Circumnavigate Your Soul

Being born to a woman of great adventure and enthusiasm for travel is beyond a blessing. Most mothers try to shelter their children from the world in an attempt of protection. With my mom being the amazing person she is, I quickly learned what the world truly had to offer.
At the pure age of 7, I was introduced to the country and culture of Finland where a family friend and former exchange student we knew had resided. Maria was a babysitter of my brother and mine's for a few months when she traveled to Orlando, Florida with a work abroad program. My mom seized the opportunity to introduce us to any new culture and quickly offered a place in our home to Maria. She was quick to please with her stories from back home and lessons on her way of living. We grew intrigued by her culture and vowed to visit her when she went back. From the moment she spoke I was in awe of just how different people truly are. Being so young I only had exposure to the society around me and it didn't take much for me to realize just how passionate I was about learning and exploring new cultures.
After Maria had returned home we made sure to keep in touch. Upon approval of our trip to Finland, I grew increasingly excited and could not wait to experience her country through my own eyes. It took a 25 hour plane trip and 2 different transitions, but when we arrived I was astounded. I stood in complete awe in front of the most unique and beautiful architecture I had ever seen. Everything was just so different and fascinating. Each corner a potential adventure and every door hid secrets of a new world. I felt as if I had traveled to a new planet, keep in mind I was so young so everything was exaggerated; nonetheless, this new world was brilliant.
Beyond first looks, I also fell in love with the education I gained from my adventure In Finland. From Helsinki to Lapland and the Arctic Circle, there was an abundance of information to delve into. The culture's history, religion, and performing arts were taught to me in the city of Helsinki. I learned of a more spiritual and older style world in snow covered fields of Lapland. The memory I hold closest to my heart is of riding sleighs attached to racing reindeer through a snowy forest where we reached a tepee and drank reindeer milk around a fire. We had charcoal dots placed on our foreheads to mark our afterlife antlers. An experience beyond words. Finland will always be the country that opened my eyes to my true passion of travel.