It is often said that men are better drivers than women. But what I’ve experienced in past couple of months disagrees with that statement badly. I’ve witnessed a guy trying to get out of the parking space by going back and forth several times when there were only two other cars in the whole car park! The van I was driving was next to his and then there was a car on the other side of the driveway behind him one space to his left. But if you decide to reverse just to the driveway not to the empty space behind you I guess it can be hard to get out! :D I so wished I had my camera with me – it would have made a funny video on Youtube! Oh, and last Friday! I had been watching football and when I got back to the car park, what did I see? A campervan partly parked in the space I had the car in and not much space between the cars. I was just thinking how someone could park a van so badly, and my first thought was that it must be a woman! But then I saw a guy by the van getting out and obviously planning to just walk away. I asked:  “Are you really leaving that car like that?” “Yes, I’m not good with this camper van. I’m not used to driving such a big car.” “Well, I’m not used to this small car and I need to get out.” I was driving Bill’s BMW deluxe convertible so I was a bit terrified to drive it! The guy: “Well, you can get the car out, can’t you?” “Well, I don’t seem to have an option, do I? I really need to go.” And I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut: “You’re a man and you should be able to park a car!” My friends (both male) were just laughing and listening to the conversations. That guy shouldn’t be driving since he doesn’t even know how to park the car!

I’m not that much into football but it was nice to go and watch the match Germany vs. Italy last Friday. And since I was watching it with Germans I supported Germany of course. It would have ruined the whole atmosphere if I had been supporting Italy. The previous night when I was talking about watching the game with a friend I said if I was in Finland I would support Italy. He said: “Ok, now you’re not allowed to come and watch the game.” The comment came with a laugh and I promised to support Germany so I wasn’t excluded from this early morning game watching – luckily!

This is my "home" beach. :)

Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong with me cos I feel comfortable here on the other side of the world and I don’t seem to miss home. I do miss people, don’t get me wrong. But it seems I’m adapted to be away and I’m not letting myself to get depressed or anything just because I don’t have my friends and family here to talk and spend time with. I’ve made some new friends and life is very different here for me but I don’t seem to need much to be content and happy. Dreams don’t come true without a price. And I knew the price I was going to pay to be away from everyone.

Sometimes I’m sad when I see other people skyping with their family and friends. I’ve skyped probably three times in past three months. So no wonder I’m starting to “lose” Finnish words and I feel weird if I speak Finnish with Finnish travellers. I may be rude but I must say that luckily I haven’t had to speak Finnish with travellers for a while! But at the same time I’m a bit sad that there aren’t more Finnish people travelling cos I already prefer English now, what will it be when I’ve been here for a year? I already have to look up in the dictionary a little too often for words – Finnish words!

My mum is coming to visit me in November and I’m so excited! I just want to plan our trip together when I actually should be planning my own travels starting in about two weeks when I finish working here in Hervey Bay. I’ve been invited to Noosa so I’m going there first but then I should be travelling up north towards the warmer climate. I’m both excited and sad to leave. I’m so happy to go and travel to see new places but also sad not to have the familiar friends around to talk to anymore. I know I’ll meet new people, I don’t have to be alone, but it’s not the same as talking with people you’ve got to know a little bit better.

"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world."
- Lois Wyse -