The New ONe
last week Í crashed on my snowboard and hurt my neck.. I've had chronic headaches since. I tried double tipped frestyle skiing last weekend... man thats sweet. I brok my 10 year fingernail biting habit. I becam an internationally certified wall climber. I learned how it do 35mm photography and how to develope my own pictures. what else...
at the moment I feel as is I should be spouting off philisophycal statements, theories, and breaking down & analysing the Human Condition, sorry to dissapoint you. Instead I can tell you about my new Host Family. The House I live in ins't the important thing, but it is what will impress most of you sooo... I live on the sea, We have an indoor swimming pool and patio. I have my own room downstair with attatched bathroom. outside of my room is the Playstation 2 and Computer.
Now I can tell you what really matters. I have 3 host siblings; Isabella, 11, Camilla, 10, and Axel, 7. Bella is the most resonsible one, and the most cautious and loves her brother a lot. Milla is the sweet little bubbly one, hilarious. Axel is... well he's the 7 year old boy. nuff said. hehe. They speak mostly Swedish between each other, but for my sake they are now speaking much more finnish which I appreciate. my host Mom is Tarja. Awesome Woman. I think her and my host dad, Carl-Magnus, have seen most of the world, that really helps. They know what its like traveling. I have really got along well. The kids really like me and it goes the 2 ways. I actually like spending time at home. My host Dad works for Nokia here in Helsinki. He uses mostly English. He is quite good in it. Both of my Host parent can speak English, Swedish, Finnish, German, and less confident in French, but can get by. They are doing quite a good job at teaching me some finnish as well. Tarja is really great with it. This is the first family to take some initiative even before I ask them to teach me.
So I can explain about some of the things I've been doing. The snowboard crash wasn't so cool. I did a toe edg butter 90 to 360 to heel edge to neck to Back. Extra Points for style. anyways I'm ok. If theres one thing I've learned fromthe fins its ' take a lickn' and keep on tickn'. Actually I didn't learn that. I just wanted to say it. Oh, I'm getting pretty good at Shawn Palmers ProSnowboarder for PS2, but who cares.
I tried some skiis last weekend. That was cool. I almost broke my ankel on a rail, and I was getting some sweet air in the pipe. Those things are fun.. and not so stagnant as snowboarding has become.
I have not once cut my fingernails once since Kindergarte or earlier. The simple reason is that I ate them. Not to mention the earlier year when I chewed my toenails (those were he days). Anyways I've stopped. I know it seems like useless info to you but, its like stopping smoking.. well most likely not - I really have no idea, but its pretty tough for me.
So I can climb and Belay leagally now, Thats cool. Oh and Photography is awesome with 35 mm. I have taken some really awesome pictures so far. Its late.. I can't think of anything else to say. I'll come back in a few hours.--
This is icredibly hard for you all to understand.. and most of you most likely won't, but thats ok. I will still try my best to explain.
I am in Finland.. for a year of my life.. the most important time I've ever had in my short 17 years here. This is the year that matters. It is hard for you at home to understand that I am here and not there... I'll explain: To you I am just away and I'm coming back and you may miss me. I am just gone.. you may say you do but you really don't care about my life here. you will never understand why it is so important and you will never undertand why you don't understand. From my side I have a very different perspective.. the oppistie perspective. I see that I went somewhere, not left somewhere. I see it all as something new I'm doing, somewhere new I'm going... not leaving something behind. After living like this for such a long time I am a little dissapointed to go back to the same place again. That is probly dissapointing to some of you but once again it is a difference of perspective. You can see me coming home and you have me back.. no more delayed e-mails or expensive phone calls or missing me. I see all of my mental stimulation dissapear. I see my world shrink back down. Of course it will be great to see everyone again but thats one thing I see. I also see my leaving behind a life and friends and family here.. the ones that watched me grow into who I am now vs, who I was when I came. I have homes here, and there. I don't know where my home is though. That is a challenge I face. I also have to deal with the guilt that the people at home give me, whether they know it or not. I don't want to seem like ' oh poor little me, I travel the world with all this opportunity and still not enough'' trust me, thats not it. All I want to for you to trust that I am making the right descisions for me, because I can see the big picture for my life. And not give me a hard time. Thanks
I have become a different person in many, actually most ways.. The good part stayed.. a lot of the bad things left ( i hope).
When I think about my time here becomeing who I am now.. I don't think about people at home, rarely family and friends. for some of you that may be hurtful but I'm not gonna lie about it. Yes you are important but not in my life here.
OK, new day-- April 8th now, I found out I got whiplash and thats why I have been having headaches. So dad.. I had to pay some bills on the credit card.. x ray can be expensive, and Insurance is confusing. i think today was the first time I used the dictionary to look up an english word for the meaning in english!
So I'm coming home in july. but first going on a 5 day 110 km trek from Saana Mountain to Halti Mountain. The 2 highest in Finland. Thats gonna be awesome. But hey. I gotta get to bed. My neck is sore. haha!!
ttys
e-mail me or sign the guestbook!
Matt
