About living / Elämisestä

(HUOM! Sama mietepätkä löytyy suomeksi tämän englanninkielisen pätkän alta!)

First snow, first kiss, first holiday without parents, your own first home, first pet, first leaf buds on spring, first child, first real job and the first bites of the chocolate bar... Almost without exception we always get pleasure from the first things or situations and encounters. It's perfectly normal to give special value to the things that take our attention with their specialty or newness- they break that spin of your everyday life and arouse your numbed senses. 

Are you sure that wonderful things that are worth your attention tend to be rare? Only few of us bare to open they eyes while walking to school or work and just ignore everything that is happening around. If you'd only raise your head you'd see those beautiful colours on the sky, stop to listen to the raindrops falling down to your umbrella, see that morning fog and the different way the light behaves then. Funny four legged friends could be passing you by or you could get inspired by the most inspiring person you've seen in a while. When you truly stop to focus on seeing and experience things rather than just passing by them in ignorance you will get that special something into your everyday life. Satisfaction, experimenting and laughter would be the three words describing your life instead of the words monotonic, familiar and boring. 

I have noticed myself that the days when I'm focused on things I have to do when I'm on m destination (they can be lifts at the gym, undone schoolwork, making a dinner or going to the grocery store, getting on the train on time or escaping the cold weather) pass by too quickly. If someone would ask me what did I do then my answer would probably be "I guess I was at the uni and then at the gym or home after that, I have maybe even done some school work?". If these kind of days start accumulating the only thing I notice while looking at the calendar is "Where did this month vanish?" Does this sound familiar?

Open up and relax. Breathe and remember to use your sense of smell. Do not keep your eyes open just to see two meters ahead of you- look with them. Listen to the things surrounding you and your inner voice as well- do you want to remember only few things from this year? Why are you living if the only purpose to your life is to do the tasks you are given? Are you trying to do them so that you could have some time to DO the things that really make you happy? Here is one familiar thought from your own head that couldn't be more true: tasks never end. Those moments (that make you happy) you are trying to fit somewhere between your task list will never have enough free space to fit in if you don't do something. Leave the excuses and eye pads and enjoy the moments that make your everyday life. Don't bury yourself in the mountain of never ending tasks. Soon no one will notice that hand that is peeping from the pile and asking for help. It´s owner will neither be able to see the life he/she has been born to and see life itself happening around him/her from that pile.

Do not live only for the first moments- they are the minority on your path of life. You are living all the time and your life is going on all the time. Find time for yourself even when you're "on the road". Trying is enough. And no I'm not going to use the sentence "it is a positive step towards..." because the meaning of it just sums up the wrong kind of message of life. Life is not about living for and in the future and performing it step by step. If you want to live, live now in the presence. It's the only way of getting everything out of your life. Do not only wait for the weekend, getting home from work or the summer. Your life is your everyday life and your everyday life is your life. Make sure that you enjoy it and I guarantee that at the age of 80 you will be happy with your path. /

Ensilumi, ensisuudelma, ensimmäinen loma ilman vanhempia, ensimmäinen oma koti, ensimmäinen lemmikki, kevään ensimmäiset hiirenkorvat, ensimmäinen lapsi, ensimmäinen oikea työpaikka ja suklaalevyn ensimmäiset palat... Lähes poikkeuksetta me kaikki saamme nautintoa aina niistä ensimmäisistä asioista ja tilanteista sekä kohtaamisista. Se on normaalia antaa erikoisarvoa asialle, joka vie huomiomme erikoisuudellaan tai uutuudellaan- se katkaisee sen aistien ja arjen pyörteen ja olemassaolon turruttavan putken. 

Onko se kuitenkaan niin, että hienoja ja huomionarvoisia asioita tapahtuu niin harvoin? Harva jaksaa avata silmiään kunnolla taapertaessaan koululle tai töihin, vaan jättää sen ympärillä tapahtuvan melkein päivittäin huomiotta. Jos katseen nostaisi voisi nähdä ne taivaan kauniit värit, keskittyä kuuntelemaan ropinaa sateenvarjoa vasten, näkisi sen aamuisen sumun ja valon erilaisen heijastumisen. Vastaan voisi mahdollisesti taaperrella myös hullunkurinen nelijalkainen tai maailman inspiroivin tyyppi hetkeen. Kun asioita oikeasti keskittyy näkemään ja kokemaan, saa omalle arjelleen ja elämälleen aivan toisenlaista sisältöä. Tyytyväisyys, kokeminen ja nauru- ne kolme sanaa värittävät elämääsi sen jälkeen muullakin kuin tasapaksulla, tutulla ja tylsällä harmaalla. 

Olen itse huomannut, että päivät joina olen olevinani keskittynyt liikaan tehtäviin jotka minua odottavat määränpäässä (olivat ne sitten toistot salilla, sadat kurssitehtävät, ruoanteko tai kauppareissu, junalle ehtiminen tai lämpimään pääsy) lipuvat ohitseni liian nopeasti. Jos joku kysyisi minulta myöhemmin mitä tein, en osaisi vastata muuta kuin "Luultavasti olin yliopistolla ja sitten kotona ja salilla, ehkä tein myös rästissä olevia tehtäviä?". Jos näitä päiviä tulee liian monta peräkkäin huomaan vain katselevani kalenterin päivämäärä ja miettivän mihin tämäkin kuukausi oikein meni? Kuulostaako tutulle?

Avaudu ja rentoudu. Hengitä ja muista myös haistaa ympäristösi. Älä pidä silmiä auki vain siksi, että näkisit muutaman metrin eteesi- katso niillä. Kuuntele ympäristöäsi ja omaa ääntäsi- haluatko muistaa elämästäsi muutakin, kuin vain muutaman päivän vuodesta? Miksi olet saanut elämän, jos ainut tarkoituksesi on vain suorittaa ja tehdä eteen tulevat tehtävät pois alta? Raivaatko tehtäviltä sopivaa hetkeä saadaksesi oikeasti TEHDÄ asioita, joista saat iloa? Tässä pieni tuttu ajatus myös omasta päästäsi: Ne tehtävät eivät lopu ikinä. Niitä sinut onnelliseksi tekeviä hetkiä ei myöskään tule ellet itse tee asioille jotakin. Jätä tekosyyt ja silmälaput pois, nauti niistä hetkistä joista oma arkesi koostuu, älä hautaa itseäsi jatkuvasti kasaantuvilla tehtävillä. Sitä apua pyytävää kättä ei pian näe kukaan- eikä sen käden omistaja näe maailmaa, johon se on syntynyt. 

Älä elä vain ensihetkiä varten- niitä on kuitenkin elämäsi aikana liian vähän. Sinä elät koko ajan, elämäsi etenee koko ajan. Löydä aikaa itsellesi- myös kun olet ns. tien päällä. Riittää että yrität. Ja ei, en käytä tässä sanontaa "se on jo positiivinen askel kohti..." sen sanoma kiteyttää sanoman jatkuvasta elämisestä tulevaisuudessa ja määränpäihin pyrkimisestä.  Jos haluat elää, elä tässä ja nyt. Se on ainut keino saada omasta elämästä kaikki irti. Älä elä vain odotellen viikonloppua, kotiin pääsemistä tai kesää. Elämäsi on arkeasi- pyri siihen että nautit siitä niin takaan, että 80- vuotiaana olet tyytyväinen taipaleeseesi.

When you feel like eating ginger bread, eat. Let's forget those thoughts that it's not ok to do certain things if it's not their time yet. I made ginger breads look like animals- that's how they are ok at any time of the year! / Kun tekee mieli piparia, syö piparia. Unohdetaan ne "tämä tapa kuuluu vaan tiettyihin vuodenaikoihin tai hetkiin"- ajatukset. Minäpäs kuulkaas tein eläinpipareita- ne sopii jokaiseen vuodenaikaan!

- Herminica (...and now I have to start cleaning this place up! :) )

"Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.

My story began that way - with a happy company and very dear friends. I want to make this story a good one - like the 2012 was, but this one will be even better. I can feel it. Even my calendar says it´s time for changes. I´m not going to change every part of my story, I just want to be sure that this one has more happy thoughts on each page. I want the pages to be fulled with rainbows, dreams, creativity, strength- physical and mental,  cute and silly animal thoughts, kisses from love, purity and honesty, believing and courage, knowledge and moments of succes. Most importantly I wan´t to feel good in my own skin, nourish it as well as I can, move it and provide it the best food I can. I don´t want pain to paint black spots over my empty pages. I want my chapter to look light, happy and enjoyable voyage. I want it to be real, something I want to look at all over and over again when the last page of it is colored, something I don´t have to regret and I can be proud of like the best artist of her finest piece of art she has ever made. Something that will left a good and stable grounding for the next chapter... :)

This new years eve was amazing. I had such a great time with my lovely friends. We shoot the fireworks, smiled at the sparklers, cooked healthy hamburgers, prepared different vegetables for dipping them in self made guacamole and smetana-spice dressing, drank some good bubbling and good organic white wine, played Alias and other games, watched movies, danced and let our hair go everywhere to the beat- even when we decided to do some ballet... Yes this new year was great - like I expected it to be. :) My friends never let me down :) I didn´t keep a camera with me - at least it´s not broken! :D

 I wish you a Happy New Year guys! Like I said- make it a good one ;)!

Waiting for the New Year's Eve

I want those shirts in every possible colour... They are just so super comfy and warm and their knit looks really nice. I have to go to GT tomorrow morning!

A good and tasty breakfast :)

A beautiful morning! 

I have eaten too much chocolate during this week... and I mean really. Too much is too much.

She is watching on us ;) 

It is just so beautiful, I can´t get enough of watching it!

Some sister time :)

Laughing, beautiful weather, going to the gym with Sanni, eating chocolate and other great meals with my family, watching movies and Disney cartoons, sleeping in new beautiful and clean sheets, playing with my little cousins, doing a makeover to my goddaughter Amina... This week has been fabulous! I have been able to spend my days with my cousins, family and other relatives from Mikkeli and Helsinki. Happiness... that´s what I´m truly fulled with now. Soon it will be a New Year's Eve too. A celebration that has always been my favourite one. There´s no day that could be better than New Year's eve. It has always been really important to my family and our relatives. We usually get gifts, drink, eat and shoot fireworks. It´s like a big birthday party that is mutual to us all. Since I have grown up, I have celebrated it with my friends instead of my family. Still I always call everyone to wish them a happy new year through phone. I just can´t wait this New Year's eve to come! :) It just sounds so tempting to be true :)

Toxic clouds and sunny meadows

Beautiful world it is! Sun makes everything perfect!

A photo taken before Iida's bday party I took part in last Friday :) We really enjoyed ourselves :)

Studying like a true yellow Einstein- chicken.

After a refreshing but still quite nerdy week I managed to pull through two course exams today. Physics for medicine students and The principles of toxicology and pharmacology. I´m feeling so great now! I still have the last one from Swedish for biomedicine students this Thursday. After them my long "holiday" begins. It´s won´t be just a holiday because I have to do my Bachelor's thesis, study a lot for the spring and work.

 Look at those photos I took! Last ones are taken from the train. And soon I´ll be having my new real camera and photos will be so much better, like the ones I have taken when I´ve had Elvira's camera in use, (the ones I took from her graduation party, Sabina's prom, and on our summer trips...) Can´t wait it. The quality of photos is still one of the most important things in blogs and I absolutely love taking them... You should see the bunch of my work that I´ve chosen to be framed... :D

Sunny winter days... I mean it was so breath taking. I didn´t even mind the cold. There is still one thing I do mind and it´s my hair! Every time when temperature drops below zero my hair starts smelling like a exhaust fumes!  And I mean it really SMELLS like a toxic cloud... Do you have the same problem? I hate this so much!

One thrilled snow flake

It's just so beautiful... :)

Hot cayenne cocoa drink, a relaxing weekend and studying :)

Pheew... One pretty intence workout at Fressi.  First 20minutes on a cross-sprinter with a heart rate 180, then one hour at the gym. I was totally exhausted... Sweat was pouring in my ears... :D it was really tickling O.O

It's a little cold in here. -23 degrees... I'm so happy to sit in the warm train and watch this magical filmstrip through the window. The sun is shining, everything is covered with white sparkling snow and finnish counryside couldn't be any more beautiful... :) I love this weather! I would love to be a snowflake for one day - one that doesn't mealt and can fly non stop ;)

I love my travel buddies too... these klementines taste like a heaven now. I always carry fruits or veggies with me... A true bunny in me comes out when I have to travel... These trains are a little late... But I don't actually mind... It's nice to "be out" :D

There is also one thing I'm very happy and excited about!!! *drummmmmms* I bought myself a new camera! Black SONY alpha NEX-5N is now officially mine! >.<

Insta-day

This is not a christmas tree, it´s a new year's tree! Because we don´t celebrate christmas, we still do celebrate new year's eve! :) It´s one of the most important days in a year to me. Our tree is not ready yet. It still needs lights and more decoration. :) We bought those little "shekerichi" because they look so cute on it! :D (a type of candy we call shekerichi :D)

In Mikkeli again, I went in Rami twice during this weekend. The first one was with our cousin Elvisa and sis. Sabina. The other with our family. :) I bough myself little something from GT and The Body Shop ( a mineral deodorant- I look like a dog that smells it own armpits all the time.. I love that smell and I can´t stop doing this! O.O).

Trees... Lights... I love this time of the year :) 

Hello guys, I´m feeling great. :) I hope you do too. This winter is beautiful, I love these lights, our new year's tree, Fazer's christmas and gingerbread chocolate, gingerbread pastry, mulled wine, warm knits and ice skating! I´m so thrilled about everything! I have three exams in two weeks, one essay and one gradu analysis  to do but I´m sure everything will go well. :) I can spend another week in my real home, and I´m really excited about it :)! I´m planning on going to the gym tomorrow. Fressi Fit- class and after that on cross-sprinter at the gym... :) One thing that is not ok is my skin on my face! I know that it is hormonal this time but still... :D It just irritates me to have pimples when I do nothing else to get them... :) 

- Herminica and her pile of "oukkidoukki Lotta's" in her lap... :)