I just decided to take a moment off and appreciate what I have in life.

I booked flight tickets to Copenhagen and Strasbourg, so now I have at least one trip planned for every upcoming month until summer. In one and a half week I head over to Denmark for a meeting with the Nordic student-organisations, then in March Hannah and I spend Easter in Riga, Lithuania, and in April Hannah, my parents and I take a week off to relax in Santorini, Greece. In the end of May I’m accompanied by Jooa from FSS to go down to Strasbourg, France, to meet some awesome OBESSU-people and hang out at the European Youth Event and after the weekend I’m heading straight over to Belgium for an awesome week in Brussels at the OBESSU Convention on Education and Work. So excited, traveling makes me feel so alive.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the old Youth Council Board back in Porvoo, and after the nice meeting I headed to my family’s place to spend the evening and night with them. We had such a blast, hanging out and talking, just chilling in good company. So blessed to have them this close even thought they’re 50 kilometres away.

And lately school, in general the least motivating thing in my life, has been feeling quite alright as well. I thought about General Upper Secondary and whether I would have fit in better there today, but I actually shoke the thought off pretty quickly. If I would have stayed in Porvoo, or even went to any Academic Secondary in Helsinki, I would NEVER have met any of the AMAZING people I now spend every day with. I’d never have been able to create all the fantastic memories I have now, from lessons to events to just chilling in the cafeteria.

I also realised that while I get to skip the parts of the General Upper Secondary that I don’t like (a lot of unecessary boring courses and the “high school-culture” with everything from hierarchies to “welcoming” new first-graders, prom, the Penkkis-day (last day of the final year)), I get to join in on the ones I want to. So in a way I got the best of both worlds. First I get to feel the excitement and nervousness about final exams, then I get to celebrate the last final exams with the others, and I’ll get the white hat with both a vocational “headband” and the traditional golden lyre for academic graduates. And when it comes to prom, I won’t have to dance but I’ll get to enjoy not one but two proms out of three that I was invited to, and both of them with close friends that I care so much for.

When talking about close friends, I just can’t help but think about the incredible people that fill this tiny apartment with music and laughter every day. FSS-people, old friends from trips and random people that just dropped in over the years. From way back when, Emil and I met in pre-school and he still comes over for wine. I don’t know how I got blessed with such amazing people to surround myself with.

I have a job and financial security. I have as much freedom as you can possibly have in a society that doesn’t consider you a full human being unless you have turned 18. I have all I could possibly want. I’m gonna try not going to spend another second of my life complaining about the few privileges I don’t have, the few things that had me work hard enough to make me the person I am today. I’ll try to never look in the mirror with disgust ever again, as I’ve reached the point when I’m quite happy with my body. From my hair color to my toenails, including love handles and non-existing knees, this is me and I’m actually happy about that. Wouldn’t give it up for the world. My dentist yesterday complimented my teeth so much and I realised the worst physical health issue I’ve had to go through [with my own body] was probably a really bad cold at age 6 when I was too weak to get up from bed for 3 weeks. Which isn’t really that big of a deal when you’re parents are doctors and nurses.

Anyway. Just feeling incredibly blessed tonight.