What an Amazing Trip!

I saw off the last of our students at about 7:30pm yesterday at the airport. Jessica Kearns was still waiting for her dad, who was only five minutes away, when my wife came to pick me up. What can I say - God does work in mysterious ways. Rescheduling the trip four days later gave us tremendous weather for the duration of our stay in Helsinki. The vice principal of Sotunki Secondary School told me that the warm and sunny temperatures were somewhat of an anomaly but a welcomed one, especially when it had been raining, cold, and drabby the previous week.

Helsinki at dusk

What an amazing experience it was for all of us. As the instructor for this course, I would first of all like to personally thank Dr. Tom Schaefer for working with us on getting the trip scheduled again. I would also like to thank our students for being very cooperative and responsible throughout the trip. They displayed tremendous patience and maturity, and represented themselves well both as LRC students and American citizens abroad. I never had any problem with them abiding by the set rules, especially with the curfew that was imposed each night - Danielle became the unofficial notifier when the group walked past my room each night. Our group dynamics were also positive and strong, and we enjoyed each other's company very much throughout the whole travel. Kate was a blessing to have with me on the trip as she was extremely helpful especially in situations that required smooth coordination in managing flight check-ins, student safety and concerns, and travel planning. In order to fully follow our stay in Helsinki, please read our blog from the FIRST posting.

Several  junior students at Lauttasaaren Comprehensive School practicing for their farewell performance to their seniors who will be graduating in  a few weeks

This travel abroad was both a mix of a working tour and a cultural learning experience. We met and engaged in dialogues with education officials, Finnish schoolteachers, principals, and students. We also met and talked with ordinary people walking their dogs, in parks, on buses and trams,flea markets, and in bars and hotel.I think there were many people in Finland who learned and gained sufficient insight about us and our college as well. We certainly held the La Roche flag flying high wherever we went on our visit. I couldn' t have asked for a better group of people to go on our trip, and I hope that each of us will keep alive this memory of our travel to Finland and the experiences we acquired from it throughout our lives. To Rachel, Gene, Sheila, Jason, Laura, Jessica K., Jessica F., Putu, Christiana, Danielle, Rebecca and Kate, as the Finns say it "..kiitos!"

Final Touchdown

Our lucky group of 13 have arrived safely in Pittsburgh, after one last delay. We all have wonderful Finnish memories and are really glad that our trip could be rescheduled.

Stateside once again

We arrived safely on US soil, having just enough time to stand in line at customs and walk the entire length of Dulles to get to our gate.

I did enjoy the view from the window seat on the flight across the Atlantic.

All. Out. Meatfest

Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending the restaurant Kaarna, located within the heart of Helsinki.  As an appetizer, we received the Kaarna game platter.  Both myself and Gene thought that the platter was the entree of the meal, yet it only served as an appetizer.  We were able to try delicacies including smoked reindeer tenderloin, smoked elk, and a reindeer mouse.  All were very delicious and mouthwatering.  After the students devoured their game platters, we received a slow cooked beef brisket that needed no more than a gentle push of a fork to cut.  After we finished the entree, we received warm individual slice of blueberry pie and a scoop of salacious french vanilla ice-cream.  The consensus among most of the students was that this was the best meal of the course, one that definitely demonstrated the culture of food in Helsinki.

-Jason & Gene

Traveling back in time

We have successfully traveled back through one time zone, and are waiting in the Frankfort airport for our flight through the next six time zones!

Airport

Can't believe that the trip is coming to an end! I had so much fun going overseas for the first time! I learned so much about finlands unique culture and their education system. My favorite part of the trip was visiting the schools and meeting the students! I think their success is a result of the students motivation and flexibility within the system. Being able to pick your path in school will make you more willing to enjoy learning. 

Farewell Finland

We are all checked in at the Helsinki airport, awaiting our first flight back home. Since we had to leave the hotel at 5am, many of us are tired and hoping to get some sleep on the way home. As disappointed as we were that this trip did not work out on the originally planned dates, there were some advantages to our delayed timeline...especially the weather, which has been 80 degrees the past few days.  We never expected to get a sunburn in Finland, but many of us have red noses!