Dear readers,
Having a gap year can
be a rewarding experience. In my case, however, it meant spending October 2018
somewhere entirely else than in New York. That, if anything, made me miss going
back even more. Thus, in 2019, once again, I had the great privilege of leading
a group of students through both the American Studies course and a memorable week
in our favorite city.
As always, there was
a lot to see and much to experience in the city that offered us its best. There
were twenty-six of us this year and that is quite a group! We were well
received everywhere, and everyone, be it our tour guides or the staff in any of
the places we visited, went out of their way to help us.
Do read and enjoy the
accounts written by my students. They certainly had their own favorites on our
itinerary. Mine were the Metropolitan Opera, as always, with an extraordinary
performance of Porgy and Bess, Guggenheim, and our visit to Columbia University.
Seeing the enthusiasm the visit evokes is always the best possible thank you
one can get.
I would like to thank
my wonderfully energetic and bubbly students as well as their exceptionally
supportive families. Also my co-chaperone Ville deserves a big thank you!
NYC is a city to be
experienced in person. I hope there will be new groups of students to do so one
day.
Until next time, New
York!
Love,
Mervi
P.s. Photos on this post by Tuuli. Thank you so much! All other photos are mine unless otherwise indicated.