'Finnishing' up in Finland

Well, there is only one week left of my stay here in Suonenjoki. In fact I just spent my last weekend here and it was somewhat of a sad realization. I have really, really liked my stay here. Despite being in an incredibly small township, I have enjoyed the people, the activities and most of all, I have been completely overcome by the breath-taking nature that surrounds me here.

I have loved the lifestyle I have created for myself. Everyday there is something active to do and because the weather is so spectacular all the time, I am always outdoors enjoying mother nature at her grandest. Mondays we walk in the forest or canoe down the river nearby, Tuesdays and Thursdays are kickboxing days, Wednesdays we have orienteering or gym in the park, and Fridays are for relaxing and berry-picking.

I absolutely love the outdoors. When it's raining or when the sun is shining, there is beauty everywhere. And when it's windy, well, it is like having your very own eco-friendly air-conditioner, cooling you down as well as clearing the air of pesky insects. I have literally done everything outside this summer: reading, sleeping, eating, swimming. I have picked strawberries, blueberries and cloudberries by the buckets. I am very sad that I won't be able to have this lifestyle for very much longer and that I may never have such a lifestyle again. In the big city you do not get the peace and tranquility you do in the middle of a mature forest.

But now is not a time for mourning. If anything, though I had neither any ground-breaking personal revelations nor very much professional development on this trip, I have taken with me a great sense of appreciation for the opportunities I have had up until now and for the life I have been given. I realize now how lucky I am that things have turned out the way they have. I am just so lucky it blows my socks off. I am just so very lucky and so so very grateful.