Official Info

I got my big news! My host family information was just sent to me. I am going to be staying in a town called Korholanmaki in central Finland. I'll be living in the countryside as I had hoped. I will have two exchange brothers, one two years older than me, the other four years. The eldest is in the military but the younger will be living in the house. I will have my own room and two dogs also. The mother and the younger son speak English, so I won't be as hard pressed to learn the Finnish language instantly, but I still definitely will. They told me that it was -35C (about -30 Fahrenheit)and that they had 50cm (about 1 foot, 7 inches) of snow which is a light snowfall. It's going to be a crazy winter.

Hearing this news is phenomenal, It's really sinking in that I'll go on an exchange next year. It's going to be crazy not seeing anyone I know for a full year, but i know it will be amazing and hugely beneficial to me. All I need now is to accumulate the needed funds. I am working on getting a book of my poems published so keep an eye out for the post announcing that.

I also got pictures of my house, dogs and host father, so take a look!

Kiah

First of Many

Hello, My name is Kiah Saavedra and I am going on a foreign exchange to Finland starting in July. I will be gone for a full school year in a country across a great sea.

All my life I have dreamt of travel. In dreams, I have walked the road of Santiago and swam in the Nile. It has been a dream that has kept with me despite all my growing and changes. I always considered High School a stasis period to study before setting of into the world until my school adviser suggested a foreign exchange to me. It was one I couldn't shake. I have taken all the necessary measures to begin my first great adventure. I am a writer and a thinker and one thing I have learned is that the only way to truly expand either of those sides of me is through experience. I hope that this exchange will give me a unique outlook on the society I have been raised in and give me experiences that I couldn't find here in the U.S. My friends and family recognize me as a driven person and know that I have the resolve and will to make he most of my time abroad and stick through any difficulties I will face. I know my parents are proud of me and my friends excited for me. I have had to overcome many obstacles and jump through several hoops. My first and foremost challenge was convincing myself that is was something I could accomplish. I knew this is what I truly wanted and I persevered, knowing that the power rested in me alone to make this happen. I know that all obstacles in my way are ones I can pass through if I put my effort into them and it is something I have done, am doing and will continue to do.

I started this blog for several reasons. The first and foremost is that my final great wall to break down is my fund raising. The tuition for this trip is a large one at an estimated $9'500. Through my personal savings and scholarship awards, I have knocked $2'500 off already. I am hoping that through keeping this blog, I can tell people interested of any efforts I am making, be it benefit concerts, car washes or other of many ideas. I will have a way available to make donations directly to me and am working on publishing a book of my poetry. Every dollar I make will be put directly into my tuition and not used for anything else. I will continue to blog whilst abroad in Finland so anyone who wishes to can read about my adventure.
More details will come in time.

Sincerely,
Kiah Saavedra