Dear Readers

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.