Looking back now and I am amazed we made it!
With me we were 11 young people, who had just finished high school in Germany and were looking for a way to blow off some steam and just chill. I decided to invite them to spend 2 weeks at my grandmas’ cottage in Pihtipudas. In the middle of the forest by a lake. With no running water and minimal electricity. Oh, and they have never been to Finland before. Well…
Arriving in Pihtipudas
I had arrived a week earlier to make sure we have enough beds and water and food for the first day, so that everybody can settle in. My friends arrived at 5 in the morning, and I picked them up and drove them to the cottage. The first impressions I heard were: “wow, it’s quiet!” and “there are literally no people or buildings in sight!” I tried to help everybody settle in and explain rules like: “don’t wander too deep into the woods or you will run into the neighbour’s cottage”. And the first day did actually end well with no excitement.
Slowly descending into chaos
The next day, when I woke up, I found some of the boys cutting of a tree. Just because they could and they had never done it before, so it was exiting. Another one had found an axe and was making firewood out of everything he found. It was fun, he said. I accepted it as long as they promised not to cut down anymore trees. And the fact that it was dangerous using an axe and a chainsaw for the first time and with no instructions was not important to any of them. And I had to go to buy more food, so I left them alone. While I was in the shop I got a call to please buy some screws and nails. Like really big ones. When I arrived back with the food and nails, I understood why. The boys had suddenly decided to build a tree house while most of the girls were drunk. So, I just sat down and started drinking too.
The almost finished tree house.
The days went on all my friend found something to do. They went out fishing on a boat, enjoyed sauna, cooked by the fire, went swimming, partied loud into the night, played other than computer games, and for some reason really enjoyed the sunset every evening. Apparently, the sun sets here really slowly, and it takes for ever which is beautiful. I decided to let them do almost everything because they had so much fun and I couldn’t take that away.
The sunset we watched every evening.
All in all
The trip was actually really nice and although they did build a tree house, make a lot of fire wood, accidently melt the plastic carpet in the sauna, broke into the neighbour’s toilet to shit, build a sofa and a fire place and a diy shower outside, got drunk every night, went fishing and lost the fish-trap (katiska), I still believe it couldn’t have gone better. I got so much positive feedback on the trip because they were able to do so many things, that aren’t even really possible to do in Germany. They were off the grid and told me that they felt like living in the past, just having fun with friends. It was a real experience. So it is possible to invite a group, that have never been to Finland before, to the cottage and just let go.
Please share your thoughts in the comment box!
Love,
Sarai Hannula