Sun, skiing and pancakes

The sun was shining in the bright blue sky when we woke up - a perfect start for our vacation. I had my very special breakfast that I always have before skiing, porridge and coffee :D The weather was just awesome so we quickly put our skiing gear on and left for the skiing tracks.

Unfortunately, one pair of the skis that we had was terrible for this weather. I decided to take the challenge and skied with that pair for most of the way even though those skis constatly kept slipping on the tracks. Going uphill was.. ehm.. interesting :D So a stop after 7km of slipping was more than welcome.

We sat for a while in a cozy little cafe and had pancakes and coffee :P There was even some band performing there! My legs had started hurting a bit from all the slipping but I still skied for some 2 km after the break before switching with mom.

Hopefully that lousy pair of skis can be taken care of so that we have a better luck with it tomorrow. I'm not putting those skis on unless there's some improvement to them :D

We're here!

Yesterday afternoon two happy girls had some cookies and hot chocolate at an airport lounge in Helsinki while they were waiting for their flight to leave for Kittilä. Despite some inconveniencies during the flight - babies crying like it's the end of the world and little kids screaming and running around the plane - the girls later landed safely at the airport of Kittilä. They hopped into a taxi and soon reached the skiing resort of Levi, tired but anxiously looking forward to the week filled with winter sports and a little bit of after ski ;)

Preparing for Levi

I know I've shared this information here a thousand times already, but we're soon heading off to Levi for a week soon and I can't wait! One more week and we're there :) Whoop whoop! Even though we will be mostly doing cross-country skiing, I'm taking the gear for downhill skiing with me as well. Me and my sis will conquer the mountains! ;)

Zell am See, Austria 2011

The fast & the furious taking a break ;)

I've been browsing through some old pictures from our skiing trip in Austria in 2011 and really have the urge now for speed and excitement now too. The slopes at Levi won't be nothing compared to the ones in Zell am See, but I'm sure we'll have lots of fun there too. Also, while looking at these pictures, I realized something... I have no clue where that skiing gear is! :D

This gear - wanted!

I searched through the whole apartment, called my mom, sis and dad and was finally able to locate the snow pants and the jacket. My dad had them in his storage for some reason, all I need to do is to go get them asap. I've had this set for years already but I'm secretly dreaming about a new set...

Peak Performance

This collage that I just created has exactly the right elements that I'm seeking after in a perfect skiing outfit. Bright colors, yet simple and laid-back. I don't think I've ever been a fan of patterns or multi-colored jackets or pants, but combining two bright colors would do the trick for me.

Fur hats

I'd also love to have a white fur hat for skiing and I've been looking for it for a long time already. The ones above give some kind of an impression of what I have in mind, but are not even close to the real deal. My dream hat would be all-white; white leather and white fur. I think L might even have a picture of me from Montreal trying that kind of a beauty on :) Sadly, I left it in the store back then...

Anyway, now that the old set was found, I'll be all set for the trip! Wohoo!

Ankle boot cravings

Along with the sunshine and an exceptionally warm weather in February (!!), I have realized that shoe-wise I'm not prepared for the spring. At all. My collection of shoes is heavily focused on winter boots and summer heels, but there's nothing for the seasons in between. I had a pair of brown ankle boots that  I really liked, they looked like skates in the front and had a wedge heel. But they were a bit uncomfortable on and after the heels got completely trashed, I had to throw them away - there were huge cracks in the shoes' heels :))

So this is something that I've been dreaming about lately. Way too expensive for my budget at the moment, but hey, a girl can always have dreams. Shoe dreams ;)

Henri Lloyd Trentham Chelsea Boot

Yesterday I came across with a competition in a blog that I occasionally read. I usually always skip these kind of commercial posts and don't even read them, but this one really catched my eye. It said that the winner gets 200€ gift to an online shoe store so this time had to participate :)) Those Henri Lloyd ankle boots would quickly find their way to a new home if I won the competition... ;)

Skiing camp

Warning: this post is about cross-country skiing only, so skip it if you don't give a rat's ass about the sport :D

Skiing is a tough sport and requires practicing - if you're not doing it for fun only, like I used to. For me, cross-country skiing has always been a fun sport, but I was always more drawn to downhill skiing. I guess it was the speed and excitement that just took over me ;) The view from the top of a mountain is just breath-taking and there are also many other activities that you can do there. After-ski, for example ;) lol.

But to get back to cross-country skiing, I think it was in 2009 that something changed. We traveled to Lapland with my mom and her better half and skied there for a week. We went for long skiing trips, longer than I've ever been to and I think I kind of took those trips as a challenge and wanted to learn to ski well. Not just for fun, but learn how to do it for the joy of the sport itself and the exercise, of course. During that week, I went downhill skiing by myself too, but it was a bit boring since I had no company. I think it was there and then that I realized how much fun cross-country skiing can also be. Long trips on the mountains, beautiful views there too, and hot juice for breaks :P Since then, I have been been skiing more and the last couple of years have been great in terms of the sport.

This winter I have been practicing a lot more than ever before and actually feel like there has been some progress. So far I've been skiing along "easier routes" (no hills :D) in Helsinki and on challenging tracks at our cottage in Vierumäki - there are a lot of tracks in the forest that are taken really good care of! I have already noticed that with this practicing, 1-4 times a week, I can now ski for longer without feeling like I'm gonna faint soon :D Also, I have improved my technique quite a bit and understand more about the maintenance of skis and how the weather affects their functionality. There are a lot of things to improve still, but I'm eager to learn more :)

So here I am, at our cottage in Vierumäki again. I have practically spent the days on skis, practicing, which is smart considering our upcoming skiing trip in Lapland in March. I have to be ready for longer routes and challenging tracks ;)

Tuesday: 10km in the morning and 10km in the evening

My new Madshus skis

The 10 km in the morning were like having glue in the bottom of my skis. My brand new zero skis! Ugh. They're meant for a warmer weather, but the temperature had dropped too low and I should have had my regular skis with me. Anyway, it was tough and I was exhausted when we got back to the cottage.

The right skis for -5C weather

In the evening another pair of regular skis worked like magic. We literally flew on the skiing tracks, it was so much fun! Me and my mom were supposed to go only for a short trip, but ended up skiing for another 10km :)

Back at the cottage after our second round of the day

Wednesday: 15km + an awesome sunny weather

No need for titles, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves ^___^

On Wednesday we had such a luck with the weather! It was all bright and sunny and the skis that I had were perfect for that weather. No slipping, but the skis slided on the tracks like dream. We decided to take a different route than before, and skied 7,5km along it, turned and skied back the same way.

Thursday: 22km + slipping and falling down on my face a couple of times :D

On our way to Heinola

A hut for skiers and hikers to have a cup of coffee in

Never forget the hot juice ;)

View to a frozen lake

No horsepower on the skiing tracks :')

Half way of the "Lynx route"!

Today I was impressed, me and my mom skied 22km! Whoop whoop! We took the "Lynx route" from Vierumäki to Heinola, 11km there and back. I had to face a couple of minor accidents on the way (falling down on my face), but survived with just a few bruises and a tummy hurting out of laughter :)) Well, I'll learn some day.. :D

Tomorrow we're leaving, but are probably gonna go skiing one more time in the morning. Nothing too long, since our legs are still hurting from all the previous trips ;) So let's see if I can survive this "camp" and learn a little something again for the upcoming trip to Lapland.

Winter Fool

Hmmh.. I guess I should have been honest already in the heading and  talk about a freak instead of a fool. I don’t know what’s gotten into me this year, but at the moment I’m really into winter sports and all outdoor activities – this has reached a whole other level compared to the past years. I’ve always been a fan of the cold seasons, yes, and can’t wait for the summer to be over (crazy, I know), but this year I’ve been just as excited as this fat little fellow.

Tali

The picture above is taken at the Tali golf course (golf course!) and I’ve been skiing the very same route many times already. Each and every time that I pass by these views, I really feel like taking pictures, but the sports freak in me never let me stop. Except for the last time that we were there. And boy am I happy I did stop for a few pics :)

We even had a bit of sun!

Birch a nice little layer of frost

Willows

Frosty frosting

Ehm.. thistles? Boy am I learning new words here or what? :D

Sis & mom skiing

In addition to this everyday winter craziness, I also have some bigger plans ahead that I’m anxiously looking forward to. Me, my sis, my mom and er better half are heading to the skiing resort in Levi, Lapland in March, just before my birthday. There will be a lot of cross-country skiing in our schedule, but in addition to that a little bit of something else too ;)

My precious <3

Oh yes! I got new gear for downhill skiing! Can’t wait to give them a try <3 These were actually bought from an online auction site, and the seller described the set as ”a pretty little package for the junior in your family” :D lol. It’s all pink and purple, but I don’t mind – they’re mine and suitable for skiing :)

Challenge

I was challenged by a friend to share 10 facts about myself, answer her 10 questions and come up with 10 new questions to challenge others.

So first, the 10 facts about myself:

1. When I’m picking a movie to watch, I usually always want to watch a horror movie. The ones with efffd up people are the scariest, but other wackos like the walking dead and inbred mutants do the trick for me as well. Once the movie starts, though, I always whine that it was a really, really bad choice to get a horror movie and suddenly a comedy would seem like a waaay better option :D

2. When I’m eating rye bread and no one’s around, I tend to put butter on both sides of the bread :D lol!!

3. I didn’t have a TV in 4,5 years after moving on my own, and even though I have one now (and am totally hooked on a finnish soap opera Salatut Elämät), I’m sure I could easily cope without.

4. I am totally incapable of playing soccer. It’s like I have two left feet or something.

5. I can’t go anywhere without music. I always have an iPod or my phone with the Spotify app with me so that I can listen to my favorite tracks anywhere I go.

6. Continued from the previous fact. I see myself as some sort of a music freak. I think of Spotify as a part of my ”online profile” (in addition to the things that I share and publish in fb etc) and I am very specific about the playlists that I publish. Also, every single track on my lists is chosen carefully and I might listen to dozens of new songs before adding anything on my playlists.

7. I love red wine and I always order it when I’m eating out – no matter whether the main course is seafood or meat.

Dinner with a friend

8. I guess this is no surprise to anyone who knows me but I’ve been a HIM fan ever since I can remember.

9. I am planning to go hiking in Lapland to see the beauty of fall colors in their full glory again.

10. As a child I was always trying to find new ways to set up a ”business” of my own, but got fed up with my ideas quickly. It all began with apple chips that my grandpa used to make. I wanted to commercialize his great idea so I put the chips in self-made colorful bags and went to sell them at a market. My goal was to earn money so that I could buy a waffle iron and start selling waffles :) At that time in the 90’s, nobody was interested in apple chips and of course, I got bored soon and started to sell a cartoon magazine instead. But hell, they actually sell apple chips in stores now!! :)) I guess the world just wasn't ready back in the days..

Then to Coco’s questions :)

1. If you didn’t study the subject that you do at the moment, what would you study?

In addition to this so called business sense of mine (lol), my childhood dream was to become a reporter and even in high school I was still wondering whether to follow that career path or not. I was thinking of either studying marketing at Aalto University School of Business or communications at the University of Helsinki. After long talks with friends and family, I realized that it’s marketing that really is my calling. Marketing communications, to be more specific J

So if I now was forced to choose differently, it would be communications, no doubt aboutit. I’m sure it would have been a good option for me too, and I probably could have combined the two interests in the future anyway :)

2. What’s your strength?

Hmmh, this is a bit of a delicate issue, because I’m revealing my ”skills” right here and right now. I love to write and that’s what I think I’m good at. This blog, however, is merely a hobby and I don’t consider these posts as good evidence of what Ican do. This blabbering about shoes, sports and whatever nonsense is just for fun and keeping in touch with L :) It’s all very casual and shallow, plus, I’m not writing in my native language. In Finnish, expressing myself in writing would be on a whole other level.

3. How would you like to develop your skills?

This one isalso gonna be related with writing. I think my grammar is on a pretty good level when writing in my native language, but I would like to improve my skills both in Finnish and in English. It’s an ongoing process :) Let’s just say that punctuation in both and the (excessive) use of the definite article in English need some fine-tuning :)

4. What’s the best music for working out?

This really depends on what I’m doing. If it’s jogging, I usually listen to some kind of instrumental dance music, old and new. I did a lot of jogging last spring in Ireland, and listened non-stop to Levels by Avicii and many tracks by Armin van Buuren. For a gym workout, it has to be something rough, preferably hard rock or even metal. Lately I’ve been listening to Bullet for My Valentine and Prodigy a lot. Oh! One exception though - for some reason, I’ve also been listening to old Finnish electronic dance music by Waldo's People at the gym too (??) :D Ohh the 90's... Cross-country skiing is something that I do completely without music and just enjoy the nature, but for downhill skiing I always have music with me.

At the gym with mom :)

5. If you started a new sports hobby, what would you choose?

Lately I’vebeen crazy about Body Combat classes – that kind of workout just makes me feel so energetic and full of power! :D I know that there are many things I could improve in my technique and I’ve been thinking of participating those combat mentoring sessions that they provide us at my fitness center. Since I already have this spark for the sport, I could imagine myself starting with Thai boxing, kickboxing or some other martial art.

6. What kind of an advice would you give to the 17-year-old yourself?

I wouldn’t change anything that’s happened so I’d just say trust your instinct but have the courage to take chances.

7. Have youset some sports-related goals that you wish to achieve?

I think I’mpretty much the same as the majority of women – I’d always like to be more fit and a little thinner :D This is also an ongoing project in my life. I do sports 3-5 times a week and try to keep a balance between aerobic and weight training exercise. I go to fitness classes and to the gym, ski, jog and occasionally also play tennis and badminton. One specific target that I have is to get those ”abs” back that I’ve had :D

8. Is there any sports equipment you could not cope without?

I’m not exactly the type who’s obsessed about sports gear. I don’t even have a proper drinking bottle, I just grab whatever bottle’s at hand (coke, spring water) when I hit the gym. Also, my favorite top for working out is and old piece that I have borrowed (stolen) from my sis a long time ago :D Some day I will buy a nice sports bag made of genuine leather. It has to look classy enough so that I can take it with me whatever I’m wearing, but be big enough so that I can easily make everything fit in. That kind of a bag would be so practical that I bet I couldn’t cope without after acquiring one.

9. Why do you blog?

The reason is already written in the side bar of my blog: ”I met one of my best friends in 2009 during my exchange in Mannheim, Germany. We keep in touch as much as we can, but decided to set up blogs in order to better share the silly little things that we have in common”. So that’s how it got started, but I guess today there are other people reading my posts more actively. I’ve been thinking about starting a new blog that I’d write in Finnish, but so far the idea hasn’t lead to any action. Since this blog doesn’t really have a specific theme, I have a hard time thinking that I could come up with something smart to blog about in Finnish either :D

L. <3

10. Could you quit drinking coffee?

I’m such a coffeeholic that it would literally be a pain to quit on coffee. If I don’t get my daily dosis of caffeine, I tend to get a headache, just like my grandmom does. This addiction runs in the family :D But of course, if I was told that drinking coffee would be bad for my health, I would quit right away.

Here are the 10 questions that I came up with and I challenge Laura and L.

1. What music are you obsessed about at the moment?

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

3. What new language would you like to learn?

4. What’s your biggest dream at the moment?

5. How do you like your eggs? (lol)

6. You just won the first prize in a competition organized by a large traveling agency. You get to take your best friend with you and travel to whatever destination you wish. Where would you go and why? How would your friend’s preferences affect the choice of the destination?

7. What would you cook for a dream date?

8. What’s your relationship like with chocolate?

9. Light or dark shades in nail polish? Why?

10. Let’s say you’re going out with your friends next weekend. What kind of an outfit would you put together?

So girls, give me 10 facts about yourselves, answer my question and come up with 10 new ones to challenge others. 

Good luck with the new questions! I had a hard time thinking of what to ask (eggs...) :D