Wings to fly

Flew on these happy sets of wings this week:

(Charlotte, North Carolina)

(Frankfurt, Germany)

They brought me back ‘home’ to Jyvaskyla...

where I’ve been reminded how much I love my life here!!  

Thought I'd start out with sharing some of the new views:

(the view from the Agora building where our new offices are located)

(the view from my apartment)

(the new university bookstore--creative use of space, don't you say?)

(the view at lunch time)

(the view the rest of the time)

As Steven Morris pointed out, I basically live in a cubicle these days.
The best part about this cubicle is that it can be raised and lowered.
My hip flexors and hind quarters are happy to stretch now and again.

(A sweet thank you card from someone I've never actually met was waiting for me when I arrived.  He wrote to say thank you for a few email exchanges and sharing some resources from our website:

http://www.discoursehub.fi/engaging-nexus-analysis/references/)

(I do, now and again, take study breaks to enjoy being read to instead of reading on my own.  Kristopher read me one of his favorite stories)

In the book, we learn about tap shoes being found under the  bed.  I asked Kristopher what the pig would find under his bed.  I asked the question in a metaphorical sense.  He interpreted it literally.  Let's just say that my attempt to keep the attention of a kid while explaining the difference between something that is literal and metaphorical was, well, unsuccessful. 

I was so excited to go to church today and reconnect with so many people I love.  I was warmly received with HUGS from everyone--even people I didn't think remembered me.  I felt like some kind of Finnish celebrity.  It was moving.

(Especially considering that Finns aren't the hugging type.)

I was especially excited to see this kiddo who I ADORE:

Teemu returned home earlier this year from serving a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Romania.  I haven't seen him in over two years.  He said,

"We were standing right here when we said goodbye.  We took a picture.  I was wearing my blue shirt that said 'Awesome'."

He totally remembered!!  Well, our reunion required photo documentation.  And this is what we got.  Love this kid with my whole heart!!

Just for kicks, here's the photo we took two and a half years ago:

So happy to have him back!

It was less than a month ago that I felt it was the right time to return to Finland to complete the final lap of the dissertation marathon.  So, how do you prepare for the final lap?  

Well, first, I'd say...

Secondly,

Thirdly,

(I thought I already did, with the first two statements.  :))

Well, the obvious is also this: LOTS OF TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
Making new memories.
Doing things that make your heart happy.

Here’s what that looked like for me:

These wings flew me to Phoenix (via Austin and Houston) where I got to spend time with John and Tristan.  

We...

Climbed ASU Mountain.

Cheered at the planes flying over and the trains passing below.

John took Tristan and me to the Grand Canyon.  It was the first (of hopefully many) trip for Tristan and me.  Is it any wonder that this place is one of the seven natural wonders of the world?!  On our drive up to the south rim, John commented on how infrequent it is to hear English spoken.  So true!  John was able to use his Russian to translate some of the conversations we listened to while walking along the rim.  We also made friends with a couple from Argentina who commented on Tristan’s beautiful features.  Interestingly enough, they mentioned how he was as fair skinned as the Finnish exchange student they hosted.  They weren’t all that surprised to learn that he’s of Finnish descent.  :)

(First picture I took when we arrived)

(Made lots of people really nervous.)

(Tristan got to wish Grandma Becky a very happy Mother's Day as we drove home that evening.)

Lisa and Sean met us late that night as they drove in from Utah.  The next morning we...

Spent time poolside. 
(Lisa and Sean’s feet...in case there are any agents out there looking for foot models :) ) 

Tristan loved swimming behind/underneath the waterfall...and also...

playing with his new Duplo Legos 

(thank you Grandma Becky for sending them—Tristan LOVES them!)

We said goodbye (goodbyes are the worst--especially when it's saying goodbye to little tykes who ask, "When are you coming again?!") and set off for Las Cruces.  We filled up the cars with gas and our tummies with horchata.

 

John introduced me to the drink last August.  I had to get some from Filiberto's since that's where I first discovered this amazing drink!

We made it to Las Cruces safely.  Stayed the night at Sean's parents' place.  The next morning we set off again, with all of their belongings, to our next stop: San Antonio!!

Here we are on the side of the road switching out drivers.

The long drive gets even longer when your max speed is 64 MPH.  So much for an 80 MPH speed limit...  :)

There's so much that can be said about this photo both in a literal and metaphorical sense.

Road trips provide lots of time for reflection.

We made it safely to San Antonio.  We had an incredible thunderstorm come through the next morning.  I. love. Texas. thunderstorms.

Later that night we danced our hearts out...

at Cowboys. Love these women: Nancy, Deborah, and Helen.

(I've spent the last many months learning how to dance different types of ballroom dances, including West Coast Swing.  The dance floor has been to me what a cocoon is to a caterpillar: a place of transformation.  I've found my wings.)

We took several pictures over the course of the night as people came and went. All of them, except this one, turned out dark.  Sad day!!  There are so many of you guys who were there that aren't in this picture... :(

The three amigas.  

(Lisa gave me the gift of dancing when she introduced me to her dancing friends a few weeks before her wedding.  Now, ten months later, it was AWESOME to have her with me on my last night on the dance floor to see how that it's one of the greatest gifts I've been given.  Ever.)

We even got in some West Coast Swing dances in.  We didn't get a chance to record them, so instead I thought I'd post a video from my last night with our West Coast Swing club:

Lee and I both started taking lessons at the Alamo West Coast Swing Club about the same time.

As chance would have it, we both returned 'home' this week--he returned home to his amazing wife and family in Australia after completing his medical training.  I returned 'home' to Finland.

From San Antonio, Lisa and Sean continued on to Houston where they're planting roots as Sean begins his career in the technology consulting field. I followed behind a few days later so I could spend a few days with these sweet kids who I adore:

My little sweet pea, my best bud, and my little yogi.  This is their first introduction to chocolate truffles, compliments of a dear friend of mine.

Even my little army ranger got to try them.  :)

I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Aunt Claire, cousin Dawn, Kristopher, Allison and Colby before I left San Antonio so we got to Skype with them.  You can see Sadie and Adelaide in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

Saying goodbye to these kids is almost too much to bear.  Here they are--breakfast with the champions! From here, we all raced off to school.  (The girls graduated from preschool that day.)

My commute was a bit longer for me than it was for them: right at 30 hours,
from their door to this door:
(thank you Kirsti and Katie for the sweet welcome home!!)

I'm back.

In Finland.

Feeling grateful for wings to fly.