“Maybe home isn't a place.
Maybe it's a feeling you have inside of you,
being around the people who matter to you.”
I could tell when I landed in Helsinki about a week ago that this season was going to be completely different from last year. Last April I came to play for HJK not knowing much about the country I was moving to or the team I was going to play for. I was just so excited for the opportunity to continue my soccer career after college. I kind of jumped into the situation head first and was immersed in the culture right away. Playing for a team that speaks another language, not to mention one of the hardest languages to learn, was such a different experience and definitely took me a while to get used to. Luckily, my coaches and teammates have always explained things to me in English when I don't follow what they say in Finnish. This year I came back remembering some Finnish and it's nice not being COMPLETELY lost when I hear or read it.
But the most refreshing difference coming back this year is having so many familiar faces and great friendships to return to! I am so fortunate to be surrounded with so many amazing people here, whether it's my teammates, coaches, HJK staff, Finnish parents, etc. They have really made it feel like I have come back home and have welcomed me with open arms :) It's almost like I never left. We also have a good amount of new players and it's been great getting to know them. I am excited about this season because I think we have a talented team and I know we all want to achieve the same things.
I am settling in much quicker and getting used to the routine again. Knowing my way around the city, atleast a little bit, has been a HUGE advantage. This upcoming week I will learn some more about what I will be doing outside of playing football. It looks like HJK may have some coaching opportunities for me. It will be really nice to have some work to do during the day this time around.
The first question I get asked from people back home is usually about the weather here. And I must say, it seems like I have been pretty lucky so far. It's been in the 30's almost every day but from what I've heard, this is usually the coldest part of their winter. There is barely any snow on the ground and apparently last year around this time, there was over a meter on the ground. So I am hoping this means we are going to have a warm summer in Helsinki :)
Last night we had our first official game of the season. It was our first game in the Suomen Cup. It was hard to believe that it had come so quickly but we were all definitely excited and anxious to start it off right....and that's exactly what we did! You may remember from last season, but Suomen Cup is a single elimination tournament that has teams from around Finland and from different divisions. Our first game was already in the second round of the Suomen Cup. Since we play in Naisten LIiga (top division here in Finland) we do not play in the first round. We played against EBK, a lower division team, and it ended in a 8-0 win for us. It was a nice game to ease into for me since I haven't been able to play or practice much since I left Finland last October. I definitely felt a little rusty but I know it will get better as the season goes on. Our first league game is towards the end of March so I have some time to get ready for that. It looks like HJK will have a great year and I am so glad to be back in Finland and to be a part of the entire 2014 season :)
But the most refreshing difference coming back this year is having so many familiar faces and great friendships to return to! I am so fortunate to be surrounded with so many amazing people here, whether it's my teammates, coaches, HJK staff, Finnish parents, etc. They have really made it feel like I have come back home and have welcomed me with open arms :) It's almost like I never left. We also have a good amount of new players and it's been great getting to know them. I am excited about this season because I think we have a talented team and I know we all want to achieve the same things.
I am settling in much quicker and getting used to the routine again. Knowing my way around the city, atleast a little bit, has been a HUGE advantage. This upcoming week I will learn some more about what I will be doing outside of playing football. It looks like HJK may have some coaching opportunities for me. It will be really nice to have some work to do during the day this time around.
The first question I get asked from people back home is usually about the weather here. And I must say, it seems like I have been pretty lucky so far. It's been in the 30's almost every day but from what I've heard, this is usually the coldest part of their winter. There is barely any snow on the ground and apparently last year around this time, there was over a meter on the ground. So I am hoping this means we are going to have a warm summer in Helsinki :)
Last night we had our first official game of the season. It was our first game in the Suomen Cup. It was hard to believe that it had come so quickly but we were all definitely excited and anxious to start it off right....and that's exactly what we did! You may remember from last season, but Suomen Cup is a single elimination tournament that has teams from around Finland and from different divisions. Our first game was already in the second round of the Suomen Cup. Since we play in Naisten LIiga (top division here in Finland) we do not play in the first round. We played against EBK, a lower division team, and it ended in a 8-0 win for us. It was a nice game to ease into for me since I haven't been able to play or practice much since I left Finland last October. I definitely felt a little rusty but I know it will get better as the season goes on. Our first league game is towards the end of March so I have some time to get ready for that. It looks like HJK will have a great year and I am so glad to be back in Finland and to be a part of the entire 2014 season :)