31.3.2018

Happy Easter love

This week has been busy and I have been ill, in Annika’s style, at least one hospital visit has to happen while on the road. Everything has been so great so far that I can comfortably go.

The mosquitoes had bitten me earlier a week ago and the wounds had already started healing until on the weekend they got swollen and started discharging. I sent pictures to my teacher and she said I must go to hospital. Yes I went to the hospital and they gave me some antibiotics and other medicines. They took blood tests from me. I went there on Tuesday and on Wednesday I had to go again. I got fever and convulsions at night between Tuesday and Wednesday. I was sweating and afterwards I was shivering for cold. I wondered if I was going to die now, here almost alone and far away from my family, but hey what could kill the Evil??? :´D

Here is a big party this week, the locals spend a week’s holiday and at weekend there is a big festival called Full moon Party, yeah!! I’m actually working on the weekend so I think I shouold escape from bigger parties. Or perhaps, besides you, I’m even fooling myself by saying this?! 😀 The first thing in life is to live, and only then the memoirs can be written! So I guess I must go live my dream and I write again after first living like grazy :DD

My friends invited me yesterday to take part on their family dinner and I was so taken and happy to be invited. There was a barbeque full of hot meat, sausages, potatoes and all the wonderful delicacies. I know it was a thank you invitation to me that really made me feel good. I appreciate them a lot and I would still like to thank the hospitality of this very kind act. Thank you. People here are amazing, beautiful, authentic and enjoy happy little things… I’m really grateful for these new friends <3

This week is celebrated as a celebration of the holy feast Semana Santa. The locals have their first holiday after the season.

Big festivals on the seaside, the same feeling as you were in festivals in Finland but on the seaside, my friends, on the TURQUOISE seaside <3. On Thursday at midnight, the music is turned off for a day and no one plays music. The music starts again on Friday at midnight and now the music is no longer turned off but is given to take whit the flow!!! YEEAHH I went on Thursday to smell a little bit of it out there and there she was the PARTYYYYY. Dance to the night and party like an animal and enjoy life, awesome!!!! On Saturday there is the actual full moon party, should I go to smell what is happening 😉 Now it’s the party time, see you my friends I love you guys!!!

AND  I was plucked yesterday and now my moneybag is stolen!! Don’t worry be happy !

26.3.18

We only have one life and one chance!!

At first my friends I want to ask how are things going in the rat bicycle?

People should listen to their own body and well-being. The body tells us everything and each and every one of us should feel our own body. In this magical adventure I’ve learned so much about myself and I have found myself in a completely new way. I have always been a heavy drinker of lemonade and juice. When I was in this place for the first week, my boss mentioned to me that it would be good if I reduced sugar by drinking less lemonade and sweet juices because they are not good for health. I know, of course, but what bad can sugar do for you? I promised my boss that I would stop it. Now I have not been drinking lemonade for four weeks, except for once. I have been doing so much better both physically and mentally. Water alone brings miracles to the human body. You guys must try it too!!

The eyes are the mirror of the soul!!

Maybe my eyes tell about happiness, I hear everyday “ Annika you are wonderful you are always so super happy and your eyes are sparkling for happiness why you always wear sunglasses you have beautiful eyes and they look happy “. Small things make me happy here. And one of them is the sea. Yes in the morning when I drive to work, I take a deep breath and smell the scent of the sea. Maybe I’m humbling about it… <3 Leaving back home to Finland is not yet present, but even a thought about it makes me anxious. The only things that make me happy there are my family and my dogs, but otherwise I cannot feel mentally or physically well. Many people talk to me about how anxious I am to return to Finland and how the mere thought brings me a feeling of constriction. Should I listen to my own body what it is trying to tell me? My heart and soul stayed here already in November when I was on vacation. The beauty of the sea is something so pleasing that I’ve never seen anything so beautiful and the sea is my inspiration. The turquoise view of the sea and its fragrance are my pleasure and ecstasy.

I’ve also learned a lot of my new workplace marketing stuff and I am grateful that I have a good boss here who knows how to advise a different style of marketing than in Finland.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK MY FRIENDS I MISS YOU GUYS SO FUCKIN MUCH!!! <3<3

Haters!

I start again by telling you guys how happy I am all the time!! But I am, can’t help it!! Here I hear everyday “yeeeh you saved my day, thank you for being here!” I ask what do you guys mean? “You’re always so happy, smiling, dancing, singing, laughing… you’re just full of joy all the time and you give us lots of energy.” So weird that in Finland people tell me “You look scary, are you planning to kill us, you always look so angry and negative.” What should I think about all this?

I am a person who is annoyed all the time, or at least I thought that I am. But here I’m not upset, of course, sometimes, but rarely. I do not know whether it is the pleasure and the positivity because of the sun or the heavenly beautiful ocean or the people that are living here. They always smile and are sincere. I feel mentally better here than ever before, and here I can be completely myself. In Finland I usually cannot be. Finnish people are so condemning and negative. Of course not all but 80%. I am afraid of the moment when I have to share the hate. Depression will probably be total. But the joy is that I’m graduating from the school and with good results.

And now I can say that, after all, it’s time to be proud of myself when I started planning a job abroad I was thinking that I would be with my backpack in the airport saying “I could have enjoyed being here”. Well, we know it never happened. Work and break have done good to me, it has all been worth it. I was thinking I could never arrange this all by myself, the school would have needed to help me finding a job and a place to live but I organized everything by myself. Maybe I’m not totally jerk! The school had limited this international training period to take place in Europe, but it seems that I could present things right since I ended up in the Caribbean instead of Spain. I love working with the sea, it calms me and the sea inspires me and gives me energy and its colour shakes my soul.

I’ve learned a lot and got to know the cultural differences which are huge. I could almost say that this is exactly the opposite to Finland. Not just in terms of weather but ALL. In many cases, I have been confused here; is this how things are going and no one has to address them. It has been said to me several times that you are coming from the most accurate rules country in the world. And now I really see it. Of course in Finland things are better not to argue, but if you love nature and independence this is a paradise. <3

Marketing has been my work here and I have learned a lot. Of course, something I already knew, but I can say that here I have truly learned so thanks to Sari and the school headmaster, this has been a useful journey, instructive and given me a lot. And I promised you when I left that I create: INTERNATIONAL connection and I feel that I have managed to do it.

On the first working day I started looking for business partners and got many companies to work with us and yesterday it was the first fruit I sold a paradise island package to two Finns. My boss was so proud of me, and maybe I could be as well. Great! Life is wonderful. Life would be magnificent if I got my babies (=my dogs) here, but somehow one day 😉 I don’t want go back home anymore.

Yesterday, I again went to get Finland deeper into the Caribbean map. I tell you, here baseball is a BIG THING. In every professional team there are at least two Dominican players which means that baseball is taken here seriously. Yesterday I went to watch the game in the evening and it was awesome, it felt the same as watching sm-league ice hockey in Finland. There were awesome vibes and I enjoyed with full breasts. I was laughing and dancing and so were some of the players. When one game ended, the teams caught me and started taking pictures of me. I was wondering what the hell is going on. Each team in turn photographed me, what the fuck? Now, at least Finnish Annika has been with the baseball teams in the pictures, I was not really excited about it, but I was trying to be polite.

In the morning, one or two of the gues came to talk to me about how I inspired them and how they got good energy of me. I asked them why the teams wanted to take pictures of me because it looked like a hell of a shit. They said they wanted to show everyone how wonderful and awesome I am. I’m still a little confused about all this. But I’m happy if I’m able to inspire people. However, I do not want celebrity, even though it has already been said that I’m a celebrity here. I’m wordless, but I am a person who also requires own privacy. Yet, to be able to inspire people is quite intriguing, right?

xoxo<3 Caribbean lover <3

13.3.2018

Happy greetings for my beloved!!

Happy but very tired! My father came here on vacation last Thursday, I am very happy about that 😊 I only have time to see dad in the evenings. Dad visited my workplace and liked it a lot and praised the beauty. Today I have a day off and I’ll go surfing in the morning and after that I hang out with my dad. Next week we are going to some excursion on my free day with dad.

I’ve been dead tired this week, and I don’t understand why. Perhaps because it has started to be much warmer than before or maybe because I get up in the morning at five that I have time to surf before going to work. I wake up in the morning, I go surfing before going to work and I am working from 10 am to 6 pm, then run home to take a shower and after that I go to meet my father. I get home after 9 pm, after which I write a blog or I do another school work. At least I cannot complain that I didn’t have anything to do and my life would be boring…

Have dreams come true or are they going to be implemented?

I have taken a huge step to make my dreams come true. A year ago I wouldn’t have imagined how life could be. I never dreamed of a dream come true. But if you work hard enough you can make things happen. And I’m willing to do that. The first dream was to get to the Caribbean which was accomplished in December. Another dream I realized was that I can work abroad.

You see two dreams already realized, incredible!!

Yesterday something really strange happened, can you imagine?

I was working normally and heard when someone asked “Is Annika here?”. I wondered what the hell is THAT who is asking me here? I was wondering in my head what bad have I done this time!? I was afraid that the guy was a police or something. I encouraged myself to shake his hand, and I proudly said I’m Annika is everything all right?

The man said yes everything is fine and asked if I have a moment. I said yes yes, how can I help you. I talked so long and he came to offer me a job if I just wanted it, can you imagine? I am still amazed that he came all the way to my workplace to ask if I was interested on the job and yet on the other side of the world where I come from. If this took place in Finland EVEN I would have some doubts, but here in the Caribbean I’m in shock. How can these people know or know me here already? I’ve already been offered two working places here but I’m currently working on the dare2fly and Vitamin D and I will not take any other offer. I’m working here now and then looking at what the future will bring when I need to leave Dare2fly and Vitamin D. I enjoy this job very much and I like my colleagues.

And the most wonderful thing here is that my boss is a wonderful dog, Twiggy. Twiggy helps me when I miss my own babies who are now with their grandmother at home. Oh how much I miss them, but fortunately my workplace has dogs and their presence calms me. Also my boss manager Camilla has a dog Elenor who is a little snooped poodle.

Beloved greetings to everyone and do not break the spring into depression as it feels like many of my friends in Finland are going through. The point is to enjoy summer and brightness.

what do you want from your life??

<3<3

The worst storm in 25 years. Even the hurricane is not that bad they said.

Many people lost their companies and everything here. I now see things from a different perspective and I really respect those people more than anybody.

On Monday the storm was at its worst. Everyone was asked to leave Encuentro the beach where my surf school is located.  The sea took off the surf schools and restaurants. The beach owner looked at the sea and looked sad and I saw from his eyes how fucked up he was.

I asked who would take care of the animals on the beach? He told me the nature will take care of her owns.  The sea came all the way around us and the most of the buildings collapsed. I know I should not have been there. I promised my parents and teachers that I’ll stay out of there!!!!

I was scared but at the same time I have never seen anything so powerful and beautiful to cry about sorrow and also about its beauty.

Only me and the surfing school owners stayed on the beach. I wondered if they were disturbed by my presence. At the same time, I saw a girl who tried to steal surfboards that had been taken to concrete blocks from the sea. I said to the beach owner and the security man of matter and they got the boards back. I’m angry that people have no respect, surf school owners have already lost their buildings and some asshole tries to steal their boards as well!!! Where is humanity and respect??? People are so selfish!!

I thought they wanted to stay undisturbed on their own and look and mourn in peace, but even though they welcomed me, they said it would not be safe here. For some reason I could not just leave and leave all the animals there so I stayed on the beach. I know, I know I know stupid!!!

In Finland, in conditions like this, everything is locked in. Here, they tried to save buildings from the creeping beach so that boards, loose material and everything would not enter the sea. This made me fall in love with them more and more. These people will always stay in my soul and heart for respecting animals and nature.

I am learning to understand the sea and how waves always come in cycles. Bigger waves do not come to the shore, but after the big ones they get smaller and they hit the beach and over. In the dark you cannot see anymore because the waves are so pig that come to the shore but you also learn to listen to the sea and the sound of it because of the rush to leave. A few times I ran into a dog in the back. I slept on the beach with dogs and ducks. I was scared, but I’ve never slept so well that night on the beach. I was thinking that if the wilderness has decided today is my last day, I cannot help it.

In the morning I woke up when the rooster crowed, and I discovered I’m alive and the sea has calmed down a little bit. I went home, changed clothes and went to the grocery store and bought them pineapples, chicken, biscuits, lime fruit salad and, of course, food for dogs and chicken and went to help people rebuild in the buildings and clean up the trash. They were so grateful to me and they told me how much they all respect me. They said there are people and hundreds of surfers all the time, but whenever they need help there’s nobody except me. I was grateful to them that I was welcome to their big family. I really respect those guys.

I have a free day from my work on Tuesdays so I had the opportunity to help people on the Encuentro beach. My job is at Kite beach in Cabarete, about 5 km from Encuentro beach. I went to check what the storm had done but my work place was spared from the biggest destruction, even though the sea had destroyed the terrace. I returned to Encuentro beach after a few hours and EVERYTHING was already rebuilt; the new cafes, restaurants, schools and everything. Every year there is a storm, but this was the worst for 25 years. I told them that I wrote about this and they were very grateful that people would really understand that even in Paradise life is not always easy!

In the evening we sat and ate fish and there was a beach owner and his manager and people from other companies. I asked them is it certainly ok that I’m here. They all said they like me, that I am really helping them when no one else cares, and they respect me for bringing them food and for all the help. At the same time, I felt like a VIP that I had the chance to see the fury of the sea. In fact, not many people in their lives can see and learn to understand the sea. Something so beautiful with the turquoise colour. Of course pictures and videos never show the reality, but my eyes will never forget that beauty.

I must tell a sad thing, one little boy, the ocean ate the little boy which is so sad. Even in Cabarete, there are big damages in companies I do not know if there are any more casualties there.

This is my most valuable post and I am dedicating my greatest respect for these people. And for once, I’m proud of myself that I could be helpful to someone who really needs it. The storm is now calmed down and maybe tomorrow I can go surfing again <3

RESPECT CABARETE <3

BUT STILL HAPPY WHITE GIRL IN CARIBBEAN

 2.3.20018

How grateful can it be?

So fucking grateful that I cannot even tell how grateful I am <3

I want to hug my school teacher Sari and the headmaster and of course my parents who look after my babies Tyyne and Helga. I miss them more than words can tell. And a special hug to my boss Tracy who gave me the job <3

Every morning I wake up and think this is a dream. This place and people here are so different compared to Finnish people who always are angry and have negative vibes. Here everybody asks every day “what’s up”, “how are you”, “hola”, and they talk to me even though they don’t know me, so nice! I’m scared to go back home and see all those negative people. I feel lucky to still have plenty of time left here 😊

I really like my job, my boss is awesome and so is the manager Camilla. They are the kind of people that I like. And I love it that they trust me and give me free hands. In every posting I keep saying the same thing but that’s how I feel.

I really miss my dogs but I know they are in best hands at home, my mom and dad are taking good care of them <3 Everytime I go home here it’s so quiet which is strange. At home in Finland when I go home the dogs always arrange carnival and circus but I love that they show me how much they love me and I love them.

My dad will come to visit me here next week. It is so nice that he comes. Of course my dad goes to the beach to worship the sun 😀

This morning I am going to surfing again and how cool that will be, I am so excited. This all is so cool, I think too nice. I am always here so happy and positive.

I often think I cannot trust myself. I always think that whatever I’ll do I’ll screw up everything. But I should trust me even a little bit. Here people tell me every day how nice it is to come here because I always smile and give them happy vibes and inspire people. Why couldn’t I trust myself? Many many people tell me this every day but still I think I am a looser.

Five years ago doctors told me I would die. And if I survived I would never walk again. Now I surf, ride a horse, snowboard and do many many other things. Whatever I do, I still tend to think I am a looser. Now, surrounded by this paradise, it’s fucking time to stop those thoughts and start thinking I am a SURVIVER! And I really must start trusting myself, isn’t that true?

PEACE LOVE ROCKENROLL  RESPECT AND POSITIVE VIBES !! <3 <3 <3

26.2.2018

BUENOS DIAS

My first week is done. A few things that I have learned to respect in such a short time are FRIENDS and FAMILY. I’ve never travelled alone, and this is and will be a very instructive journey. I didn’t think that six hour time difference compared to Finland would be bad but it is, I don’t really have time to communicate with my friends in Finland since they go to bed when I’m still at work and I am sleeping when they go to work in the mornings. I miss them and speaking Finnish with them.

I’ve had to do real jobs here. In many places, trainees do what nobody else bothered to do. In my experience, this place and Hirvikartano are model examples of how students are treated. You can never learn if you cannot do anything besides cleaning up. My boss is a great gal, really robust and outspoken. The kind of person that I like, similar to me. I find it easy to talk about things directly, and not to make everything difficult by going around and act as it should be. She gives me tasks and gives me the freedom to explore and to finish them, without all the time breathing behind my back. I appreciate that she trusts the company’s business for a Finnish idiot 😀 We even discussed that in future I could start organizing travel packages for people from Finland to come surfing here. That is, I probably have not fully fucked up my first working week 😀

Last Tuesday I had a free day and I used it by getting to know places. How cool the rented scooter can be to allow me to easily get from one place to another. The public “bus” or whatever Corolla is handy and cheap, but somehow not my thing. Taxi works, but it costs over longer time. The scooter is such a spectacular vehicle here. It really works !! I rented it for a month. Yesterday evening aired home, I felt alive and was burning with happiness, it was so cool  <3

I also went surfing last week and how cool can it be? Coolest ever, I am so happy and I will use all my possible free time to continue learning it. Many people told me I couldn’t do it, it would be too difficult. I got to stand up on board on the third trial which is well done from the first time beginner. THAT’S ABOUT IT!! I also want to try kitesurfing and I will try it. I will take all the pleasure out of this.

FREEDOM is different compared to at home, but it has been my choice. Having animals limits your life surprisingly much. People always say “they are just animals” but for me they are all my life and my family. And they are a big responsibility. They cannot be left alone for 12 hours. So they always require me to spend time with them. I love to do it, but this feeling of freedom is awesome too. I did not experience it until I was on holiday here in paradise with my soul friend in December.

Writing a blog once a week was said to be enough to at least know that I’m alive and well. This has also been a good way to open up by typing my ideas and thoughts. If not being compulsory, this would not be done, but now that this is a part of my international work I really enjoy it.

All this has been more than awesome, I have met new people from all around the world and hey I even saw three Finns 😀

In this place the sense of time is completely lost, I don’t even know what day it is. I find it difficult to concentrate myself to writing even in Finnish not to mention in English, but in full silence and peace I try my best – the success is another thing.

XoXo <3