Dear readers of
October in New York,
The past four years
have been a period in time that will not be easily forgotten. The global travel
came to a halt due to the pandemic and the wars and conflicts still rage around
the world. The past few years, if anything, made me miss going back to New York
and its unique, international atmosphere. Thus, in 2023, once planning
and travelling with a group became possible again, I had the great privilege of
leading a group of students through both the American Studies course and a memorable
week in New York.
As always, there was
a lot to see and much to experience. There were twenty-three of us this year. We
were warmly 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. A
special thank you goes to the Consulate General and the Permanent Mission of
Finland to the UN for welcoming us for the first time. The Foreign Ministry of
Finland as well as the American Embassy in Helsinki have over the years given a
lot to my American Studies students. I hope we can work together in the
future as well. Furthermore, the locals in New York were even more helpful and
attentive than any of us could have expected and we will cherish the encounters
with them.
I am happy that you
found our blog! Do 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 Nabucco, &Juliet The Musical on Broadway, and our
visit to Columbia University albeit in the midst of the demonstrations our
guided tour was cancelled. The enthusiasm the visit to New York always evokes in my
students is without a doubt the best possible thank you for me.
I would like to thank
my wonderfully enthusiastic and active students as well as their exceptionally
supportive families. Without them our adventure would not have been possible. Last but not least, my co-chaperone Ville deserves to be acknowledged –
you made it the third time, good job!
NYC is a city to be
experienced in person. It feels familiar at the same time as it can feel new and exciting - every time you visit.
Until next time!
Love,
Mervi
P.s. The photos in the October in New York blog are mine
unless indicated otherwise.
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