We arrived on Sunday, 5th of December at 5 p.m., and we had two shocks: the temperature was -24°C and it was dark!

Here there are only 4 hours of light in a day; the sun rises at 10:30 a.m. and sets at 2:30 p.m.

The snow is everywhere around us, the purity of the white landscapes as far as our eyes can see inspires appeasement and peace.

I was surprised by the silence that prevails, as if the snow absorbed all the noises.

I’m not used to calm and tranquillity and I struggle to not fall into the arms of Morpheus.

When we arrived it was ice cold but we were able to get used to it.

Here I feel more serene, my host family gave me a lot of confidence as soon as I arrived, and always considers me as a member of the family.

We are living in a house where every bedroom overlooks onto the living room so we spend a lot of time together to get to know each other and to learn more about ourselves.

I have a complicated diet and my host family makes considerable efforts and I enjoy eating.

I observed that here they drink milk and eat dark bread with butter with each meal. The reunionese rice is replaced with potatoes.

The school is very different to ours. The students' well-being is a priority. The courses are more playful and interactive. There is even a ping-pong table in the hall of the high-school!

Their school is smaller than ours, 350 students. In the cafeteria, everybody helps themselves to avoid waste. There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meal options, too.

There are music and art lessons. It’s a beautiful way to open the minds and grow with more sensibility. I think it’s good because it promotes the development of listening and speaking skills.

Finland has not finished to surprise us!

Pauline