Right now, and this may or may not change, Finland is not my favorite place to be. I’ve tried to achieve something (many somethings) that generated very positive responses in other countries but never here, and between that and the beyond abysmal healthcare – henceforth known as Burana Care thanks to the inimitable and super awesome @nobordersforbeauty – it might well be time to say goodbye / adios / farewell. I’m currently plotting a few things as I definitely have to be back in November 2024 for a big(ger) coup (all shall be revealed in due time). Since there’s a great chance I might be stuck here until at least then, I’ve decided to heed my own advice that I dish out to others and this, combined with the promise made to @nobordersforbeauty should make it at the very least more bearable to stay in Finland for as long as I have to. And finding three positive things about your environment shouldn’t be that hard to do.

The Promise

• Get a takeaway coffee from the local supermarket and take it on a tour around the neighborhood or / and to the library.
• Read at least two books between now and seeing family again. This would have been laughable in the past when I could easily devour two books in as many days, but depression tends to mess with the things you love most and I found that I can measure my state of depression by how many books I read and how quickly I read them.
• Go to the neighborhood library and spend some time there / check out some books and
• let a friendly librarian there know how much certain people love that place.
• Go to a regular hangout and have at least a coffee, if not lunch.
• Say hello to every dog I meet.

And Now For The Three Positive Things . . .

Absence of Snow

Many people I know come here for the snow. Some even plan their lives around it. After nearly two decades of being based in Finland, I’ve pretty much had it with the snow. I know this is absolutely not up to me and the weather gods have more than their say in this, but where snow is concerned these days I like it in December, around Christmas, and it can stay until mid-January. but after that I’d like the grayness back and the promise of spring around Valentine’s Day. November to me has always been a time to enjoy the gray, light some candles and enjoy the company of all those you love indoors or traipsing through the fallen leaves and admiring the landscape. So coming back to no snow and just that is an added bonus I am more than happy to embrace mind, body and soul.

Proximity to the Sea

It’s no secret, I love the sea. I come alive when I’m by the sea, the ocean even better. Forests are fine and beautiful, the mountains I used to love as a kid still mesmerize me with their beauty, and lakes are great. But when it comes to the hearing my heart and soul sing, nothing matches the sea. Something about the water and rocks and the promise of other parts of the world always manages to ease my mind when I go there. So even though I joke (or complain) about living in the forest and no longer in the city, I love that I can access the water so easily in under 20 minutes of walking. Then again, back where I used to live in Helsinki had the same proximity and better spots, but at least I have the water, so that’s something to be grateful for.

Preparing A Project

This is something I pushed myself into and will write about as soon as it happened, because I don’t want to jinx it. Suffice it to say that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone by doing something I always wanted to do but didn’t see how. Added bonus, the minute I told her, my good friend l@aini_b told me she’d fly up for the event. This is the life I always dreamed about, where you or your friends just hop on a plane to attend something you are a part of or just come for shits and giggles. Though admittedly, that’s one other reason I’d want to move back to a more western part of Europe, the ability to do just that. I miss hopping across the border just for fun.