It's been well over two months since I've returned from 2 weeks, in the stunning Eastern Finnish Town of Mikkeli. I had the opportunity to apply for the Erasmus + Programme, as part of my Multimedia & Web Development year 2 course at Cavan Institute. The Erasmus + Programme is a European funding programme established in 1987, and offers myself and many other university students, the fantastic possibility of studying or doing an internship abroad in another country for a period of at least 2 months and a maximum 12 months.
Myself, and two other fellow students from my course Pawel & Shaine, and also two girls called Lauren & Nicole from the Childcare course all traveled to Mikkel, on the 27th of January. We flew into Amsterdam, to get a connecting flight to Helsinki.
Our tutor Donna Mc Carron, and Stacy Gardenir also accompanied us throughout. From Helsinki we got 3 trains, and one final taxi to reach our hotel. It was a long day of travelling, but from the first moments sitting on the train, the stunning landscapes rushed by. I done my 2 weeks placement at Esedu South savo Vocational College.
They offer vocational education for adolescents and adults, and also personnel training, consulting and development services for both the public and the private sector. Everyone there was so friendly and welcoming to us. They made us feel right at home.
Myself, Shaine & Pawel worked on creating a promotional video, for a local restaurant called Mikkelipuisto Greeneri. The business sits inside a wider stunning garden park, with nearly 30 model gardens on four acres. We planned well in advance what we would like to record. We also met with the business owner, who gave us some ideas of what she liked. It was great to work with my other friends that's on the course. We are all creative in our own right, and all enjoy video recording and editing. In our free time we explored what the beautiful town of Mikkeli, has to offer.
Every day I had my camera with me, as I've a massive interest in photography. I loved seeing the architecture, the quaint houses and log cabins,and the natural rugged landscapes in all directions.
Even though it was still the harsh grips of winter, we were well dressed and ready for the cold to bite.
We enjoyed evenings to the local cinema, eating out, and also some souvenir shopping along the way.
We even got to experience my very first ice hockey game, at the massive Ikioma Arena, which Esedu college kindly provided to us. We watched as the local Mikkelin Jukurit ice hockey team played in the SM-liiga. Even though I had no idea what was going on, I showed my support to the local team.
There has been so many amazing memories I made from my work experience. From skiing(failing miserably at it by the way), to the best pancakes I've ever tasted in my life, to learning some classic Finnish phrases, experiencing another culture. To be honest the list is endless.
Have you ever wanted to live abroad and experience a foreign culture, meet new people and learn a foreign language. Have you ever been excited to share your ideas and to create good things with other students from all around the world. The Erasmus + programme gave me all the opportunities I could wish for. It really was a once in a lifetime experience. I would also like to thank Leargas, who manage all these amazing international and national exchange programmes, in education, youth and community work, and vocational education and training. These exchanges are helping to connect people in different communities and countries.
Cant wait to visit stunning Finland again in the future.
Here's some of my other favorite photos I took over the 2 week period:
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