Finland

At the beginning of October, I'm taking a solo trip to an island in the Finnish archipelago (between Stockholm and Turku) for a work exchange program at a hotel run by a lovely mother/daughter duo. Basically, I get to work to earn my keep, which is perfect because I love doing manual labor, and I love to feel helpful, and I get to do it in an incredibly beautiful place.

I'm getting there the fast way: plane to Stockholm (via London), another plane to Åland, spend the night in Mariehamn, a bus the next morning, then a ferry to a different island, and then a taxi or car to the hotel. I would prefer the slow way: plane to Stockholm > overnight ferry to Åland > bus > ferry > taxi. But the timing of my arrival in Stockholm makes it impossible to take the overnight ferry.

I've had a tough year, and I've been dreaming of a place where I could lose myself in nature for a little while. Ro and I went to Finland this time a couple of years ago - probably my favorite trip I've ever taken - and a friend of mine at the time told me about this hotel and said that if I were ever back in Finland, I had to go there. So, I am going there. I had no idea they had a work exchange program though, so that's lucky break for me.

When we were in Finland before, we stumbled upon the Mujejärvi Nature Reserve in North Karelia, which is a place I think about all the time. The hike starts higher up and makes its way down to a lake, and a shelter where someone had left materials for making a campfire. We were the only people around. We built a little fire, ate our lunch, and marveled at the beauty around us. What a place.

I'm taking a new journal, a book, and a set of travel watercolors, though I don't know anything about watercolors. I'm sure I'll do some writing from there and share some of it, and some photos, here.