Hey friends, I moved to Lapland yesterday! ❤️

It's crazy. I'm still a bit confused and haven't quite internalized it yet. I left Tampere yesterday morning after four o'clock. It was the most beautiful morning; the sun had just risen, and my favorite radio channel, Yle Radio Suomi, was playing morning programs. The car was packed the night before, with Papu traveling in the front seat on his blanket and a thermos full of coffee.

I had breakfast at the roadside somewhere in Ostrobothnia, took a nap around Kemi while the rain pattered on the car roof, and stopped for lunch at a gas station just before Tornio. Otherwise, I was excitedly zooming toward my new hometown of Kolari.

I stopped by the Tornionjoki river at the same spot where I stopped last year during my trip north. This time, I was accompanied by Papu and my moving load. It feels like an eternity since my last visit, but in reality, it has only been eight months.

In the morning, my moving load arrived. I ended up hiring a moving company to deliver my belongings, calculating that after renting a larger vehicle and fuel, I would likely end up paying the same amount whether I moved the items myself or not. The moving company was Kuljetus Oy Pohjantie (don't let the appearance of their website fool you; they were professional and great people), and I couldn't have been happier that someone else carried my belongings to the car, drove them here, and helped unload. I also received excellent service, especially since I was worried about whether my music and photography equipment would remain intact during the move. It did!

In the evening, I went to the store in the village. I took the village road and nearly unknowingly drove into Sweden, as the border is very close. My landlords mentioned that they occasionally go to Sweden for grocery shopping just for a change of pace. I plan to try it too once the health situation on that side of the border eases a bit.

I bought the Lapin Kansa newspaper to read with my morning coffee, just to ensure that I remember I'm truly a Laplander now.

Yesterday and today have been mostly spent indoors unpacking and organizing my belongings. I moved into a winterized cabin that was already furnished. With the reduction of my possessions, it’s nice to find sofas, tables, and other essentials already here. However, I wanted to bring my own sense of home, so I spent the morning emptying the kitchen of the cabin's dishes and other utensils and replacing them with my own.

Half of the cabin is still filled with unpacked boxes and miscellaneous bags, but I can somewhat feel at home already.

I placed items for which I haven't yet found a place on the terrace.

Papu doesn't mind the chaos as long as his sleeping spot is as soft as possible.

It has been raining heavily since yesterday. The rain and the vast army of mosquitoes felt like a hostile welcoming committee. However, now in the evening, as I finally take a breath for the first time all day, I noticed that the sun is shining outside. My cabin is located right by the Tornionjoki river, just a few steps from the shoreline (which I didn’t know until I drove into the yard yesterday!). I am already thrilled that I can see the river from my living room window. I can swim directly from my yard and might even get excited about fishing. I can’t wait to witness the changes in the river and the surrounding nature with the seasons. I plan to share numerous photos from this scenery!

Here’s my and Papu’s skillful demonstration for mosquito defense!

Tomorrow, I’ll continue organizing my belongings all day since rain is forecasted, so it doesn’t matter. Next week, I plan to venture further from the village to explore the area. Ylläs is just a stone's throw away—yikes!

It's wonderful to be here!

♥: Sanna