Since I travel abroad so infrequently (read: almost never), I am surprised at how foreign everything is. Really, the first few days I felt like I was completely out of my element. I didn’t know how to open a door (push? no, pull), find the bus routes, or communicate in the stores. I was certain the grocery store clerk said “cough syrup” when she must have said the price of my item. A few weeks in, I am more comfortable but I still marvel at the new ways of doing things even as I embrace my “foreign-ness” and try everything new: foods, experiences, challenges. Plunging into an almost frozen pool after sauna (called avanto), walking across the nearly frozen lake as a shortcut, finding pedestrian pathways through tunnels, and eating unrecognizable foods, I am feeling braver and braver. And just a little surprised at myself.
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Leslie Baker's Fulbright Journey to Finland 
You should be proud of yourself!!!!
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Slowly acclimating and trying everything! The hat is a life saver. You might even see it in some of the videos….. Miss you.
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Keep your posts and photos coming! They can never be ‘too long’ nor ‘too many,’ respectively. Some of us are traveling abroad vicariously through your blog. Thank you for sharing! PS You are a brave woman!
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Thank you, Patti. You encouraged me to post more. I prefer more short posts but there may be a few long (long-winded?) ones. For now I am practicing Finnish brevity.
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Super excited to hear all about it!!
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So proud of you Leslie! Thinking of you in that winter wonderland!
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I am so happy for you and very proud of you !! Love you and miss you
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Very brave to be in real winter wonderland, with new language and new culture. So proud , keep posting.
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