It was 4:00 in the morning when I left home to go to the station. Almost an hour later the bus, bound for Barajas airport, started up. My other 3 fellows and I had already said goodbye to our families, whom we would see again in two months time.

The journey lasted 3 hours and when we arrived at T4 in Madrid we went to check-in. Our nerves were on edge because we didn't know if our suitcases were going to exceed the allowed weight or not. Fortunately, all but one were within the limit. Once the bags were checked in, it was time for the security control. Before going through it, we were all running around drinking the water we were carrying because if we didn't, they would take it away from us. This process was the longest and most stressful because we had to take everything off and take things out of the backpack.

Half an hour later, we were running through the corridors of the airport to get to our gate on time, only to have to wait because the plane was delayed. The flight was very heavy for us, because there were 4 hours in which we were very nervous and quite hot.

When we landed in Helsinki we were amazed by the amount of snow. From the airport, we went to the train station, because before reaching our final destination we had to catch three. We had a pretty hard time carrying our bags because we had to go up to the second floor in two of them and the luggage was quite heavy. Finally, around seven in the evening, we set foot for the first time in the city that was going to be our home for two months: Jyväskylä.

The first week was very intense because we had to adapt to the new routine. In the high school it was an easy task because the classes are very relaxed and easy to follow. We loved the facilities, they seem like from the future. The strangest thing we did was having to eat at 11-12 in the morning, someday even at 10:30, although the food in the cafeteria is quite tasty.

That week we had to learn how to catch the buses and get home safely, which gave us a bit of a headache but also a lot of laughs. We went to a concert in high school, where we had a really good time. I went with Sara, my host student, for a walk in the city center to visit a tower from which you can see the whole city and its skyline. To face the cold, a warm chocolate and a Munkki (Finnish sweet).

I've been here for 24 days to be exact and every day I feel a little more Finnish. I have been able to see Easter in a different way, with children handing out decorated willow branches, large bonfires to burn off bad vibes and eating Mämmi, the typical dessert of these dates despite not everyone likes it. Since I couldn't miss it, I cooked some torrijas for my host family, which disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I have also been able to do cross country skiing, ice skating and even go sledding. Of course, we have sightseen the city center and I have even sent a postcard to Zaragoza. Also, I went with my family to Härmä, a town three hours north of Jyväskylä, to visit their relatives. It was a bit awkward because they didn't know English and I didn't understand anything but I loved the area.

To end the week, all the exchange students gathered to make our own bonfire, where we cooked sausages and made s'mores. It was an unforgettable afternoon.

Every day that passes we are more familiar with the city and we feel like one of the students in the high schools. This week we have also enjoyed it to the fullest and we have lived another typical celebration here: Vappu. During these days we have had a special program at the institute. Thanks to that, we have visited the city hall, the university of Jyväskylä and also Jamk. Finally, we visited a museum, where we ended up playing dominoes.

During the weekend we had to fight the bad weather, but we still went to a small amusement park and even had a picnic.

On Sunday morning, my family and I prepared a brunch to celebrate the party. We ate so much because everything was great. We tried the Spanish serrano ha, that I brought for them and it was a success; in return they gave me to try the Simma, a typical Vappu drink.

This week passed so fast. Every day we had new things to do or places to visit. In addition we also had to go shopping to prepare for an event that would take place the following week. On top of that, we atended the last concert of the course, where the artists were talented high school students.

At the end of the week, we dedicated two afternoons to making Spanish food for a cultural day that was organized at the school. We had a lot of fun cooking and singing Spanish music that filled us with good memories. That weekend, we went bowling and even though I wasn't very good at it, we laughed a lot. We also played pool and walked around that area.

After each day, I took more confidence with Sara and we spent hours and hours talking and watching series. Together we prepared a nice surprise for her motherdue to Mother's Day, which was celebrated here on March 8. I was very excited to have that small gesture with his mother and they were both moved. Despite the stereotypes, I can say that my family was very loving and talktive. To celebrate this day they drove me to the Natural Park, an hour north. We spent the whole day there, walking through a path in the forest. The landscapes were breathtaking and there is nothing better than eating roasted corn while listening to the sounds of nature. It was a wonderful day.

We have already entered the final stretch and we could not have started better. On Monday, we went to cook at the institute to present Spanish food at the cultural day and it came out delicious. The potato omelette, the croquettes and the torrijas as a representation of our gastronomy.

But that was not the most exciting thing of the week. On Wednesday we took a train at 5:24 in the morning to Helsinki. The whole day of visiting the capital of Finland went a long way and we visited practically all the important areas. Consequently, it is a fact that that night we went to bed just after steeping at home.

To set the week off, on Friday morning we took a train again at dawn to go to Vaasa, a city to the north. All the exchange students spent two days preparing for a debate that took place on Sunday, together with more people from different parts of the world. We made a lot of friends and loved the experience. We must say it was exhausting, yet it was completely worth it.

Despite it has been many days since we arrived we still have the same enthusiasm. Planning what we want to do has become a habit and we always come up with new ideas. The time is running after us that's why we try to make the most of everything.

We spend our afternoons doing random things such as having lunch in the harbour, going shopping, watching a film or even doing archery. In addition, Prom party was held on friday and we atteded the ball that was organized, where every student had the chance to show off its dance skills. Sara was one of them and I had a really great time helping her before the dance. In fact, there was once song when they could dance with someone in the public and she choose me. It was hilarious to learn the coreography in 5 minutes and in finnish.

The weekend was calm. My family took me fishing in a lake near my house. Unlickily, we didn't catch any fish. After that we prepared a barbacue for dinner and it was amazing

The last week already. It is inbeliveable how fast the time has passed. We still had tons of things to do so we made the most of those days. We went camping and survived , we even swam in a lake and cooked our food in a campfire. We also went to a pool party, where we lived the finnish tradition that consists of going to the sauna with your friends. In addition, we baked pancakes in the fire and had such a great time while playing and talking with the magnificient gruop of friends we have all become. Unluckily, some of our plans were cancelled because covid infected some families. On top of that, I visited "Panda" factory, which is famous for its liqueries.