Preparation for Finland!

I officially have 17 days left! (Unfortunately though, I still don't have my visa. BUT; im hoping that it will come in the next week or so.)

I am starting to officially get ready for my exchange. Yesterday I made 150 pins! (Rotary Exchange Students create pins to trade with other exchange students and such to put on each other's Rotary Blazers. I like to think of it as Halloween filled with memories, since you give exchange students a pin from your bag of many pins, and you go around trading your pins with everyone else who is doing the same thing haha.)

I also went shopping the other day for some more shirts and stuff to pack in my bag. (I know that Rotary encourages you to buy that sort of stuff in your host country; but Finland is so expensive and im paying for all my own clothes for my exchange.) However, I am going to buy my warm coat and clothing in Finland; because I have no idea where to buy a jacket that could keep me warm in -30 degree weather!

I still have so much to do before my exchange; and unfortunately it seems as if time has officially run out with my friends. Next week I have a Church Youth Girls Camp that I am being a leader for (YCL- Youth Camp Leader.), and then for my last week in the States, my grandparents are coming to say goodbye to me and spend time with me and my family before I officially take off for my adventure; which im super excited for!

But at the same time, I realized that I still have my going away party; and hopefully some of my friends will show up to the party, and say, "See you later." :)

Things are really starting to get crazy now that I realize I REALLY have to start getting everything organized and set up for me to go. It made me realize that im ACTUALLY leaving soon, and that I ACTUALLY have to get things organized to be ready to go.  I started making myself a, "To Do" list; but it seems to get longer and longer every time I look at it...

The top 3 things on my list for my exchange for now is:

 Firstly, getting my room organized. (I am sure my mom is going to eventually realize that she will miss my room always being a disaster!) ;)

Secondly, gifts for my first host family. (They are amazing so far! I have to get them things to thank them for hosting me, and for emailing me everything I know about my host city, Oulu and their awesome family!)

And Thirdly, making the rest of my pins... (I still have around 150 MORE pins to make, since so many Rotary Exchange Students come to Finland each year...and I am kind of selfish and want to make extras in case I meet other people that I want to give my pins to: Like teachers who help me, students at my school, friends...you get the picture.) :)


Im just hoping that for now I have time to get everything else that's on my list done!