When I first started looking into studying abroad in Finland, I kept hearing about how reserved and quiet the Finns are and I did not really believe it. Sure enough, once I arrived, I found that many Finns are very shy and keep to themselves. While many of them can speak English, they do not really like to. All of the people I have met, both from my apartment complex and from my classes, are international students. They have quickly become my family here.
Being from all over the world, including Singapore, Germany, France, Brazil, Hong Kong and Spain, these international students have diverse points of view, cultures and personalities. They have taught me so much already. We spend a lot of free time together doing things like planning trips, watching movies, cooking and doing homework. My community has become this little group of international students that I have grown close to and do everything with. It does make me sad that I have not been able to interact with more people from Finland, but that is a goal I have for my semester here.
