Full speed ahead!

I don't know what's gotten into me. Maybe it's this autumn, my favourite time of the year, or the fact that I've finally recovered of that heartincident and -surgery I had more than year ago. Or maybe it's both! In anycase, it seems like nothing can stop me now. I'm full of energy and ideas and am super-excited about everything! I'm working on a contemporary art-project with my classmates, and I'm dreaming of my own artexhibition. I'm also working on on my thesis; my longtime product design-project, that hopefully someday will turn into a product that I can sell. Then there are some prints and patterns and stuff that I want to take to Heimtextil-fair in Frankfurt next spring. And have I mentioned that I'm dreaming of doing my practical training abroad? All that and some other stuff too, it feels like I was hyper! In the evenings I can't get sleep for all the ideas are running amok in my head. I guess I'm trying to catch up after holding back for a year.

I'm still attending my psychotherapy sessions every week, atleast till the end of this year. Only now, instead of going through the incidents and feelings of past year, I'm working on on my future, and am very happy about that. Also, I met my cardiologist in helsinki few weeks ago, and he said that everything was ok, and that we can now slowly start reducing my medication. Who would have known that recovering can take this long??

Inspiring autumn to you all!

Tiina

A lucky heart!

Alive and feeling damn good!

The summer is officially over, and so is my holiday too. And I can tell, it must have been the best summer for years! I doubt if I've had such a good time in years and never in such a short period of time have I realised that I can do so many (crazy) things if I only try. I travelled, I hitchhiked. I spent time with my friends and family, I spent time on my own. I met new people, I made new friends. I felt good and healthy, I challenged myself and succeeded. I'm so happy about my summer, that instead of working or practical training, I'm going to spend next summer on a holiday as well.

One of the best parts of my holiday was that hiking trip to Koli with other heart young and -adults. I remember I had just gotten out of hospital in the mid of June and was on my way home from Helsinki when I enrolled to that meeting. I felt so broken and weak after that horrible May (read here, here and here) I wasn't sure if I can hike at all. But I enrolled anyway, as soon as I could, for I had been waiting for that trip since last november. And luckily I got better during the summer.  Physically the Koli trip was a bit trying but it was so easy to be there with other likehearted. I didn't need to explain myself to anyone if I needed to take a breather. Neither was I left alone in the end of the line puffing, but someone was always there with me. And we catched our breath, laughed, took a picture and continued hiking. We hiked bit over seven kilometres on the rocks and hills of Koli on one day. Some hiked about ten kilometres, but I was pleased with my seven. We also got to crawl and climb through the longest natural cave in Finland, tried running on water in a Zorba-ball and swam in the lake Pielinen. I and other two of us also attended a clown jump competition in the Koli harbour. During the trip I had truly realised that I regret things I didn't do more than things I've done. So by the end of Saturday I was quite exhausted and extremely happy, for I had tried everything possible. Except eating worms.

The Koli trip was a home run. There were twenty of us, aged between 15 and 49. Some of us had attended Synja-meetings before, others attended for the first time. My first time in a Synja-meeting last November was very important to me, and I hope that those who attended for the first time at Koli, catched the same feeling of peer support, understanding and sharing as I did back then.

-Tiina

Some photos from Koli, all taken by Ville Ikkala. Many thanks to the photographer =)

At the top of Ukko Koli

The lakeshore in the evening

The woods of Koli

The cave Pirunkirkko

Ready for the Repokallio-cave challenge

Group of congenitally heart defected people climbing another set of stairs =)

Peer support. I love this picture

Holiday break

Phew..I hope no-one has held their breath while waiting for my post.. Sorry for that. It's been quiet here lately,  mainly because I'm on a holiday, traveling, and I don't have proper acces to the internet while on the road. Also I've felt lazy on blogwise..

I'm going to be offline yet another month, till school starts again. Untill then I wish you all a sunny and relaxing summer!

-Tiina

Sleeping under a rosebush

I've been out quite a lot, on long walks around Neulamäki. The weather isn't quite warm enough for a swim, so I go out and walk.It's amazing how good it makes me feel, to walk in the nature and sit by the lake shore, listening to the wind, smelling the roses and watching the birds. I could spend days like that. If there wasn't mosquitos.

Little ducklings at Tervaruukki in Neulamäki

Herra Sammakko

Dog roses near the hospital

 

 

Imagine being very little and living under a rosebush where the petals would fall on you like giant snowflakes..

Lakeshore near Kuopio university

I really like Kuopio in summer time. It's a laidback little town, where you're never far from the water. 

-Tiina

Sunny beach

Yesterday was a real holiday. I might as well have been in Fuengirola (hugs Heta!) except that I was here, in Kuopio!

I woke up in the morning when my friend called and asked if I wanted to go to the beach. I had a quick breakfast, packed my things and took a bus to town, where I met Ida. Before heading to Vänäris' beach we spent a little time on the market square, checking the stands. We bought some fresh strawberries and peas and bunch of other stuff for lunch. After winning a bag full of brochures from some Finnish Design-stand, my hands were so full of bags and stuff that it felt like I was going to set up a camp on the beach. Ida had also won a bag full of brochures, but she had had better scores than I so she also had some sweets in her gift bag.

It was really hot and once we arrived to the beach I was all ready for a swim, but didn't dare yet. Instead we chatted for a while, munched some strawberries and peas and bathed in the sun. Finally I had to go and take a dip in the lake. The water was much colder than I had expected! Maybe I had forgotten how cold the water was, for I hadn't swim last summer at all because the scars were only healing. Well, atleast it was refreshing, though I couldnt stay long.

Me and Ida with our camping gears

At the harbour there were a bunch of nice... boats

We spent the whole day on the beach and before we left we played Pölli in the park, where it was bit shadier. Ida won both rounds before we quit. We walked back to town through the harbour and on our way we decided to have something to eat at Amarillo. I was dreaming of going to the wine festival in the harbour, where there would be lots of good food and wines, but the entrance-fee was too expensive. So we settled for Amarillo. After stuffing ourselves there, we decided to have another drink on  some terrace before going home.

At home my feet were aching like on a real vacation =)

-Tiina

Travel plans

This was ment to be automatically published a week ago, but somehow it didn't. Well, here it is now, though some of my plans have already changed.

June is almost over and  the rest of my summer looks quite busy. Or maybe busy isn't the right word. You're busy when you have lots of things to do that you don't want to do. And I most certainly want to do all the things I've written in my calendar. And to do all those things, I have to travel back and forth through Finland from north to south. 

I´m gonna spent couple of weeks in Kuopio, get therapized and tanned, relax and meet friends. Then I´m heading to Revonlahti, to stay at my friend Johannas' place, a lovely, old, little cottage with little electricity and no running water. Then I could  finally meet her horses, and  pat them and feet them carrots. Maybe even try riding a horse, who knows? From Revonlahti, it's not long till Oulu where I could loiter a while with the same plan as in Kuopio, before heading further north, back to Ivalo. Just in time for the Watercross, Rock@Ivalo-Sity (yes, thats how it's written up here) and Jukka Poikas' concert. After recovering from that,    I'm going to Pyhä with Johanna, to dig up some amethysts and see Pyhä Unplugged. Johanna told me the place, Pyhä Kuru is worth seeing and hearing. A huge bowl of rocks in the middle of fells. I'm mainly interested in the amethystmine. From Pyhä, my pockets filled with precious stones, I guess I head back to Kuopio and school.  In the end of August, that Synja-meeting at Koli finally ends my summer holiday.

In moneywise, and for the sake of adventure, I hope I have enough stamina and courage to hitchhike. My plans to hitchhike from Kuopio to Ivalo didn't start too well though, for I was standing by a wrong junction. But I wont be discouraged! Next time I`ll have a map. Besides, I would have gotten a lift from there too, only it was to Savonlinna, in  totally opposite direction from where I was heading to.

-Tiina

Fishing with dad

I'm back in Kuopio, and remembering Ivalo it wasn't really so gloomy I had thought it would be. There were some really good moments too. Like the night I spent with Jukka and other friends celebrating Juhannus. Even the weather was eventually so nice, that it was pity to leave the cottage and the lake shore behind and head back to town. Also the barbequeing-party Jukka held last weekend was good fun. Lots of friends, little barbequeing and more beer and board games =)

Still, after all those parties I think the best thing was when I went fishing with my dad. We had been trying to go to the river ever since I arrived in Ivalo, and finally a day before I left we packed the boat and took of.  The weather wasn't really promising, the clouds were gathering on the sky, it was windy and actually thundering in Ivalo. Nevertheless we packed our stuff, prepared our fishing gears and I pulled on dads' raincoat and -trousers, for it was raining cats and dogs when we left. Luckily the weather was shifty and by the time we reached the shore where we slid the boat in the river, it was already sunny again. The photos I took don't look right, for it was really bright weather, and it looks like it would be raining in them. Well I didn't want to spent time fumbling with the camera settings when there was more important things to do. Like just being present.

Dad driving the boat

Rölli couldn't stay still for one picture

We spent the afternoon trolling back and forth between two rapids. I'm not much of a fisher, I don't even like fish but this time I really enjoyed it. I congratulated myself of the few somewhat good throws I had. Even dad was in a good humor and relaxed. Despite our efforts though we only caught one fish and spotted one wood grouse. On our way home we feasted with salmiac and cheese with cloudberry jam. I think it was one of the best trips I've had with my dad.

-Tiina