Why did Anni cross the road?

Well, she couldn’t exactly swim across, could she?

Me, myself and I

First off, let me start by introducing myself. I am Anni, a tourism student from Lapland UAS. I love all things odd: birds, deep sea, studying natural disasters and catastrophes, diving and probably some other things that make at least a few people furrow their brows. Cooking and baking for my friends is my passion but we don’t talk about that. Also, I look tired all the time and that’s because I am.  I was going to ramble more about myself, so why don’t you click “read more” and learn a bit more about my journey to understand more of how I became myself and what do I plan to be?

 

I’d like to congratulate you on your excellent choice of choosing to read more. Secondly, be warned because I tend to ramble.

Unlikely events

It all started when I was barely 10 years of age. My grandmother, in all her good will, had me read Reader’s Digest when I was staying over, and one of the magazines had a horrifyingly detailed article of a shark attack, with pictures attached. The young me was shocked and borrowed the magazine, and read the article over and over again, in secret from my parents. Instead of being traumatized, I became infinitely interested in sealife, disasters and all things a 10-year-old girl is usually not interested in.

A shocking experience might change us in ways we never expected.

My shock happened when I graduated from high school and started studying in Tampere. At first I intended to become a hotel receptionist, after which I studied history and politics in the University of Tampere. Not really knowing what to do, who to be or what a study was a big shock for me – I had never had a dream career unlike a lot of my friends, if we don’t count my childhood dream of being a cat caretaker. (To be honest, I would still love to be one). Then one day I stumbled upon an advertisement about Lapland UAS and started reading more about the international tourism studies. At that moment something resonated within me and I applied without thinking too much. As you can now see, the path I chose led here, to my fourth and last year of tourism studies.

But where will the path lead to?

Odds and ends

If we in Rovaniemi had sun, sea and sand, I’d love to be a diving instructor or design tourism products around water. Maybe I will find a way to utilize the rivers flowing through Rovaniemi and make something completely unique, who knows. Right now, I work both as a housekeeper and a clothing store employee – humble careers, but I sleep my nights well and have some sense of direction in my life.

This post was a journey. How about you? What event has changed your life or shocked you?