From Pori to Summerville

I have now spent exactly two months in North America. I can't say anything sensible about my thoughts, but the one thing I know is that the time is flying by. In return, however, I can say that I have already seen and experienced a lot of things.

From Pori to Summerville

Pori
I left my home and started my journey to Helsinki-Vantaa airport with my mother on Sunday evening 8/9. I had closed the suitcase and managed to get it in the car five minutes before we left the house. It was around six o'clock when I said byes to my father and my godfather.

"You're not going anywhere if you ask me!"

Finnish scenery

Helsinki
I spent the following night at Helsinki-Vantaa Hilton hotel with my mother. During the evening we talked about many different things and we even had time to watch one episode of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries together.
    It was hard to fall asleep that night. The wake-up was at five o'clock in the morning so I slept a total of four hours. In the morning I walked to the airport with my mother and all of my things; my luggage bag, violin, and handbag. I did the check-in around half past six, and then I drop off my luggage.
    Next in line was the security check and before that the most difficult step of all; to say bye to my mother, I'll see you in ten months.
    After the security check I walked to te gate for ten minutes. At the gate I met my fellow exchange student who travelled with me on the same flights all the way to Dallas.
    My flight from Helsinki-Vantaa to London Heathrow departured 8 a.m. and lasted a little over three hours. during that time I read my book and tried to get some sleep - without success.


London
At Heathrow I had two and a half hours before my next flight. And all that time went by while I travelled through the airport to the departure gate. It was not a very easy job. During those two hours I walked at least one and a half miles, and I sat on the bus and the underground.
    When I finally arrived to my destination I went to buy something to read and eat for the next flight.

Heathrow

There is but one way to describe my feelings when I stepped on the plane, and it was ”yikes”! I found my seat which was between two people. When I had sat down, a young man came to me and asked if I could change places with him. My seating spot was between two people, and the wall was behind me, so I thought why not; you can't find a seat worse than the one I was sitting on in the whole plane. The kind man showed me his seat and I sighed with relief. I got to sit in an aisle seat, and the person next to me slept silently for the whole flight.
    The flight from London to Dallas lasted for ten hours, and during those hours I watched three movies and one episode of NCIS. I also listened to music and played a variety of games.

the flight route

Dallas
At Fort Worth airport I was originally going to have four and a half hours before my third flight, so I wasn't in a hurry. The entry to the United States was easy after all the waiting in line, and I found my next gate easily. During that three-hour wait I read my book and I went to buy some snacks for the next flight.

It was over 104°F outside.

When there were only fifteen minutes for the plane to departure the gate changed. Fortunately, however, not really far from the original one. At the same time the flight was delayed by fifteen minutes. The flight to Charleston was not shown on the screen above the gate so there were puzzled people walking around. People were asking from each other whether the gate was right and so on. Then after fifteen minutes the gate changed again and the whole bunch of people traveling to Charleston walked to the next gate. And the same time the flight was delayed by one and a half hours. And after that again by one and a half hours. During the whole time waiting I got to talk to at least seven different people. Especially the passengers who were on their way home were very interested in why a Finnish teenager was going to Charleston. I talked a lot about the climate, culture and the people of South-Carolina. I also received some interesting information on the history of Charleston as well as tourist attractions.
    When the plane finally took off I had traveled for 24 hours. This final flight was a night flight and even though I tried to sleep I couldn't. In mid-flight or so I saw one of the most beautiful scenes of my life; when I looked down from the window I could see whiter spots through the clouds - the lights of the cities below, when I looked to the horizon I saw lightning flaring up in the clouds, and when I looked up I saw millions of stars in the Milky Way.

Dallas

Charleston
When the plane finally landed, I felt relieved to say the least. Three flights in one day, and I had survived each one of them. When I stepped off the plane I felt like the climate attacked me. It was really hot and humid outside.
    When I got to the terminal, I realized that the next step was the moment when I would meet my host family face to face for the first time. I stared at myself from the bathroom mirror. My hair was tousled and everyone could have told that I had not slept in the last 27 hours... Whatever. I walked down the hallway and when I turned around the corner I saw my host mother holding a sign which said: "Welcome Alma".
    After the first hellos and picking up my suitcase we to the parking lot. When I got into the car I felt really relieved. I had my suitcase, violin and handbag. I had found my host parents from the CHS airport, and I was going to get some sleep soon.


Summerville
The drive from the airport to my new home took about a half an hour. When we got inside, I met the family dogs for the first time. My host mother showed me the kitchen and the bathroom, and then we finally made it to my room. I was really tired, but still I managed to do some unpacking. And apparently I had impressed at least one creature… One of the family dogs slept in my bed with me for the first night...