My name is Justine, I’m 20 years old and I’m from a preparatory class for the grandes écoles and it was following a competition that I joined ESAIP for the environment classes. When I chose the destination for the Erasmus, my first choice was Cork, Ireland, to be closer to my family as going far away frightened me. I didn’t get it because of my level of English, one of the reasons why I go in Erasmus scholar trip. I chose Turku, Finland, as my second choice, where I was taken, because if I had to go far away, I have to choose the best country. For me it is Finland because I hear only good things about there. Beautiful landscapes, happy people and a country involved in the environment. Moreover, I chose Turku (because there were two destinations in Finland) for the proposed subjects which are circular economy and energy management, exactly the field in which I intend to work later.
It took me two to three months to accept the fact that I’m going away from my family, it hasn’t been easy because I’m closed to them. What helped me to accept it more easily was the fact that I’m going away with a friend. Living an adventure on my own is a challenge, but living it together is funnier. The closer we got, the more reassured I was, because I realized that once we got there, I wouldn’t be alone, we could count on each other and turn all our problems into jokes.
To prepare my trip to Finland I bought a ski coat, pants that can be taken off with the boots so that my clothes don’t get wet because of the snow, an electric hot water bottle that can be recharged and lasts 2 to 3 hours, crampons to put over the boots so that I won’t slip, gloves, a hat,… The most complicated was to choose the clothes I took because I got a lot of feedback that it was very cold outside but the buildings were overheated so it’s hard to get dressed. I didn’t take the accommodation offered by the school but a shared flat reserved for the Erasmus. So I’m going to share a flat with a foreigner and I’ll also get 4 free saunas per month.
I’m taking the same plane as everyone else who leaves Paris on January 15th around 7am and arrives in Turku at 3.30pm (local time) with a stopover in Helsinki. I have two tutors who helped me and who will pick me up at the airport. They got my apartment keys and they also helped me to find cutlery, pillows, duvets,…
So I am in a hurry to leave and live this adventure with my friend.
Justine MICHELON
Our language holidays in Finland 