Day One, 36 Hours Long

The Hawks arrived at Haverford Middle School on Saturday morning ready for adventure. The two buses left on time for JFK, traffic was cooperative, Finnair was efficient, and everyone had moved through security with more than two hours to spare--more than enough time for lunch and relaxation before boarding. Though the members of one family, who shall remain nameless, lost their passports briefly before checking in, the missing items were found and the first crisis was averted.

The flight was happily uneventful, with most of the boys distracted by the in-flight entertainment system for most of the eight hours. After all of the warnings, did they sleep? Of course not. About half managed an hour or two of snoozing; the other half were still too excited.

The group was met in Helsinki by our Vikings hosts, who led our band of travelers and luggage to two buses. The first stop was the Vikings' lovely new ice rink, where there were two equipment rooms in which the Hawks could store their hockey gear for the week. Then it was on to a hotel conference center, overlooking the beautiful (and still iced-over) Gulf of Finland, where a buffet lunch was served. Eyes lit up at the sight of the meats, and speculation was rampant: was this reindeer, or perhaps elk? Sorry, boys, it was merely roast beef and turkey. The adventurous ones in the group tried the ligonberries and the beet salad, while the more reserved went with the cheese, salad, and fruit. As they ate, the Finnish host families arrived, and soon all around the dining room were clusters of Americans and Finns, greeting one another and catching up after a year, or meeting one another for the first time. Eventually it was time for the boys to head to their Finnish homes, and for the American fellow-travelers to find the Hilton that would be their home-away-from-home.

By this time, of course, it was 2:00 in the afternoon--7:00 a.m. in the US--and no one had really slept in about 24 hours. Too bad! In order to get onto the new time schedule more quickly, it was important for everyone to stay up until at least early evening. (This meant that the adults had to resist the call of their comfortable hotel beds.) Thus, once belongings were dropped off and everyone had freshened up, all headed to a sports center for the opening party--the parents doing so by Metro for the first time, with the welcome help of our Finnish friends.

The opening party was a major hit, with floorball under the black lights being a major feature. Bowling was also popular with kids and adults, and there was more food in the party room. By the end of the four hours scheduled for the party, boys were draped over the chairs and couches in a daze. The American parents said their goodbyes and headed back to the Metro, and the boys went off to their Finnish homes, at last able (and more than happy!) to get some sleep. And so the 2012 Finland Exchange began.