The Best Summer of My Life

I went on this program last summer (summer of 2014), and I was 16. It was absolutely fantastic. However, I'd like to caution you that it could have been a terrible experience if I hadn't gotten so lucky as to get the best host family in the world.

Many of my friends who also went on the program were not well matched with their host families, which resulted in a bad experience for them overall. I don't think that this was the fault of the program; I think it was just because there didn't happen to be host families available that were a good fit for them. If you are considering going on this program (or any study abroad program, really) make sure that you are ready to explore the country and enjoy yourself even if your host family is not the most fun or interesting.

Okay, back to the good stuff. Finland is, in my (very biased) opinion, one of the best places for a teenager to study abroad. This is because Finns spend a lot of time alone and deep in thought. I really changed as a person while in Finland because of all of that thought, and many of my friends did too. We learned more about ourselves and became more mature.

I know that there are a few things that lots of people worry about before they go to Finland, so really quickly, I'm going to tell you the absolute truth (at least, from my experience):
1. Saunas. Don't worry, it's totally acceptable to wear a bathing suit. I always did. You'll probably wind up in the sauna with people who don't wear bathing suits, but it's not a big deal. Seriously, don't overthink it. Girls will be with girls and boys with boys, so there's nothing to be afraid of. Saunas are one of my favorite parts of being in Finland!
2. Weather. For the summer program, you really shouldn't worry. Of the 6 weeks, I was in shorts + T-shirts for about 4-5 of them. Finland does have slightly chillier summers than I'm used to (I'm from Michigan), but you don't need to bundle up or abandon your dreams of going to the beach. I swam every day for the majority of the program, and I was rarely cold. Just bring a couple hoodies and jeans in case.
3. Language. Finnish is hard; there's no other way to put it. But you don't need to worry! Frankly, you don't even need to know any Finnish in Finland because most people know English. Not everyone is fluent, but you will always be able to find someone who speaks enough English to be your friend or to help you if you need it. I didn't know any Finnish when I arrived and had no troubles with that. Sure, it would've been nice to know some Finnish, but it wasn't a big deal.
4. Homesickness. This is a bit of a problem, to be honest. I only got a tad homesick, but I've never gotten homesick before. It's bound to happen when you're so far from home for so long, and the time alone makes it worse. Even still, you'll be fine. AFS is great at giving you advice that will keep you from getting homesick. Trust me, it really works! If you've been away from home for at least 2 weeks without trouble, then you're fine for the program.

If you can't tell, I really like this program, and I definitely recommend it to most anyone. I would not recommend it to anyone who doesn't like the outdoors (Finns LOVE the outdoors), isn't open minded when learning about foreign countries, has had serious problems with being homesick in the past, or isn't ready to step outside of their comfort zones and enjoy themselves even if it's tempting to withdraw from everyone else. If you go on the program, my biggest advice is: be determined to have fun, no matter where you are or what you're doing.