What an experience!

Buenas! I have now returned back to Finland and spent a lovely Christmas holiday with my family and friends. However, I still want to take a look back to the internship and tell about the last weeks of the program and about
my thoughts overall.

I wanted the students to know a little more about Finland before I leave, so I made
them a presentation about Finnish culture and traditions. Some third and fourth
graders have a class called “around the world” where they do research on different
countries, so I thought that would be the perfect class to give the presentation to.
The students really liked it and asked me a lot of questions as well. I also taught
them some Finnish language; for example how to greet someone and how to
introduce yourself. However the kids were so excited that they wanted me to teach
even more so I also taught them the colors, some animals and the numbers from
one to ten. They really loved it and even wrote down everything I taught. I thought it
was absolutely adorable.

I’m a big fan of painting, drawing and all kind of arts and crafts. Therefore I came up
with an idea for an art class. The idea was using spoons of forks to paint an animal
of choice. I originally found this idea from Pinterest and thought that it was so cute. I
made a little example of the painting and told the children how to make the painting.
The kids really liked the idea and were excited. All of their paintings were very
unique and nice looking. And I was very happy that I got good feedback from the
teacher as well.

On the last day of school we had a nice Christmas party to celebrate the upcoming
holiday. The students had prepared some Christmas dances for the parents and
there were also churros and a lot of melted chocolate to have and enjoy. I loved to
see all the kids so happy and all dressed up. After all the fun, it was time for
goodbyes and for the students to head home with their parents to enjoy the holidays.
It was quite emotional to say goodbye’s to all the teachers and especially the
students. They will forever have a special place in my heart. Therefore I really hope I
get to see them again someday.

Overall this has been an unforgettable experience and I’m forever grateful for this
opportunity. The exchange taught me a lot, I learned to trust myself and my abilities
and I feel like I gained more independence. I was able to practice my social skills in a
multicultural environment and hopefully made relationships that last a long time. By
speaking English every day, I got to improve my English skills and also learn some
Spanish along the way like I hoped. And even though things didn’t always go as
planned, It taught me that everything works out eventually as long as you trust and
believe in yourself. And I am sure that I will be telling stories about this experience
for a long time.

Thank you for sticking around, I’m glad that I could share my thoughts with you.
Goodbye for now,
¡Adios!