A slice of life on the other side

Greetings from the other side.

This is my second attempt at writing this blog post after the first one mysteriously disappeared somewhere into the ether. I blame my computer, though I am guessing the real answer lies somewhere between that and me still learning how this whole blogging thing works. Oh well, let's try this again! :)

Yesterday I took it upon myself to do some yard work around the house. A lot of that time was spent cutting down and uprooting rowans, which grow in abundance here. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against rowans, but they are so plentiful, especially the saplings, that I kinda need to keep their numbers in check a bit. After a few hours of work I have only gone through about 1/5 of the area I was planning to go through. There is really no rush though, as I have the rest of summer and autumn in which to do it in, so there's no use stressing about it. :)

Stress is one of those things that I take seriously. Having suffered from stress-related issues before, I have learned the importance of trying not to stress too much, especially over things you have little or no control over. I am only human however, so that doesn't always work according to plan, but what is important is that I try to affect the amount of stress when I can at least.

I have found that working outside, in this beautiful part of Finland, being surrounded by natural surroundings, is very calming and peaceful, and gives a sense of serenity in the midst of the, sometimes, hard work. It can sometimes almost be a meditative experience of sorts. Working outside in the sun yesterday for a few hours, really did wonders, and it was such a nice feeling of accomplishment afterwards. Not the kind you get after coming home after a full day's work, but something that comes out of knowing that what I do improves things around the homestead, for my gf and I. That is a very nice feeling. I find that, in general, working outside is preferable to working inside. You feel much closer to the world somehow, and you get to be out in the fresh air. Of course, it is one thing to say that now, in the midst of summer, and quite another one when winter comes. But in general I quite enjoy being outside.

Speaking of being outside, I have found myself realizing just how similar it is here compared to back home in Sweden. The natural scenery looks the same, and it is only really when you look at the prices of things, or see signs in finnish or hear someone speaking finnish that you realize that you have crossed the border. It is ok though. I like finnish, even though I don't speak it. I guess it comes from my love of languages in general. I also really like the dialect of the swedish-speaking population here. To some degree I think it brings out more of my own dialect from back home as well. :)

See you all on the other side!