Week 3: Northern Lights , Sauna, and Venice

---

So much has happened since my last blog entry!



I am still so tired from my trip to Italy but I figured that if I don't document some of my adventures soon it will be too late, so here we go.

The week/weekend before I left for Venice was relatively relaxing. I spent most of the weekend getting to know my host family better. Arja had her run that I mentioned in the last blog post so I used her run as an opportunity to finally explore Jyvaskyla since I now have a bike and the weather was so beautiful that day! It was really fun riding around the lake and going to the check points for the run. I took a few pictures of the largest lake in Jyvaskyla which are attached to this blog. When I met with Arja the morning before her run, I happened to mention that I enjoy paddling the river and she invited me to go paddling her and Juha the next day! So on Sunday, Arja and I went paddling around the lake and Juha met us at our destination where he built a small fire and we roasted sausages and drank coffee. It was so nice! It was possibility our last opportunity to do something like that before the weather turned and I'm very glad we did, since today it started to snow. I didn't think this would happen until December. Needless to say, it's unpleasant and cold. Maybe I will come home afterall.



That weekend, I spent two nights chasing the Northern Lights. They were forecast to be in our area and of course, being the tourists we are, we had to at least try to see them. Friday night, I dont think we got high enough because we only barely saw them. From our view they mostly looked like clouds but with Lukas' camera, he was able to capture some of the green light. It was really exciting even though it wasn't all that I had hoped for. The next night, I went hiking up some hill outside of Jyvaskyla with my roommate Linda and some other internationals, trying to see the lights. Unfortunately by that night, they were no longer appearing in Central Finland. The lights are sporadic and it is hard to predict for sure when they will appear and where. Regardless, I am glad we took our chances and tried because I would feel a bit like failure if I hadn't. Also, it was nice bonding experience for me and my roommate. On the way up the hill, I of course tripped and fell on my face (give me some credit, it was dark). After getting back up and walking a bit further, I realized that I had dropped my kanteen when I fell. As many of you know, I have an unnatural attachment to this kanteen and so I was very afraid I wouldn't find it on the way back but luckily, because I fell so early in the hike, it was very easy to pinpoint where it was and we found it! If that kanteen could talk. It has been left so many places. I think it would tell me

On Monday, I had my first sauna experience! I really enjoy going to sauna, especially when it is cold. Basically we just sit together and drink beer and it feels so good. It's really relaxing and it is a nice thing to do while passing time with friends. I am going to describe my experience with sauna because I know that all of my friends back home are a little curious how it works. This is not at all something we participate in back home. My first experience was with the international students who are obviously not all from Finland so we were in mixed gender groups and we were wearing our swimsuits. I also brought Pusheen along to this gathering. He does not like sauna so much. It's a little unpleasant when you're covered in fur. The next time that I participated in going to the sauna, I went to the Communications student get together and I went with mostly finnish students who are much more versed in practicing sauna than internationals. I had a good feeling that I would now be experiencing real sauna (stark naked sitting in a small steamy room) and I was right! The difference is that when you go to public sauna, where traditionally you are not wearing clothing, you are seperated by gender. I was actually just really excited to go to sauna like the Finns do and didn't really have a problem with it. Generally, I just really enjoy sauna and find it very comfortable and relaxing. Finally Finland, you delivered what you promised me.





I had two short days of school last week before I headed off to Venice! Many times before I left, Rachel and Bridget mentioned that I should meet them in Italy and I kind of just put it in the back of mind because while it sounded really cool, I didn't know how realistic it would be to swing that so early after arriving in Finland. Then I got here and realized that it is so much cheaper to travel once you are already in Europe! I discovered this mysteriously cheap airline called Ryanair and booked my tickets for Italy! I put barely any thought into what Italy would be like or what I would do there. I really only had gelato and wine on the brain before leaving Jyvaskyla. I think I was too busy taking in what was happening around here to think about Italy. I think this ended up being a blessing because when I arrived in Italy, Venice more specifically, I was mesmerized. Thinking so little about what Venice was like, made it even more beautiful. What a fantastic city! I really want to bring my family there. I think this is a country that would suit them very well. Beyond just the wine and the delicious food; the people I encountered while I was there were so kind and the streets are so fun to explore! I am forever indebted to Rachel and Bridget's family; Uncle Mike, Aunt Mary Ellen, Cliff, and Alyssa. They were wonderful hosts and I had such a pleasant time with them. After they all left, I had one night in Venice on my own where I stayed in a hostel for the time! It was the cutest little hostel and I met some other travelers there. If you are ever in Venice, I recommend L'Imbarcadero. That night, I went back to the place where we had previously gotten gigantic beers and there I got another one of those of course, and ate some traditional Italian food. While I was sitting at the restaurant it started to storm and it was so amazing! Being from Oregon, I really enjoy the rain but even more, I enjoyed watching people begin to run to their destinations and hurriedly purchase umbrellas. After dinner, I went back to Piazza San Marco and went to a small Opera performance. Before I left, my little Erica told me to sing in Italy and while I was not going to do that, she made me think that attending an Opera performance might be a really valuable way to spend my night there. Of course she was right and it was beautiful and it made me miss her very much.





Earlier that day in Venice, I had one of the best experiences of my life. That may seem like an overstatement but it isn't at all. I finally found a small gelato place that crafted their own gelato. It was a little more expensive than the chain places that you can easily find all over Venice but I thought it was worth it. After I had picked up this delicious gelato with my favorite flavor combination, caramel and coffee, I found a small, well-kept square that was entirely empty except for a fluffy, orange cat. It is rare to find a quiet, solitary space in Venice but the best part was the cat that let me come right up to it and pet it. It was one of those cats too that just want to cuddle you and rub you with their face. It was seriously one of the best things. Sitting there in peace, eating gelato, and petting this cat that I swear to God smelt like it had been bathed. Thank you Venice. I needed that.





Don't tell Pusheen.



The next day I went to Milan where I window shopped for hours. While I was doing that I also got "I Wanna Be A Millionaire" stuck in my head. Appropriate I think. That night after I checked into my hostel, I decided to come back to Duomo (the giant beautiful cathedral) and see what was going on. Milan is basically dead until 7 PM. The sun goes down and the place explodes. There were people everywhere! At one point, I was walking and I passed a gelato shop with a huge line. While, I can easily get gelato in Italy anywhere, I figured there must be something special about this place, so I just got into line. This was a great choice! Once I was inside the building, I could see reviews of the place written on one wall and so I knew I had made the right choice getting in line. After a bit of a wait, I recieved the best gelato of my life with a swirl of nutella on top. Curiousity didn't kill anyone. It fed them gelato.



After getting this delicious cone I went back to Piazza del Duomo where something was happening. It was a gigantic choir singing with hundreds of people watching in front of the cathedral. I still can't tell you exactly what it was, or why it was happening, but it was really cool to come across and I was so happy to find it!



All in all, I can mark Italy as a success.



Then of course there was the taxi, and the bus, and the airplane, and the bus, and the train to get back to my temporary home. After traveling early in the morning for a couple of days (I took the train from Venice to Milan, stayed the night, then caught my plane in Milan) I finally arrived back in Finland and after going the WHOLE trip without losing a thing... I left my sleeping bag on the train. I can't even express how angry I was with myself but this is who I am. I should just get used to it. Despite that last little set back, I am so happy to be back in my room with Pusheen and more than one pair of pants. It is also nice to be back with friends who I can share my experiences with!



I think that is all that I had to share with all of you and I hope to have more to tell next week!

It's getting cold and I am beginning to miss you. All of you.

I send my love to Oregon.



I hope to receive your love in return.



Hannah





Also!



Here are some of Lukas' wonderful videos! They document our experiences here very well!

---