New York, New York

This year must be THE year for me! So many of my dreams will come true!!!

1. I rode a horse
2. I'm going to exchange
3. I go to NYC
   

I've been dreaming to ride a horse since I was a little girl but I've never had the change to do so. Last Sunday I did it and I get the change do REALLY do so (and not just sit at the back of the horse).

I've always dreamed of going abroad to study and finally I have a good time in my life to go and a real reason (not just to go to college or something).

And when I was in high school I was sure I was going to move to New York to study. Nowadays I don't want to move there but I want to visit the city.

And all these are going to happen! I just reserved us a Hostel (Wanderers Inn West, a real roleplayers choise!) and requested flights from Kilroy (again). The airline didn't recognize Finland as a country when I was supposed to give my phone number (and it was required for the reservation). Has happened before. Now I just hope that I could get the flights. And this all will cost a lot but I will get some taxes returned by Christmas and decided to use them beforehand. Muaha!

I also asked from Miki if I could leave some of my stuff in his place while I'm in New York. I really don't want to take all my half a year stuff with me in there. This way I can buy more! (Though after all this traveling, I will not have any money left...)

But I feel so GOOD! I love traveling and all this planning makes me so high! Ah! And Tarmo is (of course) so excited too! Ah, Ah, AH!

Can I go already please?

Traveling

So, I got a letter from Iowa University. And more paper from our International Office. And I just reserved my flights! Well, most of them. I send a request to Kilroy if they could get me a flight which didn't show at their database from Finland. I don't dare to book the US flight myself through internet since I'm sure there will be all kinds of problems. So I hope I can get all my flights via Kilroy Travels.

But so far I'm now in Chicago. Here's my travel plan:

Helsinki - Dublin
07:40 am - 08:50 am

Dublin - Chicago
11:50 am - 2 pm

Chicago - Iowa
9:10 pm - 10:05 pm

The last flight isn't sure yet but I hope I can get that flight.
I'm a bit concerned about the Dublin, since I have only two hours to be there. The thing is that if the flight is delayed or there is some kind of other problems. Or I get lost at the airport or or or... But that was the only good flight for me.

But I got all my flight much cheaper than I expected! Cool! About 700 euros. And do notice: the traveling time will be LONG! All the times are in local time so I'll be on my journey about 24 h!!! A long way to go... And all alone.

I should fill the Housing Application and send it to Iowa as soon as possible. I had some questions about it and sent them to the local International Office contact person. Now I'm just waiting for her answer so I could send the application.

I should also fill the ISEP applications and I'm going to do it today after I've spoked with mom (she should call in any minute).

I got this wonderful thing there (actually two). I can get my courses from undergraduate AND graduate level though I'm going to be an undergraduate student there. And I got meal stipend. So no meal plan. So I can go to shop my own food or if I'm lazy I can go eat to the cafeteria.

And I'm going to share my room with one person and the kitchen and bathroom with four people. Not impossible.
Here's the floor plan:

Though I don't if the floor plan is really this kind (bunk beds or single beds etc.).
I'm going to stay at the Iowa House Hotel for the weekend (I'm going to be at Iowa at evening on Friday) since the residence halls open only when the orientations begin (on Monday).

I'm so happy that I've had so much information. It's beginning to get organized in my brains and I've a quite good image of what I'm going to do, where I'm going and when. I've still been lazy and not downloaded the BiTa pics, and I'm not going to do it now either since I'm going to finish some applications.

It's really good that the paperwork is quite easy to do and all the information are available and I know people to ask my questions. Though one has to see some effort to get the exchange place, it's quite easy when you get it.

And I did some apoptosis experiments today. We'll fix the cells tomorrow, on Friday and if necessary, on Saturday too. Finally I got to play with manganese (I did my Candidate Thesis about it). It's fun but it really needs some brains and when you have been in lab for a six hours, there isn't much brains left to do anything else.

But now some paperwork...