May 23rd...
11:30pm...
Wow. That is the best word I can think to say after a day like today.
I am just so thankful that I have the opportunity to be in Jyvaskyla. I have been here for one week now and I am still in shock that everything really came together, so that I could have this experience. There seems to be so many times in which I plot these extraordinary ideas and opportunities, but they don't pan out; something always gets in the way. I have begun to realize however, that the main obstacle getting in my way - is me. For whatever reason, I typically come to the conclusion that the ideas I dream up are out of reach. Instead, I stay in my comfort zone and walk along my merry way with continued doubt in my mind. Well, this time was different, and that's proven true because I am here sharing an amazing journey with people like me from all over the world.
With that being said, I'll get on with why I am describing my day with a "Wow". I signed up to go on a canoe trip around Lake Paijanne along with 10 others in the summer school program. We began around 10:00am and we were supposed to reach our destination by around noon at the latest. It turns out that I was one of only two people who had any canoeing experience whatsoever, which therefore basically resulted in a 3 1/2 hour excursion to the lodge where we would spend our day. The weather wasn't ideal in the beginning due to the very strong frontal winds. There were times when people became frustrated because it was hard to paddle, and then inside I felt a bit frustrated because we constantly had to stop and wait. However, all at once, my perspective changed. I paused for a moment, looked around me, and remembered exactly where I was. I was canoeing in Finland's second largest lake, surrounded by forestry, with a beautiful panoramic view of the city. It was breathtaking. Nothing else mattered.
We made it our lodge and were instructed to saw and chop wood for a fire and for the sauna. Bela, the tour guide, showed us to a huge pile of logs, gave us a saw and an axe, and let us be on our own. Most of the guys had experience using a saw, but I was the only one with wood-chopping experience. Now here's where you'd be really proud of me! I grabbed a log and the axe and hoped that I remembered the right technique so I wouldn't make a total fool of myself. I got a grip on the axe, stood in the proper stance, aimed for my target, and....CHOP...the log split right in two! YAY!! I felt like Lumber Jane!! All the guys were completely impressed and to be honest, I was too...although of course I acted as though I had been chopping wood my entire life...no big deal right? (My brothers will be nodding their head in approval right now...while hoping their baby sister couldn't actually out-skill them on such a "manly" task!) :)
Another great thing about working so hard at preparing for your own food and entertainment, is that you really enjoy and appreciate it! Once we ate lunch it was time for the best part of all...the sauna. Now, everyone reading this blog has most likely experienced a sauna of some kind. Maybe you visited one after a workout in the gym or in a swimming pool. Well, I guarantee you that it doesn't even come close to what I experienced today. The whole idea behind the sauna was started in Finland, probably due to the fact that they have such long, dark, harsh winters and needed a place to get warm. The typical Finnish sauna is in a little wooden building right on the lake. The typical behavior is to sit on a towel in the 100-degree sauna for about 15 minutes at a time, and then cool your body off in the lake for a few minutes, before returning to the sauna once again. This action is repeated 2 or 3 more times. There were 7 of us girls, and in the beginning we felt a bit awkward sitting in the small space, and we had trouble breathing because it was just so hot. After 15 minutes we walked out onto the dock that was attached to the cabin, and climbed into the 10-degree lake (Celcius!). The feeling of being just so uncomfortably hot, and then so cold that you can't breathe for a moment....is SUCH an invigorating feeling! I mean really, I can hardly find words to describe just how amazing it was! It was such a great bonding experience for us all as well! The best part is that this experience of the sauna is one of Finland's proudest customs, and today, 11 individuals from 10 different countries were able to share that experience together for the first time.
Most women say that after leaving the sauna they feel 10 years younger...so I guess that makes me 14 again. And for future reference, I know that when I get to the age where I feel as though I need face/body creams and products to make myself feel younger....that it's time to book a flight to Finland!
11:30pm...
Wow. That is the best word I can think to say after a day like today.
I am just so thankful that I have the opportunity to be in Jyvaskyla. I have been here for one week now and I am still in shock that everything really came together, so that I could have this experience. There seems to be so many times in which I plot these extraordinary ideas and opportunities, but they don't pan out; something always gets in the way. I have begun to realize however, that the main obstacle getting in my way - is me. For whatever reason, I typically come to the conclusion that the ideas I dream up are out of reach. Instead, I stay in my comfort zone and walk along my merry way with continued doubt in my mind. Well, this time was different, and that's proven true because I am here sharing an amazing journey with people like me from all over the world.
With that being said, I'll get on with why I am describing my day with a "Wow". I signed up to go on a canoe trip around Lake Paijanne along with 10 others in the summer school program. We began around 10:00am and we were supposed to reach our destination by around noon at the latest. It turns out that I was one of only two people who had any canoeing experience whatsoever, which therefore basically resulted in a 3 1/2 hour excursion to the lodge where we would spend our day. The weather wasn't ideal in the beginning due to the very strong frontal winds. There were times when people became frustrated because it was hard to paddle, and then inside I felt a bit frustrated because we constantly had to stop and wait. However, all at once, my perspective changed. I paused for a moment, looked around me, and remembered exactly where I was. I was canoeing in Finland's second largest lake, surrounded by forestry, with a beautiful panoramic view of the city. It was breathtaking. Nothing else mattered.
We made it our lodge and were instructed to saw and chop wood for a fire and for the sauna. Bela, the tour guide, showed us to a huge pile of logs, gave us a saw and an axe, and let us be on our own. Most of the guys had experience using a saw, but I was the only one with wood-chopping experience. Now here's where you'd be really proud of me! I grabbed a log and the axe and hoped that I remembered the right technique so I wouldn't make a total fool of myself. I got a grip on the axe, stood in the proper stance, aimed for my target, and....CHOP...the log split right in two! YAY!! I felt like Lumber Jane!! All the guys were completely impressed and to be honest, I was too...although of course I acted as though I had been chopping wood my entire life...no big deal right? (My brothers will be nodding their head in approval right now...while hoping their baby sister couldn't actually out-skill them on such a "manly" task!) :)
Another great thing about working so hard at preparing for your own food and entertainment, is that you really enjoy and appreciate it! Once we ate lunch it was time for the best part of all...the sauna. Now, everyone reading this blog has most likely experienced a sauna of some kind. Maybe you visited one after a workout in the gym or in a swimming pool. Well, I guarantee you that it doesn't even come close to what I experienced today. The whole idea behind the sauna was started in Finland, probably due to the fact that they have such long, dark, harsh winters and needed a place to get warm. The typical Finnish sauna is in a little wooden building right on the lake. The typical behavior is to sit on a towel in the 100-degree sauna for about 15 minutes at a time, and then cool your body off in the lake for a few minutes, before returning to the sauna once again. This action is repeated 2 or 3 more times. There were 7 of us girls, and in the beginning we felt a bit awkward sitting in the small space, and we had trouble breathing because it was just so hot. After 15 minutes we walked out onto the dock that was attached to the cabin, and climbed into the 10-degree lake (Celcius!). The feeling of being just so uncomfortably hot, and then so cold that you can't breathe for a moment....is SUCH an invigorating feeling! I mean really, I can hardly find words to describe just how amazing it was! It was such a great bonding experience for us all as well! The best part is that this experience of the sauna is one of Finland's proudest customs, and today, 11 individuals from 10 different countries were able to share that experience together for the first time.
Most women say that after leaving the sauna they feel 10 years younger...so I guess that makes me 14 again. And for future reference, I know that when I get to the age where I feel as though I need face/body creams and products to make myself feel younger....that it's time to book a flight to Finland!
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