Getting lost in Ljubljana

First week behind and can I just say how excited I am for being here? It's still a bit difficult to wrap my head around the idea that I'm actually going to spend the following 5 months here. I guess when the school starts on tomorrow it will make everything a bit more real.

Any how the first week has been just great! I don't know where to start!

Tuesday

It was my "day off" = day before Orientation week starts. I could have used my time wisely and go to the office or do some other paper work but instead I went out check out my new neightbourhood, see where the University is and to the center.

My day didn't start the best way. Since I didn't have time to go to grocary store the night before I actually didn't have anything to eat for breakfast and I was to shy to ask from my roommates Dasha(slovenian) or Sasha(ukranian) if could eat some of their food(this is going to be so embarrasing if/when they read this)! Poor me. So when I finally got my hungry ass off from the bed I went to the closest backery I found. Everthing was in Slovenies(ofcourse) and the baker didn't speak english too good(natrally). I wanted something salty brunch and instead I got the sweeitest jam pie ever! Couldn't finnish it. I did't find the local grocary store which is pretty much impossible to miss! But no. Still hungry as I was I stoped the next food place I could find which was kind of like a local pizza/kebab place. Curious as I am I wanted to try something new and ended buying burek. For my unlucky suprise I realized it was slovenian home made cheese and again not my favorite. The taste was just something you have to grove use to. This has to be karma thing tho since the karma hasn't been on my side all week! You will see later.

I decided to walk to center cause I didn't think it was THAT far away but I ended up walking for 25min or something. And no I didn't get lost! I toke the shortest route and followed the main street. But yea I'm not gonna do that mistake again!

The central area is just absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Especially the old town. Lots of people were out enjoying warm monday night I decided to join them and stop for a glass of wine on place called Kavarna Macek on the river side. Glass of wine was 1,12€!!! Can I hear halleluja! So cheap! Later I realized it was happy hour, but still! Made me happ happy happy :)

After the glass of wine I continued my walking tour around the center.

Lucky, lucky me! On my way back home I stoped in grocary store in center but nacho ingredients. The most easiest dish to cook if you'd have a owen and in our house hold, we don't. It was alright tho.

The must 'gluteen free food'-photo for Laura

I have a great feeling about this year. And I have the nicest roommates ever. We went out for beer in a pub near by.

I'd just love to continue writing about everything that has happened here but I actually need to get stuff to do today. I have bunch of things to do such as paper work and since I was so lazy last week I need to do them today. And everybody who knows, knows also that I'm just usuless of doing this kind of things... But seriosly why would I do some boring paper work when I could just enjoy my new home town? Exactly! But today I need to do it today tho... I have to!

I try to wrtie more things later tonight.

First sight of Slovenia: mountains and sunset

So this it is, here I am and there is no going back now. Now my feelings are happy and excited but it sure did not feel that way when I had my arms around Tuomas for the last time on the airport. It was really really hard to say 'see you later'.

My flight departed at 17.00 and I got a lift with Mum and Tuomas joined us. It was sch a bizzar feeling since it felt like we were going on a trip together with Tuomas since he had his stuff with him cause he was going to catch the bus to Pori from Helsinki.

Things didn't go like in the movies. I did my check in and went to drop off my bags and I had 3kg too much stuff with me! My thoughts 'are you kidding' didn't help so I had to open my bag and try to take 3kg worth of stuff out. It was a pain! After I had the saddest fairwell so far: saying good bye to my love. I didn't want to let go and looked one ugly bitch when I went to security check with eyes as red as firetruck. The tears didn't end I got some weird looks from people.

The flight went by really quickly and before I noticed we were already in Slovenia. And yea the first sight of Slovenia was absolutely beautiful: surrounded by breathtaking mountains and sun setting behind them. I felt really really lucky. 

This is what I wrote on my jornal just after:
I'm here...
What a bizzar feeling. First sight of Slovenia: mountains and sunset. I wish I had sbaped a photo of it. I can tell it was beautiful! I guess I will have photos like that in the future tho. And it's so warm in here 21c.

Just before we landed I realized couple things:

1. I had no idea how ti get to center. My roommate was originally going to pick me up from the aiport but she couldn't cause she had to go to work. All right I'll catch the bus.
2. Where is the bus stop?? In Ljubljanas "huge" airport there was no info desk where to ask. So I was standing there fron of the airport wondering where to go. I could take a taxi but that was going to be "expencive" since it was 20min drive to the center. Lucky there was a shuttel bus sign and that costed 9e and the bus driver dropped me off right on front of my house. Lucky!
3. How to get in to the apartment? So my slovenian roommate Dasha was working and I didn't have a key to the appartment. I also didn't have her or anybodys else phone numbers. Great! My other roommate was supposed to be at home but what if she wasn't??? I walked to the door knowing the my appartment number was 13.
4. There are no apartment numbers at the door bells. Great! Only last names and they all look the same. What was Dashas last name? I don't remember. I check it from facebook with my smart phone, - wait - I don't have one! Lucky I have sight memory and I remember it sarted with T and it was short. So I ringed the possible door bell. My roommate answered. I was saved! But wait, what?
5. THERE IS NO ELEVATOR! I had 23kg suitcase, 10kg packbag, a handback AND plastic bag. Super! My roommate was super and she ran downstares to help me.

So I got here. My room is so cute and we have a cat!

I didn't have too much time to settel in since I had a event to attend to 'The "wake me up in Ljubljana" drink with FELU Tutors'. Dasha got home and she was going out aswell so she was kind enoght give a lift and walk me to the meeting point. We met at Preseren Square and walk with the group to "Tower bar"(I have no idea what it was called and there were HEAPS of us! Over 100 exchange students only from our faculty. I felt lost! I came alone so I went straight to the bar and asked for a beer(3e). 

Next thing you could do is just go to talk with random people! "Hi am Ella I'm from Finland, whats your name"-sentence was repeated several times that night. Everyone were really open and great. The only persons name I remember was Anna from Austria. I think we were supposed to have some activities together aswell but the tutors had some tecnikal dificulties so we just ended up hanging out and talk one of other. 

It was a great night tho! Small glass of wine 2,80e, so gooood. But yea it was really random I met local police officer and his college from US. Hanged out with bunch of people Portugal. Met the other finnish girl Erika and a swedish guy. People all around the world. The bartenders were crazy, couple of them were more waisted than the students. The gave free vodka shots and pore liquer peoples mouth. Unfortunately I wasn't in a party mood, since it had been a long day and I had a flu. And I was starving! I had eaten just a small sandwish for lunch and a small bite on the plane. MacDonalds I'm coming! And let me tell you that Bic Mac was shit! Not even the fries were good. At least I got some food so I was happy enough. And it was only 4.99e so it was alright. Got home with taxi(4,90e) and went straight to bed. 

The weather is going to be good so I'm just gonna just go wondering outside with camera and get something for eat. I wish I had a map!! Hopefully I will find my way to center. Ou shit I'm gonna get lost!

The one last week

I had a plan that I would have posted my last post in Finland before I got here but my last week flew by in second! I also thought 'thats all right I will have plenty of time at least at the airport' but I didn't!

Anyways, I'm just gonna update a little how my last week was in Finland and then write about more exciting stuff which is that I'm finally here Ljubljana-Slovenia!

At the start of my week my mum and I drove all the way to the East-side of Finland to see my granmother and other relatives. It was only couple days so we didn't have time to do much but it was very important for me to see them before I leave the contry for 5 months. The rest of the week I was busy organizing this for my exchange such getting a new haircut! So here some high lights of my week.

1. Trip to Lappeenranta with Mum

Or younger dog Fiora

Lappeenranta

2. Farewell dinner with Maria

Farewell dinner with my favorite cousin Maria in a small new Mexican restarant and it was so good! Real traditional mexican dishes. The night ended up with tears when we had to say good bye one of other front of Coffee House.

3. One last legen - wait for it - dary night with Kati

Ladies! This is going to turn up your life! Do you miss the time you were a teenager and you loved those teen movies and Twilight. Well its back, a new Twilight saga but better! One of my best friends Kati toke me to see this presious movie and I just loved it. The movie is combine of romantic-fantacy-comedy-action-teenmovie. How can you NOT love it?! Right after the movie we ran to the book store and bought my copy of Mortal instrument - City of Bones.
So get out there, find your inner teenage you and enjoy!
Thank you Katie my lady!

4. Tuomas<3

Then ofcourse I spend as much time with Tuomas as I could. On Friday we escaped my packing stress and drove to their familys summer cottage for a day to have time for just two of us. It also felt almost like Christmas since we had gifts for each other. I had bought him Walking Dead - Compendim Vol.2 cartoon book which is as thick as Bible full of Zombie cartoons. Don't get it but he loves it.

I on the other hand got this beautiful necklase and later a bunch of letters which have dates on when I'm allowed to open them. So romantic! :3 I opened my first letter on the airplane and the next one is on this Friday which is my birthday. 

Sorry girls this man is not avalible.

So that was that. My adventure will now start officially!

Are you kidding me only 8 days left!?

Where does these days fly! I am not ready yet but on the other hand, I CAN'T WAIT! My past week has been just great! Like I told earlier I was in New Zealand for exchange in 2008, where I met amazing people who are going to be my friends for life time. One of these friends is  Joshua who flew from Panama to Finland for 1 week holiday just to see me! :') Amazing fellow that guy is. We had absolutely blast week together.

First of all I had my farewell party on last Sunday, which was just what I'd dreamed for! It was the most beautiful day, more people turned up that I would have hoped for, there was plenty of food(which always makes me happy) and ofcourse drinks. Sadly I didn't have time to drink since I was too busy with killing bees! It seemed that we had sat on top of their nest(can you say bee-house as a nest??) or something one by one they came annoy or lovely picnik! Any how the day was great and just what I wanted: chelling and enjoying the sun, drinking some sparkling wine and hanging out with your best friends.

Thank you everybody so much for turning up! Love you all<3

Me and my crazy monkeys

One of my very best friends

The week continued great. We were just hanging out with Joshua and I was introduseing him to my everyday life in Finland. Finnish food, sauna, nature, friends and family, hometown and more! I was lucky enough also to show him the best of my towns university student life! On Wednesday there was one of the biggest students party Kurnajaiset on my home university town. Drinking, crawling on walking street, pub crowl, more drinking and parting. It was pretty epic!

I was lucky enought to get kiss on my way<3

What was NOT epic was the next morning! We were planning to continue our jorney to Helsinki on the morning but we were too hangover to get out of the bed before 12am... In the end we finally found our way down to Helsinki 6h later. My relatives prepared delicious dinner and dessert for us which after we went to the city center for a pint with our common friend Olli. I hadn't seen him in years ether! 

The final day we got a private tour around Helsinki by my other friend Miriam whom I met in NZ. She toke us places where I had never been before in Helsinki. Huge thanks for Mira for that! 

Like all great things this week had to come to the end and I had to say another sad good bye to my dear estupido pollo friend Joshua. See you next year in Tomorrowland'14 and that has to be a promice!

Gracias Joshua!

My week doesn't end to this since it was my last and final week in summer job. I have been really lucky with great summer jobs and this summer was not exception. After 4 months working in local restaurant as a waitress(for the first time in my life!) I can say I became pretty badass waitress! If you ask our chefts they would propable say not. ;p But it seemed like I was on fire this weekend since I got way more tips than usually!
This summer had to come to the end eventually and it was quite sad to say good bye to all my co-workers. I will miss my small Rico family<3

All these endings are reminding me of upcoming new bigging in Slovenia. Scary! My one last week in Finland for a while is starting tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it. This is going to be very hard week for me...

But I don't want to end this post sadly so I'm gonna inform couple more awesome things! 

1. I have a tutor in Ljubljana, which I was not expected at all! She is real excited to meet me which is awesome. 
2. My future room mate send me photos of my new room and it looked just great! Very cosy and clean, but not for long, at least the clean part(I'm a horrible mess!). 
3. This is also super exciting is that there is a photo compotition on my school in Ljubjana! The category is "Life at your home university". The idea was to take a photo that describles your campus or home university student life best and the photo had to include FELU(Faculty of Economics Ljubljana) logo. I got some mean as photos from the student party! The winner get free trip around Slovenia organized on orientation week. Can't wait!

Do you think I got a chance to win?;)

I think that's everything for now. I'm gonna write some more thing and thoughts next week. Tomorrow I'm traveling to East cost of Finland with my mother to visit my grandmum and other realtives.

Ps. I love you Kupo

20 days left!

When I realized how few days I have got left in Finland I felt instant PANIC! Where did all this time go? And as I look at my calender what I'm up to these few weeks, I look preeeetty busy. Oh my... I am really nervous. I know everything is fine tho and I have done all important things concerning my exchange. I have my airline ticket, passport, school, apartment and financially okey. But man this is crazy!

I also just found out that I have a tutor, who seems so lovely! She is as excited for my arrival as I am to go to Slovenia. Yes I am really excited but at the same time when I think of leaving Finland my stomach just flips.. I'm pretty sure its because of that little snoring troll who is sleeping next to me(and no we are not talking about a dog). My dear loving boyfriend. We have been in a relationship with Tuomas over a year now and I'm really confident that we are going to make this exchange. It feels so good every time we plan over our future plans such as: he visiting me in Ljubljana, Christmas together in Switzerland(maybe!) and my arrival back home next February. I know this is probably one of the hardest thing I have to do in my life but as my tutor also said t me 'in the end it is worth it' and I'm sure about that too.

When we first met

But yea I think that's about it. A little panic talk.