Lapland: The Story of Skiing

This will be a bit more than just skiing. 

When we arrived we found that we had the best room. It was a loft with a dining room and kitchen. The view of Sweden was a nice touch.

Our room consisted of three americans, one german, a french, and a Ti

Friends for life.

do you see the trees in the distance. That's Sweden. 

Everyone would just hang out in eachothers room. Here is the French area, you can see JB cutting french sausage.

The first night we all rested and went to get our skies. We saw the giant hill we would be attacking come the next day break.

Dinner was held in an outdoor Sami (oraginal people) home

there was a cotten cand

The next day rolled around. We bundled up (decked out in our colors- Red, White, and Blue.) We hit the slopes.

So I went to the top.

This was one of the best and worst decision I have ever made. I am terrible at skiing. I spent the way down just falling. I give my cousins so much credit for this sport. My body ached for days afterwards.

But at the top. You could see for miles and miles. I took my skies off and just sat. We all did. You don't know what the color white means till  you go to the Arcitc. I listened to the song Holocene by Bon Iver. And if you have never heard that song or have not in a while, I urge you to listen to it. 

The breaze was cold but not freezing. And the Air was fresher than the Air ate the cabin.

We are so small compared to this world.

I fell all the way down that

We came back, saunaed, rolled in the snow. The usual.

That evening the local primary school put on a presentation for us of Finnish Dance. We are very lucky. 

we are one.

Concert and Isäpäivä

Saturday was spent at my High School here. There was a debate work shop, and if you know me I can argue and well speak English fluently. Therefore, I was asked to attend. It went well and I was the official "bell ringer" during the final debate. The debate was just really awesome because I was able to hang with some fins.

Afterwards I rushed home, changed, and went and met up with Kirsi. Her and her husband treated me to a lovely dinner and then the Live Final of a famous Finnish TV show, "We want more." It is about all the old bands which broke up and this show was suppose to bring them back together. I was at the final concert.

It was such an amazing experience (sadly my phone died.. resulting in no pictures.) But the immensity of the event still stuns me. The concert was feeding live to TVs all over finland and I was there. I was treated to some finnish licorice. I came home to have a small snack of food from the care package.

Sunday was Father's Day here. My family and I went to this expo things about farm animals. I was not expecting to be so excited, because well, I lived on a farm my whole life. But when we  walked in, it smelled like the Fair Grounds. It brought back memories of 2 dollar snow cones and late nights in the barn. I thought of the dreaded hay days and of how I use to ride my horses till it was dark. The horses. Walking in I saw a horse trailer and I got the biggest grin. We went to see the horses first! My family takes such good care of me here. There were cows and chickens. Things which I took for granted back home, and sometimes even hated, I was getting excited over and taking pictures of! 

Brittney! these things kept us awake so many nights

they are watching a cow show, just like the ones at the fair

sheep herding 

my favorite lady and some mushroom soup

turn around and you see laplanders

We came home to enjoy some finnish pizza. Mhh pineapple!

Hyvää Isäpäivää