Maddie Morozoff
I went on exchange to Finland in August 2015, and came back to Canada in July 2016. While in Finland, I went to high school as a grade 11 student, and lived with four different host families. In total, I had 11 host siblings. Altogether, there were about 130 exchange students in Finland from around the world.
Throughout our exchange year, we had the opportunity to go on three different trips together. The first was at the end of November, where we went up north to Finnish Lapland for about five days. While we were there, we went skiing, went on reindeer and husky rides, and even walked across a bridge into Sweden. In March, we took a trip to St Petersburg, Russia, where we got to see a Russian ballet, visit the Hermitage museum, and spend time on the major shopping street of the city. This trip in particular meant a lot to me, as my entire family is Russian, and I am the first in four generations to actually go to Russia. In June, we went on EuroTour. This consisted of two buses, two Rotarians, four Rotex, 86 exchange students, two and a half weeks, and nine countries. The two and a half weeks seemed to fly by, but traveling Europe with people who became my best friends was the best time of my life.
My normal life in Finland included going to sauna with my family and friends, visiting summer cottages, swimming in frozen lakes, and taking countless trains to Helsinki, the capital of Finland. All of these things are reasons why I love Finland, and why it now feels like my home.
Being in Finland taught me more than I ever learned in all my years of schooling here in Canada. Not only did I learn all about Finnish culture and now consider myself an expert, but I was able to learn about the cultures of those from around the world who were also on exchange with me. I learned that different people and cultures do things differently, and that it is not wrong, but simply different and interesting. I learned that despite being a world apart, true friends will always be there for you. Even though we come from what seems like different worlds, the friends I made on exchange are the greatest friends I have ever had, as it takes a special person to have the strength and courage to spend a year abroad at such a young age.
I would recommend Rotary Youth Exchange to anyone who is curious about the world and cultures within it. Although exchange is not the easiest thing I have experienced, it will always remain the best decision I have ever made, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Email address: maddie.mm@live.ca
