Apologies and Conclusions

Today's Question (Prompt) for the Reader:

Finish this sentence:
I really, really miss...


Hello, everyone. Writing this post has been hanging over my head for months now. I swear, I started it at least 30 times without ever having finished...unable to write for reasons that I'd rather not share with with the entire blogosphere. Of course, there's a good chance that I no longer have any readers so I could probably spill it all, but I'll just stick to what blog was about--my life on Åland.

Though all signs point to the contrary, I want to assure you all that I never forgot about this blog. It never became unimportant to me. I enjoyed writing every entry, whether it was in some way introspective or just a chance to tell you all a funny story. It was a great way to keep up with people back home and to connect with new people in Finland. This was my first blogging experience, and it really opened up to me the joys of writing. Yes, I was an English major. My academic curriculum in college mainly consisted of reading and writing papers. But besides the diary I sporadically kept in middle school (full of emo woes, I'm sure), this blog is really the first time that I have ever written for myself. And that you all read it, asked for more entries, and even made comments, really meant a lot to me. So I am very sorry, to you and for myself, that I stopped writing.

All of that said, I should clarify that I am back in the United States and have been for a month. But not a day goes by that I don't miss my life on Åland. Jolanda, Emelie, Åsa, Tiff, Micke, Ante, Poomi, Nicco, Sarah, Becci, Julia, Emma, Eve, Mimmi, Ida, Carro, Mathan, Adde, Hannah, Jose, Karring, Lisa, Bethan, Johanna, Maria, Monika, Ubbe, Vesa, Lena, Robban-- I really, really miss you guys. And the fact is, Åland captured my heart. So now, I'm a girl in love with an island.

I'm not sure what it was about Åland that made me fall in love with it. I guess one of the obvious reasons would be the fact that it was the place on which I was once again given the chance to play the sport that I enjoy so much. Fellis, Robban, Ubbe, Khaled--I can't thank you enough.

And I suppose that another obvious reason for being love-struck would be that Åland is beautiful, and anyone can fall in love with beauty, right? Waking up every morning and looking out my window to see the sun shine and ripple on the sea, happening upon jungles of hanging trees and wild flowers, witnessing sunrises and sunsets that engulfed the entire sky in flame-- this was all more irresistible than velvety lips and deep brown eyes. Of course I fell in love! It had me at hello (er--at "hej").

But there was something else about this place that took a hold of my heart and will probably hold a little piece of it forever. And I think that goes back to that list of people three paragraphs above. I came, all alone, to an island which was previously unbeknownst to me, somewhere off the west coast of Finland, where the people speak a language I had never heard. That was scary. That had potential to be unenjoyable. But you people, up there, in that list, you took care of me. You welcomed me, you got my number and put it in your phone, you called me, you checked on me, you laughed with me, you taught me Swedish, you played your hearts out with me, you celebrated with me, you cried with me, you made this experience unforgettable. And I will always, always, be so grateful to you all. Thank you. I love you guys and it is certainly because of you that I will always love Åland.

So...what's next for this American back in America? Who knows. More fotboll? Maybe. I'm formulating my next adventure as we speak (As it turns out, adventure is addicting). But I have a feeling that it is my first adventure that will always be the most special. I'll be seeing you again, Åland, sometime in the near future. 'Cause a girl in love can only stay away for so long.

To all my friends, know that you always have a place to stay if you ever make it to the US. I hope that you will.

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to answer the Question for the Reader.
This is An American in Åland, signing out.