It’s December, but it doesn’t look like it. If you want to see snow in Finland, you need to go up North. But then you will meet the darkness despite the snow. The sun doesn’t show in Lapland for a while because of the polar night. It’s right down austere if you’re not used to it. I think people who live in the South of Finland suffer more from it because they don’t know how to handle it the same way. Snow would make it less dark, but now it’s dull and depressing. It’s more about attitude. If you see darkness as bad and don’t see anything positive about it, you look at it incorrectly. You shouldn’t stop living just because it’s not light outside. The sun sometimes shows in the South of Finland, so it’s not always dark. There was snow in November, but it melted. The weather forecast predicted there would be snow this week, so that will be less austere.
Some people get depressed when it gets dark earlier, but I don’t mind. It’s cosy when you can sit inside with the lights on and do things you usually do. If I go outside, looking at people’s balconies with Christmas lights is nice. Then, the city has lights and decorations all over. If you complain about how grey and depressive things are, then it’s no wonder you feel depressed. Put on the lights and the candles. Listen to music, watch a movie and anything you fancy. Take a walk outside or take a car ride. Or maybe go to the shopping mall and look in the windows. You don’t need to buy happiness. If you look outside and think, “It’s so dark, ” don’t. It won’t be like that forever. When the darkness is over, you complain about it being too light. What is wrong with us? Nothing is ever good enough. Negative thinking is never good, so stay positive and find something good in everything. Have a cookie. Even the smallest thing can make you feel better. Things are only austere because you make them to be, so don’t. They can be simple if you want to.
On July 15, 2024, I’ve had the driver’s license for three years. At first, I had my dad with me, but now I have to drive alone. If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t be the driver I am today. He gave me the courage to drive. Before, I drove alone a short way. The first time I drove alone was when I drove him to the hospital in January this year. I didn’t know then, but it was the last time he was with me in the car. Because of him, I wasn’t scared of driving alone. He taught me how to drive his car. It’s a manual, so you drive it a little differently. Before continuing, you can read an old post about getting the licence below.
It’s true that when you get a wheel under you, you feel freedom. In 2017, I didn’t think I needed a driver’s license, but my opinions changed. I didn’t like to drive when I first got my temporary license, so I didn’t finish driving school then. But how things change. I have driven longer distances, and the more confident I get, the more I enjoy it. I will still use the train or buses if I go even longer distances. My hands and legs get tired if I drive too far. All those long drives to the North of Finland that my dad had to do, I admire how he could manage all that driving. I couldn’t do it. It took almost 14 hours to drive there, rests included. We only went there once a year to ski, but that was enough. I probably won’t go there again, even if you can go by train. We did that a few times because Dad didn’t feel like driving that far the older he got. Dad also drove in Europe when I was 6 years old and then in Germany in 2008. I won’t do the same. I would be terrified driving on the motorway in Germany. Finnish motorways are enough for me.
You get used to driving when you do it often enough. At first, I didn’t like driving on the motorway or in traffic, but now it comes naturally to me. A wheel is better than no wheel at all. Owning a car isn’t cheap. I could rent, but that isn’t very convenient because I never know when I will need one. I could always be without a car, though. But then there wouldn’t be the same freedom that comes with having wheels. I’ve thought of buying a new car one day, but I got used to driving my dad’s car, so maybe not yet. If I replace it, it would feel like I’m hurting the car’s feelings. I know it’s only a car, but I was with Dad when he bought it, so it’s like a family member. We had it for years. It’s not in my name yet, so it’s not my car. I don’t think I know how to buy a car even if I’ve been with Dad at the car dealer. One thing is sure, once you have wheels, you can be without one again.
I was always good at sports in school. My favourite was Finnish baseball (pesäpallo). It’s almost like baseball but doesn’t have a pitcher in the middle. I can’t explain it, so go and look at what it is. The other sport I liked was ice skating, but I haven’t done it in 30 years or so. I also did slalom skiing, but the same with that. The last time I did it was in 2011, but my mother got sick in 2012, and we didn’t do it anymore. I still have the gear but don’t know if I will ski again. I started to ski when I was 6 years old. We went to Lapland once a year to ski for a week. We had a cabin that my dad owned with some of his friends. When he sold his part of it, we went to a hotel. We went to Lapland for at least 30 years. It took about 13 hours to drive to the North of Finland. We won’t do it again because it’s tiring and stressful. Those were good times, though.
Now I only watch sports on television. My favourite sport is ice hockey. I’ve been to my local team’s games several times. Sometimes, they show their matches on the free channels, but I mostly listen to the games on the radio because if you want to watch ice hockey, you have to pay for them. Fortunately, it’s free to watch when Finland plays in the world championships and other international tournaments. I only follow the Finnish ice hockey league, so no NHL for me. Unless they show games with Finnish players. Watching ice hockey on site has a unique atmosphere. It feels like you’re with people with the same piece of mind. In Finland, there could be more noise in the ice rink, like in the NHL, but the fans are the only ones keeping the noise here. Without them, the rink would be quiet. But still, the atmosphere is different when you watch it at home. Watching sports on-site isn’t cheap, so all you can do is watch on television. But that’s better than no sport at all.
It is difficult to think what life would be like if there weren’t sports to watch. I also like to watch sports with excitement. I used to watch Formula One, but it has become boring. Consistently, the same teams and the same drivers win. All of my favourite drivers have retired, too. They also don’t show the races for free anymore. It has been like that for at least 10 years. My life used to surround it. I couldn’t do or go anywhere when there was a race weekend. When all of that stopped, I felt a relief. So, in a way, they did me a favour: the TV people and the people who make the rules in F1. I was free of all the restrictions that the sport had on my free time. I still plan my weekends on what sports are being shown on TV, but it doesn’t matter if I miss an event or don’t see it from the start. Watching motorsport like F1, you need to see the beginning because that’s the most exciting part. Some say motorsport is not a sport, but they don’t know how much the drivers do training during the off-season and how much strength they need to make it through the races. Not just anybody can fit into those cars. Unfortunately, with all those technical things those cars have these days, you don’t know who is the best driver.
If the question is, what is more interesting, summer or winter sport? I would say winter sports because there is more to choose from. But I also watch summer sports when Finns are competing. The Summer Olympics in Paris is this summer, so I’ll be watching some of that. Athletics mainly, but maybe something else. As long as it’s Finnish athletes. Supporting your country is the best thing about sports. Perhaps they don’t fight for the medals, but all the emotions that come with it are essential. Without sports, life would be dull. I’m glad I found the love for it. I wasn’t a big fan of sports the way I am today when I was younger. I watched some of it as a child, but that was only because my dad watched it. Now I think I know more about sports than he does. Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I don’t understand sports. A lot of females follow sports and know what it’s all about. It’s like anything in life; studying the subject lets you learn about things. It doesn’t matter what gender or sexuality you are. Sport is for everyone who likes it. You don’t need to understand it, but it helps. I’m tired of hearing some people think girls only watch sports because of the good looks of an athlete. There are those, too, but don’t fall for that stereotype nonsense. You’ll be surprised how much women know about sport. Even more than some men do.
I love watching sports; the only sport I do today is cycling. Everybody needs a hobby they like, and those are mine.
In my world 