✖ things I'm doing differently on my 3rd year of uni

✖ things I'm doing differently on my 3rd year of uni

Monday 21 September 2020

 It's finally begun, my third year at the University of Applied sciences. There are less than two years before my graduation and becoming an expert in the digital communications field. There's yet to decide where to make my final dissertation, however, it should be decided by the end of this year since we're beginning to write them during the Spring semester. Where has the time gone, really?

Last year was indeed a string of unfortunate events of me wanting to drop off (from uni and life in general) and I wouldn't call it the best year of my life. I left so much behind, as all I didn't leave behind was my bed and the feeling to neglect myself in many ways imaginable. This year though, everything's felt different.

Autumn arrived in 2020 and I was scared. I was dead scared of all those 2019 memories flooding back into my brain and I was mortified by the fact that this year would be the same. What if I was a total fuck-up? What if I wasn't any good? What if I won't become anything I've ever wanted in life? My overthinking brain went to the next level in their overthinkingness and I was certain everybody hated me, I wasn't going to fit in anymore, and I was no good.

Yet, the year began and I picked my sorry little piece of arse up and went to the uni just to realize that all I had been thinking about was my mind playing tricks with me. I figured out that this year could be a new start for me, a divorcee-to-be mum of one adorable toddler, who is ready to leave her past behind, kick her to-be-ex-husband out of the flat they owned together and start a fresh new life working only for her and her own damn future (not to forget her son, of course.)

And that's what I've been doing this Autumn. I've been kicking ass. I've gone and taken the responsibility for a project, become a project manager at uni, and been investing in my future by actually being present at classes. Being interested in developing myself in the future, becoming a stronger person, and most importantly a better mum and a woman, not for anyone else but for my own sake.

Last year this time, I was ready to end my own life. This year, I feel like my life has just begun. And I don't need anyone to tell me that I won't be able to do things, I don't need anyone telling me how I should do things regarding my own life. I've gained back my self-respect, and I've been able to discover things I've never thought I'd be capable of doing. I will take on the world.

So what am I doing differently in uni this year?

I'm being me. Unapologetically, me.

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✖ 3 things to consider when spending a night outside

✖ 3 things to consider when spending a night outside

Saturday 19 September 2020

 I've slept multiple nights outside this summer, in a tent - so I would consider myself somewhat of an expert on this topic. Last summer I visited 6 different National Parks in Finland. SIX! Could you imagine? Due to the covid-19 situation the world is facing at the moment, I've had no other choice than explore my beautiful birth country, so here we are. And oh boy, I've learned some things. And yes, I am going to share.

✖ pick a proper tent carefully

Okay, first things first - I've slept in two different tents this summer and both of them were ones my mum found at her place while she was moving house. My first main tip for you is, that no matter how well your mama sells it to you, it probably isn't that good. The first tent I slept in was a 4-person tent, which means that it's quite large and damn heavy to carry around. Fortunately for us, we were mostly making day trips with that tent, and the only place we had to carry it was to the camping area we used to sleep our nights in. You could've held a party in that tent, just saying. Also, if your mum tells you that the smaller tent she's got, is much lighter and is in perfect condition - don't buy it, she probably has no clue about it. She also marketed it as waterproof, but it wasn't. It was a great tent though, a lot smaller than the party tent, easier to carry (considering I dragged it with me for 105 kilometers), however, one of the sticks turned out to be broken and the water-resistance of it (even though we had an appropriate cover as an extra on top of the tent) didn't turn out to be as great as my mum said it would be. So what did we learn from this? Neither of those tents is not coming with me on a hike to Norway next summer and instead, I will be buying a proper tent for myself no matter if I had to pay a little extra for it. Just for comfort.

✖ have an appropriate sleeping bag

I tend to get a bit cold when sleeping outside, no matter the weather or season outside. Nights are cold as fuck anyway. So having a good sleeping bag with you makes things much easier.

✖ don't trust the water resistance of your tent and have a cover for it just to be safe

I'm thanking myself for that cover I mentioned in the part I was talking about picking the right tent.

So after all, this turned out to be a rant about my mum and her tents. Oh wow, look at that. Some self-discovery right is written there in black on white. Have you spent nights outside this summer?

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