The weekend was different—filled with activities, new people, movement, and fresh air. But it was wonderful, and I enjoyed every moment of the somewhat peculiar weekend schedule.

I packed my camera and all my gear into the car, but I never got the chance to use it. There it stayed, in the trunk, while I fully embraced the adventure near the eastern border. So this will be a sparsely illustrated post—bear with me 😅.

Originally, I had planned to visit my friend in Pyhätunturi for the weekend, explore the area, hike the fells, and get to know the Pelkosenniemi region. However, the plan changed. My friend works for Metsähallitus (Finnish Forestry Administration), and they had been asked to be a "model" in Eastern Lapland, specifically in the Urho Kekkonen National Park area. The photos would be used for promoting hiking and other tourism in Eastern Lapland. They were also looking for additional models—especially a dog—so I, along with Papu, was roped into the adventure at the last minute.

After a 300 km, four-hour drive on Friday afternoon, I found myself in the village of Tulppio in the municipality of Savukoski. I packed my things into my friend's car, better suited for the wilderness and its "drive at your own risk" roads, and we continued further east, almost to the Russian border. Our first task in the UKK National Park was crossing the Nuortti River. The icy cold water reached up to our thighs, and we had to cross while clinging to a thin, shaky rope, carrying full backpacks and trying not to slip on the smooth, river-worn stones. Quite an experience, especially for a first-time river crosser like me 😬.

On the other side of the river, we met the photographer, Jaakko, as well as another last-minute addition to the group, my namesake, Sanna. The rest of the crew had already spent a night there and had shot part of the necessary material. Our task was to capture the evening campfire shots and the canoeing shots on the Kairijoki River the next day. We spent the night in a cozy little wilderness hut right by the river. In the evening, the hypnotic shadows created by the flames of the wood stove danced on the ceiling, and the warmth it spread quickly quieted the hut after dinner. Lively conversation and fun gave way to the rustling of sleeping bags as everyone tried to get comfortable on the wooden bunks.

The alarm went off at 5:30 AM, and we added more wood to the stove. After that, we dozed lightly in the warmth of our sleeping bags, waiting for the cabin to heat up for the new day. Our bunkmates cheerfully started the morning with a song. We had a great group.

After our morning routines, we packed our things and headed back toward the river crossing. The second time crossing was much more relaxed than the day before, and the small wobbles caused by the flowing water didn’t seem as serious anymore. Papu traveled in my arms both times, focused and quiet. Even she seemed to sense that any wriggling would result in a cold bath.

Once we reached the cars, we drove toward Kairijoki and the Kairijoki Wilderness Center. We drove for about an hour on a road covered in fist-sized stones. My car’s undercarriage got quite the rock wash, and I could only hope everything stayed in place. We were in an area with no internet or phone connection. Although I won’t admit to being addicted to them, it was a freeing feeling to be out of reach. Only this moment, this dimension, and the people physically present with me existed. The rest of the world could turn upside down, and we would be none the wiser.

At the Kairijoki Wilderness Center, after a cup of coffee, we picked up a canoe. Apart from a few relaxed paddling outings, I had only canoed once before, and that was on a perfectly calm lake. This time, we were paddling down a river with very low water levels. There were more rocks and underwater sandbanks than calm water, and although the river’s rapids weren’t particularly wild, they still took us in directions that weren’t always part of the plan. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone—my friend was steering from the back and planning the route. I did my best to help, though at times I was told to stop paddling altogether when I tried to take too much control 😅.

Our photographer, Jaakko, followed our canoeing journey, sometimes from river bridges and sometimes from above with a drone. For the most part, we paddled in complete silence, admiring the vibrant fall colors, the wonders of the riverbed visible through the clear water, and the crisp autumn air.

In the calm sections of the river, there was time to enjoy the scenery and even dared to take out my phone.

Photo by: Onni Kojo

We landed at a lean-to by the river, where we celebrated our successful adventure with campfire coffee and cheerful conversation. Laughter echoed through the crisp autumn air as we brainstormed new creative projects and shared life experiences. It was time to head back—the wilderness had given us what we needed. I met some amazing new people and laughed until I had tears in my eyes. Thank you, super team. I hope we’ll soon embark on our next adventure together!💛