stride

On Saturday, I took a wonderfully exhausting, three-hour trek around Alajärvi. I finally made it to the lakeside church - designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, built in 1836. The attached cemetery is staid, serene, sheltered by pines. I am left to imagine what this perfect view of the lake must look like in summer, as everything is still frozen under 20 cm of white. It's a pity the walk to get to the cemetery is an hour in the snow, or I would have visited much sooner.

Scenes around Alajärvi church

Near the church is the town hall and library, both designed by Alvar Aalto. Having visited his buildings in Seinäjoki, I can easily identify his signature geometry and stark contrasts. I strolled down the side streets of the city center; it being Saturday past two in the afternoon, almost everything was closed. I counted this as a reconnaissance mission and made my way to the bigger grocery stores that remain open until six. Supplies in hand, I started walking home. The strain of my backpack and the two miles that still lay ahead of me made the going slow. These are the times you learn the meaning of sisu. As always, I rewarded my perseverance with a cup of cocoa when I got home.

The corner of Alvar Aalto road and church road

Monday saw my last Finnish language class. I now have an arsenal of vocabulary, but still very little understanding of how to piece it together into coherent sentences. I look forward to expanding my study when I get home. Also on Monday, I finally managed to find and visit the second-hand shop in the city center. I found a few souvenirs, two dresses and managed to communicate about half of my interaction with the shopkeeper in Finnish.

Evidence of the stride-hitting

Now, as I turn the corner into my final week in Alajärvi, I feel like I am finally hitting my stride. My work has developed, new themes emerged, and I have even been rehearsing what I will say when people ask me about my drawings. Probably a good sign that I want to talk through it more than I want to keep quiet about it, a tendency that may have held me back in the past. It's always an exciting time when I find my groove - and in these final days, I have been making an effort not to waste a moment. For the first time in a long time, I think my artist future looks more promising than bleak.