quick succession. But thankfully, everything has managed to go well. 

Last week I spent the day at uni putting up an exhibition with a group of other exchange students, where I'm currently displaying two of my projects. Exhibition hanging is one of the most stressful things in the word. Getting things properly mounted and then straight on the wall is a nightmare. Personally, I won't be using foamboard for a long time (watch me want it at my degree show). For displaying my work An Organised Mess  I mounted several panels onto foamboard before using fishing wire to hang them from the ceiling. 

For whatever reason cutting in a straight line has become difficult for me, sticking straight has also become a challenge. Lucy helped me to cut and mount my panels which was easier said than done. The foamboard had an adhesive side which meant I didn't have to use spray mount, one of my many artistic enemies. But this came with it's difficulties as once the print was stuck it was stuck, to try and move it would potentially rip it and then what would I even display? Anyway, after a lot of swearing, some last minute trimming and one monumental cock up which meant I couldn't display one of my images I'd mounted them. The next barrier was actually hanging the prints which actually went surprisingly well. Indephoto was done. 

The day was made even more hectic by a number of factors; I had two lots of work to sort out, it was very warm and by the time I finished hanging my work it was about 4.30/5pm and we were supposed to be opening at 6. Luckily, Adaptation Charting was a bit simpler once I got hold of an old Apple Mac and I plugged my memory stick in. The evening was a very successful one, the feeling of relief that the exhibition had been pulled off was huge. 

That Friday I was back in uni to hang my other exhibition for Art Practice and my year long project. This consisted of a lot of measuring, not so quick maths and a lot of up and down on a step ladder. We had the opening on Monday which also went really well. Instead of a speech the students and staff read poems or prose for a minute at the same time to open the exhibition. I've never heard of an exhibition being opened in that way before and I loved being part of it. It was so great to see the work you've caught glimpses of throughout the year in full and intentionally displayed. We had the critique for the class this week and hearing more about everyone's work and intentions was so interesting. They're a very talented bunch. 

Whilst all this has been going on, Rovaniemi has been in the grips of a heatwave. I've even got a legitimate tan line. It even got to 28 degrees the other day which I never thought I'd get in LAPLAND the home of SANTA. I'm woefully underprepared for this week of warm. I've been wearing jeans for much of it and I don't know if I've ever felt more sorry for myself. Absolutely sweltering. 

I find myself procrastinating a lot at the moment, hence writing this blog post right now. I'm trying to pack but also trying to prolong it for as long as possible. Packing the last nine months into two bags is proving very difficult, I'm questioning how I've accumulated so much stuff and how I fit it all in when I moved last August. 

Packing is also making me reflect a lot on how I feel about leaving Lapland and going home. I'm feeling mixed emotions about it, I'm really excited to go home because I've been away for a long time, but equally it's very scary to go back into something I've not been settled into for the last nine months. And the more I think about it, nine months is a long time. Even though it doesn't feel like 5 minutes ago I got on a plane to move here for uni. I know that a lot will have changed at home and I'll have to get used to it again, but I suppose I won't ever stop adjusting. 

Veggie and Friends (Stockholm)

Shout out to Welsh Liam for coming up with the name of this blog post. As expected the subject of this blog post is a veggie (me) and my friends in Stockholm. Since we arrived in Lapland, I've wanted to go to Sweden properly. As it was my first Erasmus destination I wanted to see what could have been. Also it's Milo and Kam's birthdays this week so we got to celebrate with them a little bit too. 

I thought Saint Petersburg had stolen my heart, but Stockholm has swooped in and wooed me away. I'm not sure if it was the place or the people but this trip was simply wonderful. From not having to get a 5.40 flight from Rovaniemi to having the best halloumi burger I have ever consumed, Stockholm was the one. 

Waking up on Thursday was so exciting, all our pals had arrived in Stockholm the previous night so we were the last to arrive, after a blip finding each other we had an incredibly happy reunion. I even hugged Danny I was so buzzed. But in all seriousness, something Erasmus has made me realise is that I have one of the most loving and supportive friendship groups ever. This is so gushy and so unlike me, but I couldn't have asked for better people to spend my degree with. I also haven't seen most of them since January which is weird considering last year I spent almost every day with them. 

Immediately we did the very British thing of getting a cider and having it in the park. For my lowly Lapland self, it was roasting, I haven't soaked up that much vitamin D since August and I was loving it. We sat down and had a good chat, catching up on all of our news and experiences in our various countries. It was absolutely fab.

The next day we hopped on the tram to the Abba Museum because, when in Sweden? Walking around singing to our hearts content and looking at every piece of Abba memorabilia I could, it's safe to say we all had a crackin time. We went to get lunch and sat on the grass nearby having yet another gossip, what can I say we had a lot to catch up on. We went for a little walk and Anna and Bea decided to go paddling, Bea was the only one to paddle though because Anna spectacularly fell into the pond. I was speechless watching her fall in slow motion, but eventually I chuckled. 

We took a trip to the botanical gardens too which was absolutely gorgeous. There was even a cactus room which I could have spent all day in but I'd paid to look at all the other cool plants too. As you can imagine, putting a group of photographers in a place like this has its pros and cons. Pros being many an aesthetic pic for the gram, cons being it takes a while to get anywhere and do anything. None the less it was beautiful and I got a good pic of me with a cactus to show that I am in fact a cactus queen. Something I didn't expect to enjoy was clubbing in Stockholm. Since I've been on Erasmus any club I've gone to has been alright but not special. It's not flares basically. But Stockholm was cracking, I cannot tell you the name of the club but I can tell you I had a wicked time and that's all that matters. 

The ten of us spent a lot of time wondering around and exploring the city, the five days was just one big catch up. It went by far too quickly and when it came for Danni, the first of our number to leave I was sad. I'm ashamed to say I didn't get to say goodbye properly because it all got too much for me and I fell asleep (classic me). Monday was tainted with happiness and sadness. Happiness because I got to go to Seven Eleven and have my second cheese and pesto calzone of the week which was absolutely incredible. But all at once I was so sad to say goodbye to my friends. We said bye to Milo at the train station and decided to make the most of our last day by going to see a 360 view of Stockholm which was beautiful. We said bye to everyone at the coach station and began our trip back to Lapland. 

I only wish we could have been joined by our other pals that are dotted at home and around Europe because it was almost perfect. Basically I had a cracking week, Stockholm you were an absolute dream.

Blog Reviews

To dive straight in the first blog I'd like to comment on is Jaime's, who has been working at The Walt Disney Company. My first thoughts being how cool but also how different to my own experiences in Finland. Upon reading his blog it’s become apparent to me how much he enjoys his position and how much confidence he’s gotten from undertaking different roles at the company. This resonated with me somewhat as I’ve found myself slowly gaining confidence in different ways during my own year abroad. He also noted that during his interview he realised how much his course at university had helped him. Although we are doing wildly different things, (one of us working as an Asset Production Intern, the other living in Finland studying art) I related to this SO much more than I knew. My time at ULapland has made me realise how much my course has equipped me.

The next blog I’d like to talk about is Irina’s. She spent semester one studying at the Minerva Academy in the Netherlands and is spending semester two completing a work placement in Bucharest, Romania. I was attracted to Irina’s blog as like me she spent some of her enhancement year studying fine arts. As I read her blog more and more, some of her experiences seemed to mirror mine in a way. As in Lapland, cycling is a major form of transportation in Groningen which she had to adapt into her routine and lifestyle whilst living there, similarly whilst living in Rovaniemi, I’ve had to incorporate cycling into my daily life in order to get around. Like Irina, and as I mentioned earlier, I’ve also been studying fine art. Whilst the subjects we study at Coventry (Photography and Media Production) are different, the feelings of uncertainty in how to adjust that Irina expressed were similar to my own. For her main module Irina has had creative freedom, which I feel is comparable to my Art Practice in Context module in Lapland. 

Lastly, I’d like to talk about Liam’s blog. Being my coursemate and friend I’ve been able to keep track of his year abroad and reading his blog, his personality shines through. Throughout his blog posts it’s become clear to me that our Erasmus experiences are wildly different despite the fact that we study the same course in Coventry. Firstly, our locations are wildly different meaning that for Liam, travelling is a great deal easier than it is for me. Despite the fact we saw each other in Poland his travelling days were significantly shorter than mine, something I greatly envy. Academically the courses we’ve chosen are quite different, with his main module being about media and publishing, something I’m quite jealous of because I’d be very interested in that. However, I’m grateful for education I’ve received in Finland as I feel I can apply what I’ve learnt effectively to my practice at home.

An Academic Year in Review

Since I don't have long left in Lapland, I thought it only appropriate to take some time and reflect/review my time here. Living in Lapland is what I can only describe as an emotional rollercoaster. There are some times I have been absolutely elated and others I've felt so low I've questioned why I'm here. 

Living so far North has been really exciting and it's given me a lot of opportunities. Firstly I had no idea I'd ever be living in Finland or that I'd have the opportunity to travel around Scandinavia and parts of Europe. Equally though, there have been times where living so far North has felt like a hinderance. Rovaniemi is a small city and whilst there have been opportunities for me to travel flights can cost quite a lot so trips have to be planned carefully and as cheaply as possible. 

Academically the year has been very different to how I find university in the UK. Since I was at school research has always been an integral part of my projects in helping them develop. But that is not as universally encouraged here. In Art Practice the lecturers preferred us to just start work immediately with research coming later and if necessary. At this point in the year, I've done some research I think twice, maybe three times, which has helped me to develop an idea I've had. In other modules I don't know if I've done much artistic research at all but I've definitely researched processes and how they work in order to enhance my skills. 

Research and development books are also something that aren't really used at the university. I started to produce one to chart my development in drawing and painting. I didn't need to use it for research because I didn't necessarily need to do any. After a while though, and one particular conversation where my lecturers said I used my sketchbook to make myself look busy; it became abundantly clear that it wouldn't be much use here. Occasionally I still update it for myself to gather my thoughts about what I'm doing but it's not really an integral part of my project anymore and I've been encouraged to work outside of my sketchbook a lot which has been a bit strange since I've not been behind a camera either, but I have enjoyed it. I've found it somewhat difficult to get out of using my sketchbook, I've now completed at least two projects without one and I'm a bit concerned about getting back into using one for my final year at university as I've not been using it in the same way.

Although coming here with two of my friends has been comforting, there have been some difficulties. During our excursion in August we were quickly labelled as the 'English triplets' by one of our primary lecturers, a label that has since stuck. This has made it very difficult to establish ourselves as individuals both academically and socially even though the work we produce is wildly different in subject matter and method. Although our lecturers have said we should do different things and establish ourselves at times it has not been made easy by them as we rarely get referred to by our actual names instead being called 'the English triplets', 'the Coventry girls' or other variations of that. 

Like I said at the beginning, living in Lapland has been an emotional rollercoaster. It's given me some of the best highs, some of the lowest lows which I'm grateful for.

What I'll miss about Lapland

As it stands I don't have very long left in Finland. I've recently been in Russia for a week and travel to Stockholm in about a weeks time. When I arrived back in Lapland in January I couldn't really imagine myself in April, I definitely couldn't imagine myself 7, almost 8 months down the line when I got here in August. Despite the fact that it was horribly intimidating and at first I was really worried about being here, there's so many things I'll miss about this country, this city. 

First off and most predictably, I'll definitely miss the views. I'll miss the view out of my window, my lovely little pylon has provided me with many an aesthetic photo for my Snapchat. I know that to many an electricity pylon is awful, before now I wouldn't have liked it either but I've grown to love it since waking up to the fog surrounding it to the sunsets behind it. 

Before actually living it, I never would have pictured myself in Lapland at any other time of year apart from winter. Being able to see all the seasons play out here has been very strange, naturally when you think of Lapland you think of snow but Lapland is pretty beautiful at other times of year too. Autumn has always been my favourite season. At home I constantly crave the yellows, oranges and browns, the crunchy leaves, the slight chill but the creeping of the sun. But Autumn here is something else, I can't describe how beautiful it is. The snow that blankets the whole city from mid-October to around April/May is also beautiful in a different way. It's something I'll miss having the opportunity to look at every time I look out my front door. 

Something I didn't know that I enjoyed so much was how peaceful it is here. Although I catch myself craving a busier city environment, it is wonderful to be in a place without too much hustle and bustle. It's given me a lot of space and a lot of time to think about my work and scarily my life decisions, which I mostly put off and decide to do something else instead. The tranquility of life here has made me feel a lot calmer, something I sometimes don't feel at home because I always feel busy. 

When I first arrived I never, ever thought I'd be saying I'd miss this. But I will miss my little Finnish room. When I first arrived at Kuntotie and saw my tiny, low bed and the bare walls I was a little bit horrified. I couldn't see myself being there for the year, I could never see myself calling it home. But after the addition of a few home comforts it's become very homely and I'll miss it a lot. 

Being away from the traditional university environment I've found myself embroiled in for the last two years has given me many opportunities. Not that I don't miss Coventry because I do but in Finland I've felt I've had a lot of artistic freedom. Whilst undertaking my studies in Lapland I've delved into a lot of projects both for university and things I've wanted to try out to see how well they work. Not all have been successful/are completed but none the less I've found that being here has provided me with lots of ideas to buzz around my brain. When I go back to Coventry, I'm prepared for it to be a lot of hard work and much of my time will focus on university. I'll miss being able to wake up with an idea and being able to pick up my camera to try it out. 

A bit out the ball park here, but I'm just going to come out with it. I'll really miss Hesburger. Hesburger isn't a thing in the UK which makes me very sad. Now, I love a good McDonald's but in Rovaniemi it's kinda expensive. Not that Hesburger is much cheaper in comparison but they do these really great soy strips and you get sauce included depending on how many you buy, which I've become quite partial to. Whilst we're on the subject of food, Cafe 21 is another one. The waffles there are absolutely amazing, but you guessed it because I live in Finland, they're expensive. But oh my goodness are they worth it but only occasionally when I don't feel poor. 

To combat my rave review on a fast food place I'll make a U-turn and say I'm gonna miss the amount of exercise I've found myself doing. As it stands, because of the closing of the old bridge, it takes me an hour if I walk to university and about 30 minutes if I cycle. Over the past 9 months exercise has become a part of my every day life and it's slipped in quite well (even if I do hate having to leave at 8 for a 9am start). At home I can walk to the center both in Coventry and in the village I live in but it doesn't take long and if I want to go further afield I can always hop in my car. I also find it difficult to make time to go to the gym or keep to a schedule for running or swimming. When I get home I'm going to aim to incorporate it more into my life because although I'm not the biggest fan of cycling, I love exercise.  

Actual Uni Work (Semester 2)

Following on from my practical work from last semester, I thought it only appropriate to write one for my second semester too. 

As I mentioned in my previous blog post about uni work, I've decided to continue Adaptation Charting for which I'm using the same method as before by saving my Snapchat story. This semester though I've thought about incorporating other forms of social media in order to see what my time in Lapland looks like through different forms, seeing how I present myself on different platforms. Indeed, the way I present myself may be varyingly different or there may be no difference at all. But regardless I'm excited to continue this project and see where it leads. 

I'm also taking Independent Photography Seminar this semester. However, I'm not continuing my project from last semester as I had some other ideas buzzing around in my brain I wanted to try out and when in Lapland. I've decided to pursue two projects in this seminar which is quite ambitious for me but my creativity seemed to flow considerably when I thought about this course so I decided to take full advantage. As I hadn't learnt a new process in a while I decided to give it a shot by learning how to pixel sort. I've never been able to code nor can I say that I understand it very much but as I've investigated this more, I've been able to learn just enough to pixel sort my images and I'm pretty pleased with the results. 

My second project is a somewhat typological. Since being in Rovaniemi, something that has attracted my attention a lot is the road signs here. I've always been aware that the road signs in mainland Europe were a bit different to home but something about them just gets me. My favourite sign I've seen so far and I suppose, the inspiration for this project was the beware of snowmobiling sign I saw on my way to uni. I'm pretty sure it hasn't always been there but anyway, realising that I might have not noticed it before made me look at the road signs a lot more often or rather, made me realise I'd been noticing them since August and I really wanted to document that. I find things like that really interesting, the colours and imagery that gets used but can be universally recognised by the general population, including those that wouldn't ordinarily see them is quite fascinating to me. So I am taking a lot of photos of roadsides, then I plan on whittling them down to create a small photobook. Something that excites and intimidates me. Before I went on the excursion I'd never put my energy into making a photobook, I've always been a prints on the wall kind of gal. So in a way this project is also an experiment, I really liked creating my photo book from the excursion, but I don't know if I like making photobooks or it was just a one hit wonder. We'll see.

As far as practical modules go, that's all I'm involved in at the moment but that's more than I'd usually juggle in my timetable at home. My other modules include History of Design and Architecture in Finland, a subject of great interest to me and whilst not practical, they're giving me the opportunity to learn about something I wouldn't get the opportunity to study in such detail at home. 

Feeding My Inner History Nerd and a Stop in Tallinn

This is it. The big one. What I've been waiting for. Over Easter weekend I got the opportunity to go to Saint Petersburg on an ESN trip. This was also offered last semester but I didn't think that I'd have that week off, turns out I did so missed it. This semester I was determined to go to Russia, it's a place I've wanted to go to since I studied my history A level and it did not disappoint me. 

The weekend started with a 15 hour coach journey to Helsinki to catch the cruise ship which was mildly enjoyable but also an absolute killer. When we arrived in Helsinki a big group of us went to get food in the few hours we had before the ferry left before walking to the port and boarding the ship.

When I woke up the next day, we'd docked in Saint Petersburg and I was so excited. Little did I realise just how long the task ahead was. Passport control. Now, I'd not expected passport control to be easy, I'd thought the line would be long and it would take a while, but that was naive. A somewhat orderly queue had formed by the time we entered but about an hour in everyone got sick of that and proceeded to shove forward, losing any semblance of order that had proceeded. Some boys got a bit tired of waiting in silence so they put some music on. My highlight was hearing Wonderwall for a good 30 seconds before it was turned off. Finally, after about 3 and a half hours we were all through passport control an onto a quick tour. We stopped occasionally to take a few photos as our guide, Alex, gave us some information about what we were seeing. I was in absolute awe. I love beautiful architecture and Saint Petersburg is full of it. Many of the buildings were palace's belonging to the Russian Imperial family before it was abolished in 1918. I was in my element. 

That evening a group of us went to a traditional Russian dinner which was super fun, we also got to see some traditional Russian entertainment and got some free vodka and as a student I can't complain about that. As we only had a short time in Saint Petersburg (72 hours without a visa), there was A LOT of activities planned. We all packed onto the bus the next morning to go to the Hermitage Museum, previously the Winter Palace. I couldn't wait. I'd read so much about this place, seen it in films and photos. I never thought I'd go myself. The interior was just as beautiful as the exterior, the grand rooms ornately decorated which reminded me that this was once a palace, someone's home. That afternoon I went exploring with Lucy and Katie, we wondered the city and stumbled quite literally across the Savior on Spilled Blood which I had been so desperate to see. The mosaicked domes opened up to me the closer I got. I'll be honest I got a bit emotional because I was actually seeing it. We spent every moment we could exploring our surroundings with other exchange students because we had such a short time in the city. 

After we left Saint Petersburg we stopped in Tallinn for a few hours before catching the ferry back to Helsinki. Tallinn was really beautiful and to make the most of the short time we'd been offered there I took a tour of the old town, which I found really interesting. I wish I'd had a bit more time to explore Tallinn and its surroundings properly and it's definitely somewhere I would go back to. It was a wonderful break from Rovaniemi and it felt great to not wear snowboots and base layers all the time. 

My Parents Take Lapland (and Free Food)

To cut to the chase, and because the title gives it away, my parents came to visit me in Lapland this week. It was also very surreal as neither of them I'm pretty sure would choose cold weather over hot. At least, I know for a fact my mum wouldn't. Anyway, because I've made sunny, cold, Lapland my home for the past seven months, they thought they should come and see it and me.

Of course I was very excited. One of the things I've found most challenging about living in Finland is the cost of living, which is very high and higher than I'm used to at home. So naturally my parents coming meant for a week I wouldn't have to pay for food, result. They'd also hired a car so I'd asked to go a bit further afield some days which is usually beyond my means as I often walk and cycle. 

Onto the weeks highlights. Of course, I suggested we go to Santa's Village which my dad kept referring to as 'Santa Claus Land'. The first few times I went here, it was magical and very exciting but as it stands the novelty has well and truly worn off for me now.  Whilst my parents marveled at some but not all of the Santa themed gifts on offer I had a look around for the fourth time and wondered what I was going to have for lunch. They enjoyed themselves none the less and got their gift shop fill for the week. 

One of the best bits of the past week was going to the SnowVillage in Kittilä, which is about 149km from Rovaniemi. The SnowVillage is built annually around the same location with construction usually beginning in late October or early November depending on the weather and is open to the public until April. I'd been desperate to go since I was tagged in a video about it on Facebook by a friend from home because this year, the SnowVillage is Game of Thrones themed and I absolutely LOVE Game of Thrones, so I jumped at the chance to look at the Iron Throne made of ice. As well as this, there were a number of other pieces created by sculptors from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Latvia. I was in awe for the entire time, wondering around trying to capture the detail and just staring at how amazing these sculptures were. Words and even photos, I don't think could do them justice. 

I also had the opportunity to go to Ranua Wildlife Park, an Arctic Zoo just outside Rovaniemi. Although I'm not a massive fan of zoos, the polar bears were a big draw for me. My mum is also a big owl fan so she wanted to go and see them too. My personal highlight was seeing the otters, my favourite animal ever and when they decided to go to sleep in the strangest position I've ever seen. There was also a KarlFazer shop, which meant I could get some Finnish chocolate and if you've never had Finnish choc, I'd highly recommend and it was only €1.80 compared to the supermarket €2.25, bargain. 

It was a great week, it was cool to show my parents around and for them to see where I was living. I think it also gave them some peace of mind actually being here rather than just seeing photos of it. A highlight for my mum and (maybe) my dad was also seeing the Northern Lights, although the contrasting reactions of my parents was really something. We walked out of their apartment in the middle of the city (its recommended you go as far from the city as possible whilst Northern Light hunting), to see the bright green lights dancing across the sky. Pointing this out to both my parents, my mum exclaimed and marveled at how beautiful they were. My dad however glanced up and asked me if that was them, remarking that they looked like smoke to him. The best natural light show in the world and my dad didn't really get it, lucky for him he got to visit the Arktikum and see the Aurora Borealis section.

Having visitors in Lapland reinforces to me how much I've adapted to life here, occasionally I'd forget to tell them which way they needed to go when walking somewhere because I'm so used to being here without them and being around people that know their way around. So for a short time I had to convert into a guide for a few days.

Art Practice in Context

I felt like Art Practice should have its own blog post because it's a bit different to the rest of the modules I've taken during my Erasmus year. The reason for this being that it's lasted for the entirety of the academic year. Personally, I've never had a project run for that long for a number of reasons which I won't bore you with now. 

This module is also different in that I've decided not to choose my comfortable medium of photography to produce my work. Since I'm in a new place and environment where I have the opportunity to explore a range of techniques and materials I decided to draw for this. Originally the project was based around the fact I couldn't draw and was going to chart my progress as I (maybe) got better. As with any project both the concept, content and technique have evolved since this initial idea and the project looks very different now. 

Initially I tried to focus on a range of subject matter and drawing techniques as I had an idea of the progress I'd make. I also suspected it would take me a while to find a technique I was satisfied with, however, I fell into a style that I liked sooner than expected and decided that since I was actually looking at my own drawings and not actively disliking them I'd stick with this and explore a range of techniques and materials. It also became clear to me that I couldn't continue to practise my drawing and wouldn't correctly be able to analyse my progress if I continued drawing different things. As I have a cactus in my room and the shape is fairly universal I settled on this as my subject matter and have been creating drawings of this using different materials. I'm still around 9 weeks from finishing this course and still have a lot of progress to make with my work. I'm currently exploring watercolours and how I can make the imagery appear differently using this material.

We're having a group exhibition for this course in mid-May and we are currently in the process of creating the exhibition catalogue along with the other students in the class. We've all been assigned different roles and Katie, Lucy and I are photographing the work and the students for this.

Art Practice has given me a new found confidence in my artistic ability. Before this I was always always one of those people that said they couldn't draw or paint because I'd not really been encouraged that I could, or at least that's how it felt. It's very refreshing to enjoy creating something that's different to my usual methods and chosen artistic practice. It's also been interesting to pursue a project for this amount of time. At first I was skeptical as to how I was going to interest myself for a year and even when I decided to pursue this project I was nervous. What if I didn't get better? What if I got half way through and decided I was done with drawing? But thinking back on it, I've found the experience very rewarding and I've very much enjoyed drawing again. 

Just Finnish Things

So since I moved to Finland a whole six months ago a number of things have caught my attention about the chilly, pretty country I've been able to call home. So, I've compiled a list. At the moment it's quite short but other things may catch my eye that I can add, I am here until May.

To kick things off, I think I'll start with something that has BAFFLED me since I first noticed it in late August/early September. Ice cream sections are MASSIVE. I mean, fair play frozen sections in supermarkets house other things, like garlic bread but none the less there is a lot of ice cream in those frozen sections. This wouldn't be so weird if I was in, you know, Spain not in Northern Finland where the average temperature is around -16.  At first I thought it was just a one off, you know maybe K-Market had too many an ice cream sandwiches so they just put loads out to get rid of them but no. The Sale in town has an even bigger selection of ice cream. Which you know, is fab, I love me some blueberry and white chocolate, it's good for the soul. However, I was and still am gobsmacked at just how they can be so big, when winter lasts for at least six months of the year. I just don't get it. When this was bought up in Adaptation Charting (more on that later) my lecturer was perplexed that I was perplexed. Remarking simply

"In winter people eat ice cream inside, do you not do that in England?" 

A simple explanation, and I have been known to tuck into a bowl of mint choc chip in mid December. But, at home it's not pushing -18 and I don't feel like a human icicle. Each to their own, kudos for being so brave, Finns. 

Whilst I'm on the subject of supermarkets. They have fruit machines in supermarkets here. You have to be 18 and over to play - please gamble responsibly. There's at least one in every supermarket I've been in here so far and I've found that you're more likely to be able to gamble in a Finnish supermarket than you are to find a cash machine. This is a far cry from the UK where I've grown very accustomed to being able to check my bank balance by every Tesco express. Never having been a gambler myself I haven't tried this out yet, I'm not sure I could see myself getting my shopping then deciding to have a quick flutter with my change, but each to their own.

Sticking with the money theme, this is something I think I've subconsciously realised but not realised and never voiced out loud until the other day. I'm unsure if this is the same for all countries that use the euro but in Finland 1 cents and 2 cents coins aren't a thing. They're not given as change, they're not in circulation anymore. Since being here I'd noticed that if something was €1.49 it'd be rounded up to €1.50. At first I noticed but never thought about why. It only came to me when I was buying some peppers and a trusty Karl Fazer 35g bar that it hit me. It played on my mind so I did what I could and turned to Google and in turn Wikipedia, of course. Finland has adopted what is known as 'Swedish rounding' when it comes to one and two cents and the coins aren't in circulation anymore due to the cost of accepting and producing them. If the sum ends with 1, 2, 6 or 7 it is rounded down to the nearest 5 but those ending with 3, 4, 8 and 9 are rounded up. This is a bit weird to get my head round because that's not how I was taught to round at school, but you do you. 

Moving on slightly but kind of staying on the supermarket train but moving to food. Here in Finland and in the Scandinavian countries I've had the privilege of visiting since my Erasmus year began bread is small. Not in terms of how much you can buy at the time, physically the slices of bread are smaller. For someone that loves a good carb, especially bread in pretty much any form this was a great disappointment at first. The noticeable difference was a tough one to handle but since August I've trained myself to handle it. Staying on the food and drink front, but moving distinctly towards the drink section in some restaurants, ordering tap water costs €1. This was a huge shock, as someone that has spent their youth and some of their early adulthood so far taking full advantage of the 'tap water is free' opportunity at home I was shocked at this. The water in Finland is some of the cleanest in the world which I suppose people would pay good money for, but knowing I can get it from the tap in my kitchen whilst I'm paying a euro is not satisfying. 

Something else that I've noticed about Finland, I'm surprised I even noticed because I can only say a few things in Finnish, most of them being derivatives of hello and bye. Anyway, in Finnish there is no word for please. When they ask for things it probably roughly translates as pass me that or words to that effect. Obviously to Finns, it's not rude at all, but to someone from England, who apologises when they need to say excuse me it's a strange notion. Absolute power to you, if you need a paintbrush or another item of cutlery then you should have it. As long as no one else is using it. 

This one makes my heart happy as Lucy would say. Although I've never been a particular fan of Valentine's day much preferring the lesser known 'Galentine's Day', I think this is really cute and something that should be taken far and wide. In Finland Valentine's day isn't about romance and thinking about how Finns interact that makes sense. Instead Valentine's day is about friends. I was inspired to research this further, so as per, I turned to trusty Google. Upon doing some research I found out that February 14th was first listed as a special day in 1987 and it's traditional to give small gifts to your friends and people you care about. I wish this was more popular (maybe not the small gifts part because I'm poor). I don't know if there is a friends day at home and Galentine's day isn't as far as I'm aware and official thing. I got it from Parks and Recreation when I watched it with one of my pals. I think it's really cute and when I'm home I'd like to make it more of a thing for my friends.

On to something else now, airports. Something suitable to finish off with I think as planes get me to and from. At the time of writing I think I've spent about 15 hours in Helsinki airport since August, which is a bit depressing but hey ho, this gives you time to notice things. Inevitably I've acquainted myself with the bathrooms (15 hours is a long time), in Helsinki airport there's a soundtrack of bird noises being played. I've been used to the classic, put the hand dryer on trick but bird noises was a new one. I wasn't sure if they only played them in the female toilets or the male but I was later informed you can hear the sweet cheeping of birds in the male loos too. The purpose this serves I'm not sure because you definitely know when you're in a bathroom. A Helsinki quirk or a Finnish quirk I'm not sure, but a quirk none the less. 

A Birthday and a Visitor

This title isn't as Agatha Christie as I'd have liked, but I thought it'd be better to keep it simple and I also couldn't think of anything ambiguously witty. So, to clear things up, the birthday was mine. I turned 21 on 10th February and for the occasion Shaun came to visit me, which was really cute of him. 

Friday 9th was the longest day of my life. I think all I did was sit on my bed waiting for Shaun to tell me he was at Heathrow, then Helsinki, then Rovaniemi. I was full of anticipation. I hadn't seen Shaun for just over a month and I was excited to see him and show him around. As well as this I would be reunited with my trusty mac with a new 'I can hold charge now' battery. 

My actual birthday was pretty wonderful. Katie and Lucy (and Shaun, kind of) decorated our flat and put banners and confetti around, they even got me a cake which I was very very happy with. I absolutely LOVE cake, so on my 21st birthday I had cake for breakfast, what a time to be alive. The fact I'm even writing that I turned 21 is very strange. It really doesn't seem that long ago I was at laserforce celebrating my 10th birthday with my brother and my pals. And of course it's very cool to think I turned 21 in Lapland. I spent the rest of the day showing Shaun around, basically I took him on a walk and pointed out things I liked, like the Angry Birds park which I have yet to go to, it's on my Lapland bucket list. A big event of the day was also walking on the Kemijoki river, which is completely frozen apart from a small section by the candlestick bridge on the way to town. So along with celebrating my birthday in Lapland, I got to walk on a frozen river for my 21st too, very very cool.

It was very surreal to take Shaun to all these places that could now be classed as my 'old haunts'. He was here as a tourist which is obviously so different to my experience of being here. Whilst I've been in Lapland one of my mottos has been 'I still have time', this mindset is perhaps one I should get out of, February is almost over and it doesn't seem like three weeks ago I was lamenting the length of January. March is next week and I go to Russia in 30 days which in the grand scheme of things isn't very long at all. Weird. 

Shaun was only here for a week so he definitely didn't think of it the way that I did, which was refreshing really. On Tuesday we went to Santa's village, a place I've only been twice, so Shaun could cross the Arctic Circle. He was a bit disappointed that the snow on the actual line hasn't been cleared so he had to make do with the arctic circle pillars instead. Basically no boomerang for him, sucker. Then I showed him round the plethora of gift shops which he was both impressed and surprised with. He had to keep reminding me he was on holiday, which was the strangest notion because I've got so used to going about my daily life in Lapland, I've never really thought of it as a holiday. Going to Norway was a holiday, going to Poland was a holiday, but I don't see Lapland as a holiday.

He'd done some research about what was in Rovaniemi town centre, to find some things he wanted to do and asked me if I could take him to the football stadium (typical football obsessed male) to which my response was yeah if you know where it is. Not that we could do much more than look at it because you know, it was covered in snow. But I did discover a cute little pastry shop on the other side of the town centre past Cafe 21 with pastries at the nice little some of 90 cents (absolute bargain). 

I had a good week and it was a good thing to see Rovaniemi from a different perspective. On reflection I'm not sure if I've ever looked at it as a tourist. This is a place I've called home for the last six months and it was refreshing to see it this way or try to. Shaun visiting also made me realise how much I've got used to being in Lapland and saying this is where I live. It seems very normal for me to put on some base layers before leaving my apartment and look out my window and see snow that goes up to my knees. This is my new normal and I forget that it's completely different to what's come before. 

The Big Freeze

Rovaniemi never fails to surprise with me with its weather conditions. I know what you're probably thinking. What did I expect? The arctic circle is a mere 4 miles away, I've crossed it (fyi, I have a boomerang of me doing so, proof). You're also probably thinking just how British I am right now to be writing an entire blog post about the weather, my nationality shines through I suppose. But let me tell you, nothing will ever prepare you for the cold here ever. I've been in Finland for about 6 months now and I thought by now the weather would just bounce off me. Alas, no. 

October got chilly. November was pretty cold. December was cold. January was cold. But the first week of February, normally my favourite month of the year; one because it's short and two because it's my birthday month, was the coldest thing I have ever experienced in my entire almost twenty one years of living. When I was home at Christmas everyone that asked me how Finland was must have been so tired at my response which was always something about how cold and dark it was. This is one of the most cliche sentences I will ever write, but you will not understand it until you've experienced it. 

This week, although in sunnier climes and with a whole 7 extra minutes of sun meaning a whole 7 more minutes to get vitamin D, it has never felt more cold. Although the temperatures aren't any less or much less than what we had in December, it feels it and going outside in -20 feels like -27 is not the one. Due to recent snowstorms temperatures have dipped with the crisp air making it feel ever colder. The weather app telling me constantly that it will be warmer within the next few days. Alas, I've found myself in constant -20 for the past few days and I've forgotten what it feels like to be able to feel my thighs and see properly on account of my eyelashes freezing. 

The cold here is so different to any I've ever experienced before. Rovaniemi isn't a very windy place so thankfully that doesn't make it feel colder like in England. I think Katie's summed it up the best, she likens it to living in a giant freezer. The cold is crisp and clean but you feel it anyway. Especially when cycling or walking anywhere. Katie and I cycled to uni this morning for our 9am start in -22, what felt like -28. My heart sank at having to even leave my apartment and the cycle was the worst. It was so difficult even on flat ground which has never really happened before and I'm not a cycling kind of gal. Purely just because of the cold which is crazy. The three of us walked back from town in -17 which didn't even seem cold, my friend Milo is currently in Karlstad, Sweden where it's, as he put it 'only' -12. I've never wanted -12 so much before now. I might be freezing and I might have lost the feeling in my fingers but it made for some good photos, and it's -14 at the moment and I got 7 hours of daylight today, the daylight continues it's takeover I just wish the sun would warm me up a bit. 

Take Two

Returning to Lapland after being at home was a strange notion and also a strange feeling. It was weird how little time it had taken me to slip back into everything in the UK. After being in Lapland for four months and getting regular updates about work, any family news and anything big going on with my friends I thought it'd take me a while to get used to. I'd slipped back into it almost immediately and it went by in a flash. 

The first week or so being back in Rovaniemi felt very surreal. It felt like I'd barely left but at the same time I was so comfortable with my routine and my life back home I felt somewhat unsettled. It's taken a few weeks for me to become readjusted and get back to the Lapland life. But all in all I'm quite content to be back. Gradually I'm getting into the swing of things. 

With a few trips planned and being planned this semester has plenty to both occupy me and surprise me, which I'm very excited for. My modules are all starting within the next few weeks and I'm excited for the new challenges that face me during my last few months in Lapland.

Going Home for Christmas

The end of semester one came with mixed emotions. I was sad to be leaving Finland. It meant my first semester was over, it meant that I was almost half way through my Erasmus year which meant I was almost in my final year of uni and most importantly it meant that I was going to have to say see you later to my friends who weren't coming back next semester. But also I was really excited to be going home and to see my family and friends. 

The days had started to become very very short in Lapland and the nights seemed almost endless. During the last week of uni Lucy, Katie and I set up a joint exhibition for two of our courses along with the other students, so for that time and some weeks previously I am pretty sure the only light I saw was artificial. The day before I flew home from Finland the day length was 2 hours and 25 minutes. It made the excitement to go home greater. I missed so many things about the UK, things I didn't even realise I'd miss. The lack of daylight made me crave the sun and being outside which was strange because I've always had an aversion to the sun and heat. I also had begun to miss pavements, the crunching sound of the snow beneath your feet was wonderful but it wasn't completely practical. The snow would melt when it got a bit warmer and become icy with more snow over the top which made walking and cycling potentially treacherous. 

The lack of daylight had made it somewhat strange to function and leave the apartment. I'd always thought that days got far too short at home but this was nothing. It made going to uni very hard. The modules I'd chosen to pursue often started in the evening and wouldn't finish until around 9pm. With the sun rising around 11.30 and setting around 1.30 I found it quite difficult to function, because it was dark more often than not and I often felt like I should be asleep. I was glad to be going home, I'd checked the weather and it was chilly but sunny, I was glad for the rest bite. 

Actual Uni Work (Semester 1)

I don't really put much about uni on this blog, which is probably bad considering I'm on Erasmus for uni and writing this blog for uni. So to bridge the gap I've decided to compile some of the work I've been doing into a post, just so everyone is aware I do actually work here not just visit Santa, stare at reindeer (when I see them) and take loads of snow pictures to annoy everyone on Instagram. 

For semester one I chose to do quite a few practical modules in comparison to theory modules. The one theory module I chose was an Introduction to Arctic Cultures. I was quite excited about this, I love learning and being in a new environment and culture meant it was pretty likely I wouldn't be learning about anything I already had a prior knowledge of. 

The excursion I went on at the end of August required me to produce a photo book of the images I'd taken whilst in Raattama. I ultimately decided to focus on colour when I made the photo book as Lapland in August is full of it. 

I chose to take part in another module named Adaptation Charting, which is specifically for exchange students. The brief was very, well brief but it fit the job. We were to make a project showing our adaptation or lack of, to our new environment by doing one piece of art a day in any form that we liked. 

The group met intermittently throughout the first semester for a number of reasons for around 4 hours at a time. The discussions in these sessions took us onto many subjects, both academic and personal. To help these along the class participated in a series of activities from choosing our own Finnish name to analysing the difference in our daily routines. 

I was unsure how to proceed with this project. After one of the seminars and a discussion on the project being as personal or impersonal as we would like I decided to do something a little out of my comfort zone by using my phone to create this work. So (almost) every day I put something that caught my eye or interested me on my Snapchat story and created a video at the end of the semester. I elected to continue this module during my second semester in Lapland as I wanted to see how my project would progress and I wanted to carry on the work as a record of my time. 

The final practical module I chose to pursue this semester was Independent Photography Seminar. As with Adaptation Charting it was very open, we could do our project on almost anything. As the environment and landscape here is very different to what I'm used to I wanted to incorporate it into my project. It was interesting to me how the built up environment of Rovaniemi interacted with the nature around it, so I attempted to explore that idea through my imagery. 

A Disaster and a Decision

Semester one has been going at lightening speed. But it's almost stalled. My trusty laptop, my companion in all things uni for the last few years has stopped charging. It's inconvenient to say the least and has also come at a very stressful time because as per classic, all my deadlines are coming up soon. 

Picture the scene. I'd noticed that over the last few days my laptop had been shutting off randomly but I'd put it down to the cold, I do live in Lapland after all. So I thought nothing of it. Whilst my laptop was shutting off intermittently, I also had something else to consider, besides my deadlines. An opportunity to work in the international office at the University had just opened up and I'd wanted to stretch myself. I'd noticed I was becoming a bit restless and I wanted another thing to occupy me. 

The day my poor little laptop decided it didn't want to charge anymore was the last day I could apply, I'd spent a lot of time umming and ahhing over whether I should apply. I decided to go for it, applying wouldn't hurt, I might not even get the internship in the first place. Halfway through my application, my laptop shut down but as it had charged before I thought nothing of it and finished my application and left it to charge. When I came back to it a few hours later I found that my laptop hadn't charged at all. I was very confused and couldn't work out what was happening. I have no idea about IT, it's really not my thing. Katie and Lucy both came in to try and console me but I was quite distraught. I could only use my laptop whilst it was plugged in, if the cable came out it would turn off instantly. Not unsalvageable but, inconvenient none the less. I learnt to deal with it. 

A few weeks later I got a reply about my application, I'd got an interview for the internship position the next day. After my interview I received an email that the position was mine. I was really happy about it. But there was a downside. Instead of studying next semester I'd be purely interning. Which would mean my Erasmus year would go through a big change. I'd be doing half study, half work placement and I needed to make the decision quickly. This had come just three weeks before I was going home for Christmas. 

I wanted the internship or I wouldn't have applied, it was a good opportunity. It would keep me busy, give me more confidence in certain windows programmes and would help me get to know the inner workings of the uni better. But equally, I came to Lapland to study and I've recently handed in my learning agreement for the next semester. The modules I've picked are very interesting to me and I was excited to see what next semester would bring me and I wasn't sure I was ready to give that up. I emailed everyone I could think of who I knew would be able to give me advice. Firstly asking myself what the consequences would be for my degree qualification if I undertook an internship. After a lot of thought I decided to continue studying next semester. I think studying will do me good, the modules I've chosen next semester are going to be really helpful to broaden my education and I'm excited about it.

Poland

Six planes in four days, that sounds like a lot and it was. But it was very very worth it. After my adventure to Norway, my want for exploring had increased and I was so excited to see another part of the world even if it was only for a few days.  

We'd planned to go sightseeing during our really long wait in Helsinki but instead we sat in a little cafe for a few hours, had a hot chocolate, charged our phones and had a rest before we had some food. After that we explored for as long as possible, but it was raining so that didn't last as long as we hoped. We got back to the airport and hopped onto our plane to Munich where we met up with Lewis and then we flew to Krakow where we saw Danny and Liam for the first time in months.

We went to Aushwitz the next day and it was one of the most emotional but interesting days I've had. I'm almost lost for words as to what to write about it. There was a lot to take in and at times it was just harrowing. I can't think of any other word to describe it. We also got the opportunity to go to Schindler's factory, which has now been turned into a museum in Krakow. Which was also really interesting and had loads of information for my history loving head to take in. We weren't at the museum for as long as I would have liked though as our driver explained some people only spend 45 minutes in the museum but other people can spend more time. I've always been one of those people that spends a lot of time in museum's, I read everything. 

One thing I really enjoyed about Poland was how cheap it was. On our first proper evening we went for a full meal and it didn't cost much at all! It made me very sad to go back to Lapland and expensive prices. Naturally I lapped it up and spent all the zloty I'd got out the cash machine throughout the weekend. We spent the next day exploring the centre of Krakow which was wonderful. It was a refreshing change from Lapland which had become very overcast and cloudy, with the sky seemingly endlessly white as Winter had well and truly kicked in. Whereas in Krakow the weather was a little bit more diverse. It included blue sky with cloud, rain and finally, the weirdest surprise of snow. Despite living in temperatures of average -10 I was woefully under prepared for this because I'd checked the weather in Krakow (classic British person abroad) and was really excited to find out it would be +10 degrees so naturally I'd only bought my denim jacket thinking it would be tropical climes. 

Krakow was a dream and somewhere I'd definitely like to go again. Even though I feel like six planes in four days was worth it because I got to go on an adventure and most importantly I got to see my friends I wish I'd had a bit more time in Krakow, there's much more to see. 

The First Snow

The first snow to hit Rovaniemi came on the 20th October. I was hugely excited. I woke up a bit groggy, surprised by how light it seemed to be behind my curtains but didn't think too much of it. I lazily pulled my curtain across and boom. There it was. Staring back at me, a thick white blanket. For a few seconds I was in shock. I'd known it was going to get snowy, I'd known it was going to be cold, I'd known that it was hoped the first lot of snow would hit in October but as I'd gone through the motions of getting used to my environment I hadn't thought that the snow would appear so quickly, I've been in Lapland for two months. I didn't think summer and autumn would be over by then. 

At the same time though, the child in me was excited. The snow in the UK hadn't been this good for a few years. I vaguely remembered that in my first year of uni it had snowed a bit on Christmas day and my brother, sister and I had frantically thrown on our thick coats and wellies to go on a walk and take some photos. This was different though. I was in Lapland, the home of Santa and the home of snow. This was brilliant. 

Still in my pyjamas, I pulled my boots on and grabbed my camera, trying in vein to open our balcony door, something that has always challenged me. In my excitement, Katie heard me trying to open the door and came out to see what all the excitement was about. We decided to go on a quick jaunt around our accommodation to take some photos to mark the occasion. 

Later that day, I went on a walk with Lucy to town so we could complete some work, taking more photos and just enjoying the fact I was in Lapland, with real snow. I even wore my downcoat and my snow boots for the occasion. Little did I know in my euphoria that, as I found out the next few days, they would become a big part of my everyday attire. Snow boots are both warm and stylish. The snow had me on cloud nine. 

A Norway Adventure

After talking about going for a few weeks and seeing our friends amazing pictures of Lofoten, Norway, Katie, Lucy, Eilidh, Louisa and I packed ourselves into a little clio and began our long long drive (about 13 hours) to our little fishing lodge for the weekend. 

I'd been really excited to go to Norway since my arrival in Finland. My friend, Joe, has been to Norway a few times for his university work and had shown me a few photos and told me about the scenery. I was buzzing. I was also a bit nervous because along with Eilidh and Louisa, I'd been named on the car when we'd hired it so we could share driving. I've been able to drive for a few years now, but before Norway, I'd never driven on the right. It took a bit of getting used to but once I got into the flow it wasn't bad at all and because I was so used to driving back home it was quite easy to slip in to.

The scenery on the way to Lofoten was absolutely beautiful, we stopped a few times along the way to take photos and stretch our legs. It was exciting to drive through Sweden and see some of the scenery so close to us. I drove over the boarder between Sweden and Norway which I very much enjoyed. 

The weekend was a delightful one. The first proper day we were there it rained quite heavily and it was misty. We attempted to go on a hike which for some reason I was absolutely petrified of. I'm normally fine with hiking and climbing, as a child I thrived off it but for whatever reason a horrible fear overcame me that I was going to slip and fall and I don't know why. We didn't get to finish the hike as we got to the top and couldn't see a thing so we decided to go back down and back to our lodge. We waited for the rain to pass and went on a walk in the evening to take some photos and take in where we were. 

The second day was better weather and because it was still early October, autumn was in full swing in the Northern hemisphere but it wasn't too cold. We went on another hike and the views at the top were amazing and in that moment my thirst to travel and have more adventures with my friends intensified. The world is so big and I'm so small, I need to make the most of it. After our hike we went to Raine, after it had been recommended to us by a few friends. We had a little walk around and took some photos before going back to our lodge. We were heading back to Kuntotie the next day, which felt quite bittersweet. The weekend had been a cute getaway from Lapland life, a break where I felt like I didn't need to worry about uni for a few days. But in a way I was excited to get back to the familiarity of my little Finnish room. 

Adjusting

The first few days in Lapland were a bit of a whirlwind. It's pretty hard to believe, but in August, Lapland is quite warm. I was able to walk around in jeans and a top and not feel cold. It was weird because I expected it to be colder, I'd bought so many jumpers with me and bought so many things to keep me warm. I was pleasantly surprised to not have to wear it all straight away. I was quite glad we'd arrived on the 18th, because it gave us some time to explore our new home and get used to it without having to worry about getting there and immediately going to uni the next day. We went on an adventure to town, went hiking and just generally felt very outgoing. We were in a beautiful environment and we wanted to explore it as much as we could. 

Uni was the next big hurdle. For the first few days we had to walk as we hadn't been able to get bikes from the secondhand shops we'd visited with our tutors. On the first day of uni, there was a large group of us who hadn't been able to get bikes walking to uni together which made getting there and being there on the first day so much easier. The first day was a bit daunting, especially when we had to stand up and tell a room full of international exchange students your name, where you were from and what you were studying. With our tutors, we also had a tour of the university and we got to know the areas we'd be frequenting over the next few months. The next day was an early start for those in the faculty of arts and humanities, this was when we met Eilidh, our Scottish friend, who was to become a big part of my first semester in Lapland. 

We didn't have too long to adjust to the uni as we went on an excursion the next week to Raattama, in the North of Lapland. The group we went with would also become a big part of my first semester. The excursion was a fabulous ice breaker. Katie, Lucy and I had all gone on the excursion with around fourteen other international students from our faculty so it was a good opportunity to get to know different people. Eilidh and Louisa (who we'd met in our first few days in Lapland) were there too and we spent a lot of time as a five. It cemented the friendship between us and from then on we became a team. 

After we came back from the excursion we went straight into university. Adjusting wasn't a quick thing, in a way I spent the whole semester adjusting to being in Lapland and adjusting to the university I was in. What struck me the most was how different the uni's were. Lapland was very laid back, I had few set deadlines and was told to create work without much research which was something I was not used to at all. It made me feel very grateful for the way that Coventry works, because I know when my deadlines are very early on and although the way of working at Lapland is very free and gets you out of your head a bit, it was slightly unsettling to not know when my work needed to be done by or how much I needed to be reviewed. 

In a way, I suppose I'm still adjusting to this now. When semester two starts I'll be with new people and doing new courses. Adjusting is a process, one I think that will continue for the rest of my time in Lapland.