Arriving at Stansted

I am back in the UK thought back in the USSR is playing in my head. Though I have been pleasantly surprised with the weather and pleased to see some fat cows in lovely green fields, there is nothing that excites me here. Not even Crunchie Bars and canned spaghetti.

I have realised I like living in a foreign country. I like the challenge of living in a different and difficult country. I like the perplexities of the Finnish language and of course the Finnish people. Don't tell anyone but I just might like it there.

On the plane, between fits of deep dribbling-on-shoulder sleep, I daydreamed of taking the train to Russia, walking along the South Karelian border, learning the country's history, cycling through Aland at midsummer.

I want to see more of Estonia than Tallinn, pop across to Riga and visit Stockholm, but not on the slow drinking disco boat. I want to visit Berlin again and soak up its history till it crushes me. I want to take a train to Poland and actually do something in Jyvaskala besides work! I want to see the northern lights in winter and watch the sun bounce off the horizon in summer.

I want to try cross country skiing, go ice fishing, walk on more frozen seas. Maybe this trip will help me decide how long I might be in Finland for.

The UK is putting it in a good light but how will Suomi fare against sunny hospitable Turkey?

Back to those dribbling day dreams...