Kayaking and trip to Norway

Kayaking and trip to Norway

Hi all,

July has been a very busy month for me here in Finland.  I have been working on my project most days which means that I am in lab most of the time.  I have had a couple chances to go out on the weekends to go hiking and kayaking. On July 15th had a chance to go on a sampling trip in Norway again.  The trip started off with a 9 hour drive from Rovaniemi to Reisa where we got to drive past some really beautiful landscapes.  In Norway I helped collect soil samples from each of the 16 plots.  It was a lot of work and it got really windy and cold but the views were really beautiful when the sun was out.  After the long day of sampling I got to go to a sauna for the second time, which was nice after being outside.

Sampling site

Because I am here for the summer I was able to try some different berries that are in season in Lapland.  When I was hiking I was able to try cloudberries, which I had never heard of until I got here.  They are small orange berries that have a very distinct flavor and I was glad I got a chance to taste them.  It was also possible to pick wild blueberries while we were walking which was pretty cool.  There are also fresh strawberries that are grown in Lapland that are really tasty.

Wild Blueberries

While I have been here I have also had the chance to go kayaking in Rovaniemi, which was something I have never done before.  I am not very good at it but it was fun to try and the views were really pretty.

I have had a chance to celebrate my birthday here with the people that I am working with.  I went hiking during the day and had dinner in downtown Rovaniemi in the evening.  I have been very lucky to spend time with so many wonderful people.

Now that my trip is coming to a close I have mixed feelings about heading back home.  I am leaving tomorrow for Helsinki where I will stay for the night before I head back to Newark.  I am looking forward to seeing my friends and family but I will miss Finland a lot and I really hope I will have a chance to visit Helsinki again to have more time to experience it. I am really lucky to have the opportunity to be here and that I have been able to live in this country for a little while; I know I will come back again when I can.

-Beryl