Fourteen

Get subway--COMPLETED
Find my way to town without getting lost--COMPLETED
Go on all 7 walking routes—COMPLETED
Go to Estonia for a day—NOT COMPLETED
Swim in the sea--COMPLETED
Get a picture at 12:00am(check), 1:00am, 2:00am(check), 3:00am(check), 4:00am(check) and 5:00am--SORT OF COMPLETED
Water ski--NEVER WENT OUT
Finish second book--COMPLETED
Go on the hop on/hop off sightseeing bus—SAW EVERYTHING IT WOULD HAVE SHOWN BY WALKING
Visit a museum of some sort—WENT TO TONS OF CHURCHES INSTEAD
Get post cards--COMPLETED
Get souvenir that says Helsinki on it—COMPLETED

I am pretty happy with my list completion. To add to that list I sailed on “Fat Mama” on the Baltic Sea, I went into a sauna for the first time, I captured some amazing pictures, I went to the sea life aquarium and the tropicario, I started my third book and finally finished watching Gossip Girl (I did this at night before bed BTW), and went into Stockmans.

Today was my last day in the city *tear tear*. I finished my last walking route and it felt awesome to have completed all seven of them. By the time I got to the last one, I knew my way around the city pretty well and as I was walking I recognized the area much quicker then I would have at the beginning of the week. I walked a lot more today, since I knew where I was going and it was cooler so I felt like walking instead of taking the tram. I got into Stockmans and got myself something that said Helsinki on it, and then headed to the market where I walked around the stands like 3 times before I was ready to purchase my souvenirs.

These last 2 weeks have been so much fun and relaxing. There has been no set schedule and everyone just comes and goes as they want, eats when they want, and does pretty much whatever they want. Moustapha went home today, and we leave Tuesday. I am so not ready to leave here yet. I want to stay just on the island for like 2 more weeks and I will be happy. On the island it’s hot but it’s always windy because of the sea so there is always a breeze and it’s nice at night to sleep, not like in the city where there isn’t any wind.

Tomorrow the new aupair might be coming out to the island so she can meet the kids and such. We haven’t heard anything back but it would be nice if she could come and meet the kids, I think it would help with the transition and stuff like that. They know about her, so I think it would be good for them to meet her beforehand.

I also can't believe that July is over. It doesn't even feel like July was here, we just went from June straight to August. My time here is coming to an end VERY fast and it's insane to think that it was around this time last year I was starting this process and just started corresponding with Nina via email. I leave Switzerland in just over 50 days and arrive back in Canada in just over 60 days. I can't wait to go home and see my friends and family, but I am starting to realise that I am going to miss all the friends that I have made over the last year, and I have a feeling that leaving will be harder than I thought, I thought leaving was going to be a piece of cake but I also didn't know I was going to meet some amazing people. Yes, I have best friends back in Canada but the friends I have made here I know I am going to have forever and hopefully in the future I will get the opportunity to see them in their home towns, or vice-versa and they are the most amazing people I could have ever met.  XOXO