Tag Archives: Slovenia

Final report

Those two months I spent in Slovenia thought me a lot. Lot of myself and the country. I learned to use English in my everyday life and it became routine. before I was a little shy to use my English skills. Not to forget that I learned a bit of Slovenian too, I do use those words in Finland still sometimes.. hehe.

I learned lot about Slovenian culture and habits and it was great opportunity to see and experience to live aboard. Also I learned lot about my career, I got much wider view about the world and I’m definitely going back there someday. I got new friends and discovered what I want to do in a future. Of course I had some adversities but survived about everything and those thought more than anything. I learned how to handle different situations. It wasn’t full time dancing with roses but that’s part of the journey and I can say that I grew up a lot in those months. In the end time went by really fast and it was awesome experience to look back with a smile 🙂 I loved Slovenia as an beautiful country full of amazing and kind people. I’m really grateful of this opportunity and all I want to say is if you are even thinking of going aboard for job learning, just go for it and yes, yes you can do it and it will be worth it!

With love, Julia ❤️✨

Back to Finland!

Hi! This week we have been at work three days, Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday was reformation day (religious holiday selebrated on 31.10 along side halloween’s Eve). And also Thursday was work free day because it was day of remembrance of the dead. on Tuesday we had a evaluation and that went very well. On Tuesday we saw our contact person Irena for the last time here and we talked about our time here and we gave her a votive, desinged by Alvar Aalto.  On Wednesday we went to the Italian side to Gorizia. We visited Castello Di Gorizia, it’s old castle of Gorizia. It was really beautiful. We walked to the castle trough a nature trail. On Thursday we didn’t do nothing. The day was really rainy and all the shops were closed. Friday was our last day at work. We said goodbyes to our co-workers and they gave both of us one 1kg chocolate. On Wednesday weather was really good and sunny, but other days has been really rainy and windy. On Saturday we packed and we made check-in for our flights. We cleaned the room. On Sunday  we packed the rest of our things and we left our room clean. We left to dormitory at 12:30 and that was the start of our trip back to finland. First we went by car to Venice airport. We flew from Venice to Germany. In Germany we waited for the next flight for about four hours. After that we flight to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

Week full of happiness!

Ciao!

My second last week here was pretty awesome. I had so much fun with Henna, finnish boys and new friends from here. I had chance to be broud of being Finnish, good opportunity to spend awesome days with lovely people and to see the world on my own eyes. This week was full of smiling and laughing, sometimes just because I was too tired. In a good way.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were really warm, 20°c. And so sunny, felt like summer. Work days were mostly the same. We did some decorations for winter, because Christmas is coming and lot of gift boxes and christmas edition chocolate came to store.

The weather forecast promised bad weather during the weekend, so I changed my working day Wednesday to Saturday. And on Wednesday I went to Venice, once more. From Gorizia to Venice took 2 hours by train. That day was so beautiful and I loved it, I enjoyed good food and just walked around the old city and of course did some shopping.

At Thursday we went to the Economy school of Nova Gorica. We had the chance to get to know the educationsystem and go to couple of lessons. In first lesson one of the students kept a presentation about Slovenia and after that we showed some videos about Finland and talked the differences of our countries. They were really curious about Finnish language and they even wanted us to introduce ourselves in finnish. They also wanted to learn some finnish words. We had so much fun on that lesson. Also made some new friends. One of the students asked me that what is the biggest difference I’ve noticed here and the answer was pretty clear. People, they are so open minded, kind and curious persons and it shows where ever you go here. Second class was English. We talked also about Finland and Slovenia and watched videos. Third class was about business and they kept presentations about Slovenian deserts, music, companies, places to visit etc. It was interesting to listen. In that class I would’ve wanted to talk more, because students were so nice but time run out unfortunately.

Later in that day I went to Ljubljana with my friend Neža. Ljubljana was so amazing city to visit that I’m for sure coming back sometime! My other friend Mat is studying there so he joined us when we got there. It was nice to have my own mentors with me to tell and show me the city. We went to see Ljubljana castle, The Dragon bridge, Tivoli park and all the must see in the city. It was perfect time of the year, because there were no that much of tourist anymore and the weather was colder but not cold. Here in Slovenia the weather changes so quickly. Nova gorica to Ljubljana is one hour by car and in that time the weather gets more than 5°c colder, because of the mountains, hills and the sea side.

Rest of the week was more of chilling and resting, because the weather wasn’t that nice at the end of the week. Saturday I was at work and I noticed that it was so much more hectic at the weekends. But that’s about it. These two months were really excited, every day was different. I did lot of things I thought I would never do and I exceeded myself in so many ways that I can say that I’m broud of myself. Next week is our last week here and I have to say that I’m really going to miss this place and hopefully someday I see this city and my friends here again, but till then it’s goodbye.

Loves, Julia ❤️✨

3 weeks left to go!

I’m not sure am I excited or more stressed about going home after 3 weeks, already. It’s been nice here, I’ve really liked this country and also the weather, it’s been all week close to 25°c. Time flies by so fast and I know it’s going every day even faster. Work has been mostly same as earlier and I think that just now we’re starting to remember where in the store everything is and how it’s done. We’ve also seen and getting to know lot of different foods what there isn’t in Finland. One day we get to try traditional Slovenian desert called Potica. I liked the taste but Henna wasn’t that satisfied. One co-worker who had baby just while ago baked those to us when she stayed on maternity leave. It’s been really nice to have chat with Slovene people, about our cultures and everything. People here are so sweet. This week we are mostly chilled at our dorm and done other school work. But the walking paths here are so pretty, especially if you go to Italian side of the border.

Loves, Julia❤️✨

Greetings from Slovenia

Hello!

This week here have been a few rainy days. Two boys from jyväskylä arrived here on tuesday, they also live in a dormitory and work in the same building as we do. At work we met nice customers. One old genteman also speak little finnish. We went to a grocery store on a friday night and came across a finnish family. We talked with them and they shared their own experiences in Slovenia. The told that they lived in Italy in Gorizia, which is just off the Slovenian-Italian border. They have moved to Gorizia in 2015 and in between they lived in Finland one year when their child was born, and then they went back to Gorizia.

On saturday we went to Venice. The weather was bad, because it was raining all day. We went by train to Venice. The trip lasted for about 2 hours. We walked around and watched the views.

Back on the track!

Hi again!

This week was pretty good, finally got back to work and become feeling a lot better. Last week was indeed nothing special. My week started at Monday, 1pm by going to work. The reason why I get there later than normally was because me, my boss and other stuff went to another city, Tolmin. Henna couldn’t come because she was still sick unfortunately. We went to Tolmin do inventory to another Mercator. (Mercator is a Slovenian retail corporation. a.k.a our working place here in Nova Gorica) Tolmin was really small but beautiful place to visit. On our way there I saw Alps and the Soča river! Here in Nova Gorica Soča river is more green than it was in Tolmin. There it was more clear and blue, almost like crystal! There is no rivers like that in Finland.

Soča river in Tolmin

Wensday Finnish teacher AP came to Slovenia and he came to meet us to our workplace. After we got back from work we decided to visit Sveta Gora with AP and Irena. In English Sveta Gora means Holy Mountain. At top of the hill there is a beautiful church and amazing view. You can see the Alps there as well as the Italian side all the way to the sea!

In the church there is a wall where people leave their crosses symboling their worries.

Driving down from the hill we had great view of the Nova Gorica.

Week at work went past really quickly and I learned couple of new things about their work system and I also learned to use scanner!
I’ve also helped out some customers. (who knows some English words) Customers are really curious when I told them that i don’t speak Slovenian. They usually ask where I’m from and what I’m going here and surprisingly many knows Finland or have even visited there!

Friday we went to Italian side of the border to Gorizia. This weekend there was a big international street food festival, which was amazing opportunity to get to know not just local food but food from other side of the world too! And the atmosphere there was amazing! We loved it so much that we went there also on Saturday night!

Saturday we went to Solkan, to see the Soča closer and to walk along the river.

As you can see the river here is more green.

Hope you had great week, I did!

Loves, Julia ❤️✨

First week

Hi!

Fist week in Slovenia, Nova Gorica is been really nice and of course pretty new too. We arrived here last Saturday – Sunday night, 9th of September. First we flight from Helsinki to Frankfurt and there we switched to another plane to Venice. When we arrived to Venice our driver Tomaž picked us up from the airport and drove us to Slovenia, to our dorm.

When we arrived to the dorm, it was past might night and we were so tired. But unfortunately we didn’t get our own room then, because only person at the time in the dorm was security guard who didn’t know that we were coming, so she gave us a random room and said that we should come switch the rooms first thing in the morning. So we got up at 7am and went to reservation but we ended up switching to our own room way later that day. In Sunday we discovered the town and find out that everything is so close to our dorm. And of course let’s not forget that you can walk to the Italian border from our dorm, that close we are.

First week at work was nice, people here are so nice even if they don’t speak good english! Mostly we were just learning how things are done here. Monday we made inventory and later on that week we worked on lot of departments and learned lot of things and got to know people were working with. On Thursday was my 18th birthday and I was so surprised when we were called to come to the break room and all staffs started singing to me and they even had birthday cake with candles on it. The cake was by the way so good. Our work days starts at 7.30 and usually we’re walking there cause its close and in mornings weather it’s nice and cool.

The weather is been super hot here, everyday it’s been close to +30 degrees. I also had opportunity to go to Duino, Italy. It’s nearest place to go to see sea and of course to swim! It was so beautiful and the water was so clean, I loved it. The car ride to there lasted just about 30 minutes, so it wasn’t that far away.

Because the week was after all pretty hectic and everything was new, this weekend we are just chilling and resting for the next week.

Loves, Julia ❤️✨