Moi! I am Eve, a French exchange student who went to Finland in 2018/2019. I wanted to say that during my exchange, here in Finland, I learned so much throughout the year and I felt positively changed. It’s usually during hard moments that we truely face ourselves and grow up. For me, Finland gave me the feeling of going home although I never travel to this beautiful country before. I have two Finnish families and I know I have two homes there as well since they are family now.

I learned that being a little homesick is part of the process of separation and it can present itself when you least expect it. I came back to France with 3 valuable things in my life.

The first one is from my second host mum which is simply ENJOY the day. Whatever happens there is always something good in everyday. This gave me another texture to life.

Then, especially on exchange, whatever happens never give up. Yes, some days are hard. Yes, challenges come up. BUT you will get through, you will get there. You just need to believe in yourself and in your dreams. This will change you and make you stronger.

Last but not least, be here in the present moment. Live every seconds of your exchange since time flies by and the next thing you realize it’s time to got back, although it seems like you only arrived yesterday.

In the end, exchange was the best gift in my life. I never imagined that one day I would have more than one family. I am so happy I got my out of my comfort zone and opened my horizon. I simply know myself better, what I am capable of and my resources. I am grateful for this amazing experience and all the people I met. Thank you 😊