Helsinki Parks

There was no time to lose. After the factory it was already early afternoon and, since we had very early flights the next morning, we had less than 12 hours left being in Finland. We all took one last trip to the YFU offices to say goodbye to a few of our group leaders who would not be seeing us later on in the evening for our flights, so we had one last chance to say thank yous. It was really nice in Helsinki since I was able to see Johanna again who was my YFU area representative in Turku, as well as Mirjam, who had a very large role in making our FUSYE activities in Finland so incredible.


It felt strange leaving the YFU office since everything for the very busy week was done, and then, since there was only hours until our next flight, there was a sense of limbo filling the void.

Anna, my host sister in Helsinki, and I had become very close in just a short weeks time since we really had a lot in common and so much to talk about. As Anna seemingly always had something fun planned, she wasn't going to let our last night be any different. Just a few blocks away I met her in the early afternoon at the Havis Amanda statue near the market square ( another great meeting place in Helsinki).

Anna had aranged with some of her friends to all meet at Esplanadi park across the street so the they could hang out but also have a chance to meet me as well. As I have noted, Esplanadi park really may have been one of my most favorite parts of Helsinki; The park was a narrow strip down the busy streets to the market square, and it was beautiful with sprawling flats of green lawns and park benches. There were statues along the open walkways, in counterbalance to the dense city life in peripheral vision to the right and left.

The coolest part was that it was full of people simply enjoying an excellent summer's day relaxing in the park. It was so European and so exciting to me.

Once we met up with Anna's friends we got some ice cream, grabbed a bench, and followed suit with the hundreds of other relaxing park-goers around us.

The atmosphere was so nice and in accordance to my stray thoughts of my last moments in Finland, this happy memory pronounced itself as one of the projected perfect first moments back in Finland as well, one day. After a long sunny chat, something that was so fitting for the social culture here, we all split our separate ways, even though I would see some of the girls later in the evening since Anna was planning to get together with more friends again ( It was their last Friday evening before school started as well - Teens were enjoying summer everywhere.)
For the late afternoon, Anna and I were going to go her her mother's house to have my last dinner there. Everything was able to slow down a little bit and we had a nice relaxing meal while being able to talk about some of the things I had seen during the day. The Kiukkonen's are big fans of the Iitala products and really liked the factory as well. I was able to see some of their collections at the house. Saila, my Helsinki host mother, was really so kind and along with everyone in my host family for the week, I was going to look forward in keeping in touch with everyone. The completion to my final meal in Finland was very fitting since there really wasn't anything more perfect in Finland for deserts than the berries, and a bowl of fresh blueberries was extremely satisfying.
That evening, as planned, Anna and I met friends in downtown Helsinki for my last hours in Finland, and their last Friday evening before school - overall, it was worth the festivities.

As a matter of fact, the park in which we met everyone at to hang out for the evening was the very first park that Anna showed me near her school on our Helsinki tour earlier in the week ( which already felt like ages had past with all of the events and experiences). The coolest thing was that the park was filled with teenagers and young adults all enjoying an absolutely gorgeous summer night which was one of their last before busy school years began once more.

Chatting on a blanket spread out in a park into the night, and then getting up to stroll the brightly lit streets when it was ( on a very rare instance for being out at night in the summer for me) truly dark out was incredible. On my last evening in Finland I was really enjoying the Helsinki city life and the downtown night experience in Europe with the sounds and the lights was really exhilarating.

It was really so much fun talking and hanging out with many new friends that I had met and filled my last hours with dozens of memorable moments.

Everything had gone so fast since, before we knew it, Anna and I had to go and catch the final bus for the early hours in the morning to get back home for me to pack and catch my plane. Time was not even an issue anymore - At the brisk rate everything was happening, an all-nighter was only appropriate so that I could truly value every moment with my host sister and new friends overall making my last experiences in Finland incredibly fun and exciting.