Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

I have really enjoyed studying in Turku, Finland so far. One of my favorite parts has been living with people from all around the world. I really love living with other exchange students from different countries because, not only am I learning more about Finland, but I am also learning about where each of my exchange student friends are from. We get to share our different perspectives and cultures while forming new experiences together in Finland. I think this is a very cool aspect of my program.

Finland is also a beautiful country all year-round. There are a lot of lakes and forests to explore as well as national parks to hike through. One time, while visiting the capital city Helsinki, I took a boat to Vallisaari Island for a day and explored. Another time, I took a bus to watch the sunset from Naantali Island which is close to Turku. The views were breathtaking. I also traveled to Lapland, the northernmost part of the country and had an amazing time! I visited the Christmas capital of the world and saw snow in October and reindeer. Going to the sauna, a Finnish tradition, has been really fun as well. It has also been interesting to study education in Finland as an education major because they tend to use a different approach than the US. Finland is well known for their education system, so studying here has introduced me to new perspectives on teaching. Overall, Finland is an amazing country and I am enjoying my time studying here very much!

Gabriela at a Finland vs. France soccer game:

Hiking in Lapland, the northern part of Finland: