Just because...

Hey peeps! I know I have been away for a while, but I have been very busy with Uni and I'm actually currently writing my dissertation. So, this will be a quick blog post, but I promise that there is more to come when I have more time to write and actually sit in front of my computer not just writing essays and such but a post for you guys, whoever you are. I hope you still keep reading my blog even though the posts have become rarer and rarer. The posts in the future, hopefully coming in May, will be about the Edi trip with my friend, the King's Ball and my AMAZING trip to the States... Interested? 

So, why I'm writing this blog post today? Well, I have made some "drastic" changes to my life. I have started eating better and eating more than just two times a day. I had a new exercise plan to prepare me for the army in July. Yes, guys! I'm going to join the Finnish Defense Forces for a year and have a gapish year of studying. I really need a break from studying before hopping the train towards the masters. 

The changes I have made in my life, have already made a massive effect on me. I feel so much better and I like the reflection on the mirror more than ever (I'm not self centered at all...). Making these changes I know that I can achieve my goals and be happy to be me and nobody else. I also hope that I can help others to make changes in their lives and be happy about themselves. I know it isn't easy, but life is a long journey that has many crossroads to choose from. The most important thing is to choose the right one for you and not thinking all the time "what if"? You will just loose precious energy and time. We are only on this earth for once. So, let's enjoy it! Carpe diem! Here is my wee motivation for you guys on the internets. 

From Deen to Fort William

Drumroll please!!!!!! My first ever travel blog! Tattadaa!!!! So, I went to a weekend away with the Nordic society to Fort William and it was just awesome. The scenery was breathtaking as you can see from the photos, but you have to see it yourself if you have the chance to do so. Then you can understand the real beauty of the Highlands and smell the ever so fresh mountain air.

Ben Nevis was so beautiful. Although I wasn't able to climb on it. We were already soaking wet when we reached the root of the mountain, but I crossed over a very "challenging" bridge. It was like you were walking on a piece of string. As you can see on the photo. It wasn't any child's play....






At the hostel we had a lovely dinner and time to dry up. It was sooooo much fun to cook food for a fairly massive group and in a great company. 
We also had some "warming up" drinks and a few more for the health... 

In the next morning it was time to head back home, but not forgetting to stop along the way to enjoy the amazing scenery. We stopped to see the famous Harry Potter bridge and yes, it is in Scotland. Not in England or in Wales, people!

  
We also had lunch at the famous fish and chips place in Aviemore. For the first time in my life I ate a deep fried Mars bar and I have to say it was pretty good. I wish I had a photo of it, but it was gone in a matter of seconds. 
I was really glad that after the meal, it was time to sit in the car again and continue the journey home because I couldn't have walked a single meter. It was definitely a 'heart attack' meal that can't be eaten too many times. I don't regret it, but it was really good that I went to the gym the next day.... 

I'm soooo glad that I went on the trip and it was worth every single penny. I was definitely in need of a break from Uni and definitely deserved it. I had so much fun and let's not forget the amazing scenery... Now, it's time to work and study hard again that I will graduate in the summer with honors! See ya soon guys and Carpe diem. 

My sport/fitness tips (part 1)

It's official, I'm the worst blogger on the planet earth! Although I have been very busy with Uni and I haven't been really in the mood to write posts but here we go....
For a popular demand I'm writing this blog post for you to share some of my fitness tips that I have learned during the years when I have trained. Big thanks to my friend who suggested this. You know who you are...
I was slightly hesitant to write this post because there is fitness gurus way smarter than me. I'm just a student from Aberdeen with big dreams. So, I have to emphasize that I'm no expert or a fitness guru, but these things have worked for me. Although it doesn't necessarily mean that they will work for you, but it doesn't harm to try, right?

What I recently learned or actually realized is that there should be a balance in your exercise routine and in life in general if that is possible. In your exercise routine the balance is between Cardio + muscle work. When I go to the gym or to an exercise class I tend to warm up before I do any muscle work. The warmup is the key. It prevents injuries and any long term damage to your body. During my active dancing years we always warmed up before class and it made a huge difference and stretching of course afterwards. I will guarantee that your muscles won't be that sore if you remember to stretch for a couple of minutes after your workout. 
I know that some people hate running on the treadmill to get the heart pumping and get the sweat on. I personally can run on the treadmill up to 30 minutes at a steady pace. After that it gets really boring and you just don't go nowhere. 
There are other ways to get the sweat on like having a wee jog from home to the gym or walk faster than you usually do when you go the gym. Rowing is also a very good option or cycling. Cross trainer is good if you want to get the feeling you are running but you actually aren't.
However the best tip or advice I can give is that you have to have determination and motivation towards training. Without that it is pretty much a no go. Training with friends and loved ones is a great cure for that. You boost them and they boost you. And just remember the slogan from Nike 'JUST DO IT'.

Then there is the thing called the DIET. I don't really like that word to be honest. What I have learned that banning something from yourself isn't the way to go. What I mean by that taking all the fun, sugar and spice from your diet isn't the answer. You should give yourself some slack and feast once in a while, but not every day. 
Eating vegetables, fruits, chicken and carbs are the key to success. And most importantly drink plenty of WATER. You have to be hydrated to be able to function. Water just makes you feel so much better and makes your skin glow if you don't necessarily like to drink plain water, you squeeze a half of lemon to your water to make it more tasty to your liking. 

Don't forget to take some vital vitamins. Especially if you are a vegetarian. You need those irons! And I highly recommend to take D-vitamin during these gloomy winter months to get you out of your winter blues. It makes your nails stronger and boosts up your energy levels. You have way more energy to do stuff and you won't want to stay in bed on a sunny day or rainy day!

So, here are some tips what I have gathered during the years. I can't put everything in this post, but here are some of the basics. If you wanna know more, then pop me a comment and I'll write the part 2.

But in any case if your goal is to either lose weight or tone up. In any case, try to remember to have fun and enjoy the results. It won't happen overnight, but in a few months you will see definite results and you will fit into your favorite jeans.

Oh, and also here is some of my fitness clothes, in which I feel like "million dollars". I know that these are all Nike products that can be fairly expensive, but when you place money on quality for once. They will last for a long time. Soc is also very good brand for those who live in the Nordic countries. Almost all my workout T-shirts are from there. See ya soon and happy spring. 

Sport/Fitness

Damn it... I promised to myself that I would write a blog post once a week but oh well. Anyhow, this blog post will be about sport/fitness as the title says. Sport has been my long time "love" since I was a little kid, but it has been its ups and downs like a relationship usually tends to have. 

So, my "sport history". I started dancing when I was four years old. My mom signed me up to dance class to put all that energy what I had to good use. So, let's give a big thanks to my awesome mom who did that for me. It has been my savior. I think I wouldn't be the person that I'm today without that. It taught me to express myself and to remember a long series of moves. It was my place to shine and it was also a place where I found one of my best friend's. So, thank you for being my friend beyond dance classes. 

In elementary school I also took part in various sport events. I ran cross country and played Finnish baseball (suom. pesäpallo). I was also pretty good in cross country skiing. I won a couple of metals too...

But after elementary it was time to move on to junior high where the competition turned up nastier and more exclusive. I liked sports in that point, but everyone else was faster and better than me. It didn't want to try as hard as before. What was the point? I could never win anyway. But I still tried to keep my head up and enjoy at least a wee bit.

In high school it was a whole other game. The other students were way nicer and PE classes were so much fun. We went to swimming, bowling and of course we had to learn the dances for the prom. The peeps out there in the internets who are not from Finland. You won't necessarily know that the prom in the second year of high school is a very big thing in Finland. We dress up, get our hairs done and the guys wear tuxedos and top hats. We learn the art of how to waltz and tango. It's just soooooo much fun and very good exercise. I was in so good shape that in the end my dress had to be taken in a size. So, in high school, I started again to be more interested about sports. It made studying way easier and when I graduated, I had a pretty good average.

Going to Uni changed everything. I wasn't that active in my first year and my studying was suffering to some extent. There were so many things to learn that I didn't have that much time for anything else. To be honest, I was not that keen on going to the gym etc. If somebody had asked me to go for a run. I would have said politely that no thanks.  Then in second year I stepped up. The best choice that I made for myself was that I stepped my foot in the Aberdeen Sport Village (for short the asv). I started to actively jog, going to the gym, Zumba, TRX and other exercise class. Oh, and yoga, which it's just a killer.

Nowadays you could say that the exercise has become a "drug" for me. I'm doing it for my mental health and to achieve my future goals. Actually, speaking about that... Last summer I signed the service agreement with the Finnish army and I'm officially supposed to join in my regiment this summer, after I graduate from university. Joining to the military has been my long time dream. I probably would have made it a career if I haven't gotten into university. At the moment that is why I'm training pretty hard. So, sorry friends for taking it slightly overboard, but I have a very important mission to complete. 

My sport history has had its ups and downs. I have always been athletic, but in recent years I got slightly stuck, but now it's definitely in solid taking off mode. I actually feel the most comfortable and most beautiful in my gym clothes. Oh, and I'm currently wearing my favorite nike exercise pants and heading to the gym as soon as the bloody rain stops but it never will because we are in Scotland. So, see ya perhaps at the gym or on the running tracks. Carpe diem and just do it. 

THE YEAR 2014!

Well, this has been a long time coming... I was already supposed to start this blog last September but I just never got around to do it. There should be no excuses, but I wasn't really in the mood to write a blog about me and my life. I wanted to start on a clean slate. The year 2013 was amazing and sad at the same time. So, I didn't want to share that with you guys in the internet world. I know that this year will be, the year!!! It will be the best year so far or ever. I already know that it's going to be a good one. So, let's make a good one then!!! For the year 2014!!!

So, who am I? Well, I'm a university student from the University of Aberdeen. I'm currently in my fourth year and my actual plan was in the first place to write this blog about my last year in Uni, which has been my home the past four years except the one year abroad.

Now it will be about the last semester and far beyond, I hope. This will be a smallish window into my life and what is going in my head that my friends can keep me on track and see how I'm doing. Like one of my best friends said: "An another way to keep contact with me". 

I'm not actually Scottish/British even though I seem like one. I'm actually Finnish, 100% Finnish and very proud to be one. So, I could have written this blog in Finnish, but most of my friends all the over world don't speak the language and it's also easier to write this in English and it's also very good practice for my upcoming dissertation. I know it sounds crazy, but spending over three years in an English speaking country changes your writing drastically. I can write casual texts in Finnish, but academic ones... Hell no! 

Why I chose the name of the blog to be FREEDOM/WORLD? The word Freedom has been "travelling" with me for a long time. Before it meant for me to be able to speak freely and choose my life path without anyone try convince me to do otherwise. Now, it means to me something else. Last Saturday I saw the amazing and very touching film called the "12 Years A Slave". Freedom is the right to be free that only one who owns you is you. You are the master of yourself. I have totally forgotten the most important and oldest part of freedom. The ability to be a free person. The word world means the journey from the beginning to the end and the times between. It also means that I have seen in many places and there are many places yet to see. I'm a traveler at heart and it always will be like that. I love my home country and my home, but the beauty of it's that I can always go back and leave again. I can be me somewhere else and not feel guilty about it. I can be me at home and out in the world. 

Love travels distances and stays in your heart forever.

So, I hope that you people out there will begin/continue this life long journey with me where ever it takes me. I know that this blog won't change the world, but it will definitely bring joy to my life and maybe someone else's.

So, I welcome you guys to my blog and see ya later. Carpe diem.