Trip

I just got back from the Malmö-trip and the weather and atmosphere in Helsinki is sort of strange. It's not quite dark yet, but it's by no means light either. The clouds seem to hang quite low, the humidity is quite high and it would appear as if we'll be getting at least some rain soon. But then again, the wind is also non-existent, and I live in Lauttasaari, right on the sea shore. Could this be the calm before a storm?

The trip, albeit brief, certainly gave some perspective and helped clear my thoughts a bit. It's time to come out and admit it, I've reduced my life into a set of routines. More or less. Some sort of shake-up would be in order. While walking around downtown Malmö and then taking the train to the airport on the outskirts of Copenhagen, I was sort of sad that I was coming back to Finland. Or that was the overall general mood. Of course there are also some things in Finland which I'm looking forward to engaging in again.

I haven't been travelling that much recently. When I was younger, my parents were quite keen travellers and I was subjected to a bit of globetrotting. So in that sense I would guess that the Born Global -model has been present with me in some way from the get-go. But since then I've been mostly keeping my feet firmly on Finnish soil. Not that I have anything against travelling per se, but too much of any single thing will cause you to suffer from overeating. This trip helped to wet my appetite again.

Now, travelling is of course sort of fun and enjoyable. But being a tourist is annoying. If I go somewhere, I don't really give a damn about the history of the place or doing any organized siteseeing. That's just annoying. I guess I just want to fit in. To be a part of the large organism, typically a foreign city, rather than just observing it through the lens of a camera. And the best way to achieve that is to just spend more time than a week in one single place. Maybe get a job or study something. To just lead a normal life there. To experience more than the shallow and superficial surface that tourists either cannot or will not dare break.

Oh, and while I was writing this, it started to thunder. So it would certainly seem that we might be getting one of the first storms in Helsinki this year (at least as far as my memory serves me right).

Airports

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I like airports. Then again, I don't fly that often, so I'm not that annoyed with them yet. And when I fly, I usually don't have any connections, so I don't have to sit 10 hours at the gate, waiting for my next hop. Flying itself I don't like. But the airports are sort of like true melting pots and hubs of life. At least during the daytime. You see all sorts of people, going about their lives. You see the business men in suits, scurrying to the lounges and fighting with Outlook and their laptops. Then there are the groups of people who're going on a trip and are getting into the mood by downing a couple of pints before the flight. And of course there are us, the lone travellers who are not on business, but nonetheless need to fly for some reason or another. And tons of other types of people too. It's fun to observe them as they go about their business of buying their tax-free products, catching a quick bite before the flight, brushing their teeth in the bathroom after being stranded at the airport for the night, and so on. But, time to go as the boarding is just about to commence...

The Modern Road Warrior

Well, ok, I don't really travel that much, but I've been noticing a trend in the stuff I buy. Especially electronics. I like small, durable, and wireless. So what do I have with me when I do travel?

• laptop (Thinkpad T40)
• external hard drive (small aluminium LaCie USB drive, 100 GB)
• mobile phone (Nokia E70)
• headset (some random Nokia Bluetooth headset)
• a bunch of chargers (this is actually a real problem!)

If I have to be able to do work, then I'll need to either take along another laptop or replace the T40 with the work laptop and of course the SecurID card.

And then of course a pile of books, clothes, sanitary equipment (toothbrush, contact lense stuff, haircare stuff, face-care stuff, etc.), and a portfolio case with relevant papers/magazines and so on. Previously I've been typically lugging along a duffel bag and a laptop bag, but recently I pretty much got rid of the laptop bag and just throw the laptop and other stuff in between clothing (works well, I don't fly that often and I typically have my bag with me at all times).

It's nice to know that packing has become a routine already. I guess I can pretty much pack a bag for a week-long trip in about 15 minutes. The only problems are jackets; you can only take one with you without any hassle...