2 years, 24 months 104 weeks, 730 days, 17520 hours, 1 051 200 minutes, 63 072 000 seconds.

Yeap, you read right. That's the time that has passed since I moved away from Finland. Two years! That's just nonsence. 18 days to go.

I'm gonna write this post in English, that every single person that has been a part of this awesome journey, can understand what I'm saying.

Chapter one - Connecticut

No pain, no gain they say.. As those of you who know me in person or has been following my blog since beginning know, when I left Finland my first stay was Connecticut. Life in there had its ups and  downs but most downs. From CT I didn't really get any friends that would have stayed in my life, though I still think of contacting the two girls I was in training school with. Maybe I should. In one Finnish song it says "if it doesn't kill you it really breaks you apart" and in this case it really did. Luckily everything ended up well and I found happines from somewhere else.

Chapter two - New York

In New York in spent 11 months. I got a lot of new friends and saw places that many people just imagine of. I had the best host family ever that I'm still in touch with. I really miss those silly heads, my three little monkeys. I miss A's smile (since she is my little sunshine), C's giggle and conversations with H. During those months I had fun in the playgrounds and libraries. I was hiding from the moster under the blanket and playing hide and seek. Those days were full of fun and laughter. I had amazing trip to Baltimore and I loved every second of my life (also on the bad days). Like imagine two little girls hanging on your legs and preventing you to move, while they're telling you how much they love you and that you HAVE TO STAY with them forever. That's what my life was about. Of course there was some downs in the life in NY too..like the time when I scratched the car I was driving, or when H got some stables to his head. The thing that's still haunting me sometimes is the words C said to me when I was leaving, "never leave", but I did leave and that's what I have to live with.

Then there was the free time that was amazing by itself. A lot of trips to Manhattan and discovering new places in there, musicals, ballet, basketball, NHL hockey, Halloween parade, Xmas time, Coney Island, getting lost, walking a lot (w/ Tiiu) etc.. and the time in Scarsdale and the places nearby. Coffee breaks with friends, movie Tuesdays with Marianne, future plans with Hanna, long conversations with Ola and Maxi, making guacamole with Brenda, bowling and so on..

Chapter three - Travelling month

I started my travelling month by taking a morning flight to Chicago. In there I saw "the must see" places but also just wondered around w/ my personal guide Niina. I've never been as scared as I was when I sat on the class floor outside the Sears tower. 

From Chicago I continued my trip to San Diego where my goal was just to enjoy the atmosphere of the city...well, against all the rules I made I ended up to visit the Zoo. No regrets though! It was the best zoo I've ever been in.

The next stop after San Diego was Los Angeles (of course!). In there I met Nichole and together we discovered Hollywood and walked around Venice beach. In Venice beach I also got a huge sun burn 'cause I fell asleep on the beach. I must say the city of Los Angeles was a little bit dissapointing to me. It was dirty and I got lost in the suburbs (ooops). But after all, I loved Hollywood (actually my dream job is in there) and Venice

From Los Angeles I took a bus to San Fransisco. In the first day in there I walked around 14km (according to google maps) and during that I actually saw almost the whole city, the Golden gate, Lombart street, the harbor....and during my stay in there I spent memorable 4th of July with Yaz who I met at the hostel.

For the last 2 weeks of my travelling month I decited to stay in Manhattan and just enjoy my home for the last time. I took a tattoo in there and had my Bday on the last days in there. I also visited my host family and I spent over two hours looking down from the top of the Empire State building. At the same time I left my heart there.

Chapter four - Luxembourg

After having a 6 week working holiday in Finland I moved to Luxembourg. My family in here is lovely and the baby has been growing up in amazing speed. When I first came here she was tiny and could barely crawl and now she's actually running and almost speaking as well. Her sister often surprises me with some cute quotes. This year has included a lot of parks and playgrounds. I've read dozens of children books and from some of them I know every single line without opening the book. 

Luxembourg has really surprised me in a positive way. I must say that I thought this is a tiny country with little to offer and that everyone who lives here is working in a bank but that's not the case. There is  young people too you just have to know where to look. The nightlife is absolutely crazy (and hey, I'm from Finland!). The location is perfect if you like to travel and see new places. The best of all is that I've got a lot of new friends that I hope will last forever. Most of them are back in their home countries by now but luckily none of them lives too far away. Actually I've already visited Tuuli and Laura. I'm looking forward to see Marina and Johanna again (and Johanna, my dad is still not a fish!). For the rest of the time I'm gonna enjoy my final weeks in here with Anna-Maria, some new au pairs and of course the local friends.

Chapter five - How do I feel now?

Even some people think that I absolutely hate Finland (which is not true) and that I think I'm better than anyone else because I live abroad (false too), I'm still gonna say this, I don't wanna go back to Finland. There's nothing to keep me there (if I don't get a place to study). These two years have taught me a lot of myself and the World as well. I'm not the little girl who left to see the World two years ago. I've grown up (though I'm always gonna be a little childish and crazy). When I first left Finland I thought that I'll go back there and live happily ever after but quite shortly after I arrived to NY I realized that Finland is just one country, nothing else. Of course my past is in there and probably part of my future too but I can't see the reason why I would be happier in there than in somewhere else.

I think my life as an au pair is gonna end after 18 days from now but you never know. I have some plans. Plans that the people in Luxembourg are aware of but no-one else is gonna know yet. Many people say that I'm lucky 'cause I've seen the World and now the whole future is in front of me. I can study whatever I want and work where ever I want but actually I don't feel that lucky. I'm happy that I've seen a lot that I made the decision to not to begin to study right away after I graduated from the upper secondary school. The reason why I don't feel that lucky is that I still don't have a clue what I want. Or yeah, I have a dream (a song to sing) but it's quite absurd and probably never going to happen. Still I'm aiming to it and trying to get as close to it as I can 'cause what I've learned is that anything is possible. It might sound a little naive but being an au pair was a dream once too..

After all, this time abroad has given me a lot and taking nothing but money away. The memories will last forever and nothing could ever replace the experience. There's many things and people that I forgot to mention but just to let you know that I love you all. So, Thank you for making my life so awesome.