Hello all!
My name is Teemu Manninen, though many of you might know me better as Mana. NESU has taken me to many places over the years, even as far as the Land of Fire and Ice, as I attended the excursion to Iceland last year. This blog post is a story about the excursion, from Mana’s POV.
There hadn’t been a NESU Excursion during my time as a student, so when I first heard about it, I didn’t quite know that to expect. However, I was excited, and certain that I want to attend. When the application period started, I applied not knowing would any of my friends apply or not. It turned out that at the time, I didn’t know that many of the people attending. I didn’t let it bother me, as I had experienced many times how welcoming the atmosphere of NESU is. I was certain that we would have a great time, and oh boy did we have a blast!
Many of us who travelled from Finland were on the same flight, so it was nice to meet some of the people already at the airport and get some travel companions. Having made our way to the hostel, there was some spare time before a welcoming event, which was the first official program of the excursion. The spare time was a great spot to unpack, take a breath and get to know your roommates. Not too long after, our room coined itself as Sonniluola (The Bull Cave :D). Before heading to the welcome event, some of the hungry nesuits joined forces, and we went to grab a bite. Time flew by at the event as we got to know the other participants and the organizers while enjoying pizza and beverages.
The next day started off with something that ended up being one of my favorite parts of the excursion, NESU Extravaganza. We were split into groups and given a list of tasks to complete around Reykjavik. It was such a fun way to explore different parts of the city with a bit of a competitive side to it as well. And just so, the weather also happened to be perfect that day.
The day continued with two company visits, first to Landsbankinn, followed by Icelandair. The company visits were something I also really looked forward to, and it’s safe to say that they didn’t disappoint! At Landsbankinn we got to hear about its operations, history, and the effects of the global financial crisis. At Icelandair it was interesting to learn more about the airline industry.
After the company visits, we had a bit of spare time before an evening program. It was a fun and relaxed evening at a sports bar where we played pool and enjoyed some drinks. When we got back to the hostel, some of us didn’t want to call it a night yet, and we stayed up quite late playing games and chatting. Mistakes may or may not have been made.
The next day started with a company visit to Nasdaq. Out of all company visits, this was probably the one I was the most excited about. However, because of my poor life choices the night before (+ skipping breakfast that morning), I wasn’t at my sharpest, which was unfortunate for me. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear about the Icelandic stock exchange, and we also got to ring the opening bell. After the visit, we had plenty of spare time to spend as we wished, which was nice. Later that day, we had a pub quiz hosted by Hult International Business School. The prize for the winning team was an invitation to London Business Week. Sadly, our team didn’t win, and London wasn’t calling. After the quiz we continued our night at the city, from where some of us also proceeded to have so-called “aftergames” at the hostel once again. I suspect that this was the moment when I lost my jacket. I think I forgot it in the common areas of the hostel, and what do you know, the next day it was nowhere to be seen. A minor setback, but luckily, I came in prepared and had another jacket with me.
The next day was definitely my favorite of the excursion. We woke up early, as we headed to the Golden Circle sightseeing tour. The tour included stops at Þingvellir national park, geysirs, and Gullfoss waterfall. The nature and the scenery were simply just breathtaking. After a quick nap at the bus, I was as ready as ever for the Playa del Islandia -sits later in the evening. We had a good amount of time to freshen up and get ready for the sits, and what better way to prepare than some pregaming at the hostel. The sits party was a movie, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say we had an amazing time. It was nice to see that some Icelandic people joined us as well, even though the guy next to me told me that he wasn’t feeling so great, as they apparently had a boat party the previous day. Following the sits, there was an afterparty at a nightclub. For some reason, Veera, Lauri and I got lost from the pack, and made our own side quest-filled walk, and eventually made it to the club, where we continued partying late into the night.
The final day of the excursion started a bit slower than the others, as our official program started in the afternoon. We went to the Sky Lagoon spa, and I must say that there couldn’t have been a more suitable activity than to relax at a geothermal pool, take a cold plunge and have a couple hair of the dog beers. Later in the evening, we had a farewell event where we had dinner, enjoyed each other’s company, and said goodbyes to the people who were returning home with different flights. An amazing idea that the organizers had come up with was that everyone had a card that got passed around for others to write messages on. The cards were closed in envelopes, and I must say it was super nice to read all the greetings and nice comments later at home. After a few hours of sleep, it was time to start the journey back to Jyväskylä, and I just couldn’t help but wonder how the days flew by so fast.
One more time, the biggest thanks to the organizers for making the excursion possible, and to all the participants for making it unforgettable!
The excursion was truly the best experience I have had during my time of studies, so if you have a chance to attend one, definitely do it!
Yours truly,
Teemu “Mana” Manninen