Hola! (I saw the Mexican border last weekend so I am now able to say I was engaged in Spanish culture too lol)

Guys, can you imagine, it’s already OCTOBER! Time goes too fast. Lately, I’ve been very busy doing all my school and work related duties that I haven’t even had enough time to do all the things on my check list. For example, writing this blog frequently or calling my friends/family.

Luckily pictures tell more than thousands of words, so I’ll let my photos tell the story from my behalf. The next pictures will describe perfectly my last two weeks here in the U.S. Enjoy!

Ever since I visited the Flagstaff Mall for the first time, I decided that going there would be a perfect Friday tradition. Whenever I’ve been in Flagstaff I’ve kept my promise quite well. It isn’t too difficult to tell what is my favorite store either…

Two weeks ago we spent a lovely and relaxing weekend full of nice activities. The best part of it was that I got to instruct the new BODYATTACK98 class for my friends. It. Was. Amazing. Sweat, blood in my mouth, sore muscles and pure happiness. That’s what I like.

We also went to the Harkins Cinema to watch some random action movie called American Assassin. I have to say I was positively surprised!

Now stop what you’re doing and have a moment for yourself. Go to YouTube and type Phantom Planet – California. Close your eyes and imagine you are on laying on the beach listening to the waves. Breathe the ocean wind and sink into the sand. And suddenly BOOM! You are in California!

That is what happened to me. Two weeks ago, we (couple of my exchange student friends and me) were super spontaneous and decided to spend a long weekend in San Diego. One American girl was driving back to her hometown and she asked if anybody wanted to join. We did.

Now a quick rewind to San Diego, California. We left on Thursday (10/28) evening from Flagstaff and drove about 7 hours to get there. I don’t know if it was the American driving culture or the great travelling company, but the drive didn’t even feel that long. Well, to be honest I was a bit scared when our driver was going 85 mph (137km/h) nearly the whole time.

We spent our first night at the Ocean Beach Hostel. From the very first moment I fell in love with this cute little hotel. Maybe it was a little hippie style from inside out, but I loved it. #peacesign

On the first day we were walking down the beaches and exploring some of the most popular sights in San Diego. There was this cute little Café near the Sunset Cliffs. I liked the Vintage style of the van. On the way back I got a coffee called ”Surfers Wave”.

Beautiful Sunset Cliffs. We were chilling near the beach and enjoying the sun. At that moment it was about 86 F (30 Celsius) so no wonder I eventually ended up burning my skin. Ooooops.

In the afternoon we took the Uber and drove to Point Loma, which is a beautiful seaside community on the east side of San Diego. The view was fascinating. There is something attractive in big cities and high buildings. The Pacific Ocean was sparkling behind us.

Happy tourists.

On Saturday, it was time to leave the Ocean Beach and head to the downtown. I was so excited to see what the city life in San Diego was like.

The first impression of San Diego was just like I had imagined. Skyscrapers and palm trees. We were walking around and admiring the huge buildings and city view.

One of the best parts of the trip was that I got my lashes done! Wohoo! I took a risk and booked a lash appointment in the Tenderoni Beauty Salon in SD Downtown near the center. The risk paid off. (But let’s not talk about the costs.)

Our hostel in downtown was also surprisingly nice knowing the fact that the price was very affordable. We (four people) shared one bedroom with six other people so it was kinda funky experience.

Later on Saturday, I went to check out the shopping opportunities…

… while others were exploring the sights and famous places in SD.

In the evening, we headed to downtown to the famous Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. It was full of different restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs. The atmosphere was really warm and appealing.

We decided to go see one of the most popular clubs in San Diego as we got free entry tickets from our hostel. The club was called OMNIA. We danced. We laughed. We had fun!

The three days in California went too fast. There were endless opportunities and several things to do and see in SD. So my advice would be if you ever have a chance to travel to SD have at least one week to spend there.

The last day in SD wasn’t so joyful anymore when I knew we had to leave back home. Even though I love Flagstaff, I will never experience the same warm weather and the beach breeze there. Nor the big city atmosphere. Boo.

Luckily, we still had a little time on Sunday to go see the last sights in SD. After renting a car we drove to the Black’s Beach and La Jolla. Spending the last moments near the powerful Pacific Ocean was just an amazing ending for our trip. There were some cute sea lions in La Jolla too. Grrr.

So my first trip to California was an unforgettable experience! Thanks to my amazing travelling company who made it perfect. We experienced so many things in just a few days that it almost felt like we’d spent the whole week there. However, I’m 100% sure this won’t be my last time in CA.

Hopefully soon I can sing ”Californiaaaaaaa, here we coooooooome!” again.

Think Pink,

💖:Siiri

Awesome! Perfect! Amazing!

Those words are basically part of every single conversation that I’m having here in the U.S. Okay, maybe I exaggerated a bit, but my point is that people here tend to have these really strong and positive expressions to everything. Fake or not, it is working.

I’ve wanted to write this post so bad ever since I arrived in the U.S. My first impression of the people here was extremely positive and uplifting. (Okay let’s forget about the people working at the airport customs..). Now that I’ve stayed here for nearly two months I can say that my experiences haven’t proved me wrong. Americans are lovely.

I’ve heard many people (from Europe and outside of the U.S.) judging Americans and telling they are just pretending to be kind. I wouldn’t say so. However, I know that at least for several Finnish people the behavior and basic interaction here would be really shocking and against the ”social norm.” You aren’t supposed to stand out from the others, are you?

I think it is pretty amazing that so many people who I’ve met here are carrying themselves with pride and being true to their personality. Here’s a true story. One of my teachers said one day in the beginning of the class that ”Yeah, this is the best course of your life and I am the best professor you will ever meet.” Straight after the sentence the teacher started smirking and said it was a joke. It wasn’t. THAT is something I admire. Pride and honesty.

As the prejudices state, Finnish people are typically pretty shy and modest introverts, who don’t want to be separated from the others. There are certain ”rules” what you should or shouldn’t do (for example singing alone in a public place, a total no-go!). If you stand out, you are most likely be categorized as a weirdo. Quite the opposite compared to the American interaction, where the bravest people are usually the most admired.

That said, I would describe myself as quite an untypical Finnish person. I just LOVE to be super cheerful, share my happines and do things in my own way. One thing I do hate is being part of the mass. I will never be a ”Plain Jane” Siiri sitting quietly in the corner wearing grey clothes and wondering what others are thinking about me. NOT. NEVER.

When it comes to analyzing people’s behavior, first of all, I think it isn’t fair to judge people without knowing them or making any conclusions based on the first impression. Everybody should have a chance to show their true personality and be proud of it. You can’t be friends with everybody, but you can always be nice to everybody. Respecting others and valuing diversity is the key, which brings you to the next level.

Now you must be wondering, how on earth will a non US-citizen survive in the U.S. if the social interaction is so different? There are many different things you should know about culture before stepping into the country. But what are the most important aspects you must know about American self-esteem?

1. Sense of humour (Everything is not that serious)

2. Be polite (When you meet people, ask how they are doing.)

3. Smile! (If you don’t know what to say, just smile and they think you got it!)

4. Be proud of yourself (and your origins)

5. Praise yourself (If you succeed, say it aloud! Feels good, right?)

6. Be honest (Whether it was good or bad, people appreciate honesty.)

7. Try your best! (You are enough, just as you are ❤️)

Have a lovely week everybody!

Think Pink,

💖: Siiri