Moi!

Helsinki, Finland

So, I can’t say this enough, but we were spoiled last year with all the warm weather on the West Coast and we are paying for it this year.  Some of the coldest places on Earth and we are right in the middle of them during their coldest months. 

This definitely explains how we ended up in Helsinki, Norway when it was actually in the 60s at home for a few days this week.  I mean here, we were lucky to just get to 20 degrees for a high.  We were definitely back to the bitter cold and even though the arena wasn’t too far of a walk, there were times that it felt like we were walking forever because of the cold. 

It was the kind of cold where you were so bundled up all you were able to see were your eyes and if you had any glimpse of skin showing was bound to be frost bitten when you got in some place warm to unthaw. 

So, it just made sense to stay inside, however, I did want to venture out for a little and see what there was to see.  And it just so happened to be that the Summer Olympics were held here back in 1952.  Back then, the Games were known as the Games of the XV Olympiad.  I didn’t make it to the official building, but I did manage to find what looked like to be the training facilities or practice fields nearby.  There was even what looked like to be soccer field turned into and outdoor ice rink during this time of year.  That’s something that always makes me happy to see and maybe that’s because of my love for the sport or maybe it’s because I have never really skated outside. 

But that’s ok because the arena that we were performing in appeared to be composed mainly of large rocks in some areas inside and out, but it also had another ice surface that was completely underground!  Not to mention, on the very ice that we were performing on, the World Championships will be taking place later this year.  So, not only have I performed on the same ice as National and Olympic competitors, but now even World competitors! 

Sometimes, I really can’t believe this is happening.  I think maybe I am going to wake up and it’s all just going to be a dream.    

But for now, I am going to keep dreaming and enjoy every minute of sitting in a real Finnish home with heated floors!  Special thanks to Vilma Lehtinen and her family for welcoming all of us.  It was a true treat and a nice little break from the routine of hotels.  We not only enjoyed special Finnish dishes like reindeer, but we also had some furry company from her little, friendly pup, Lilly.  If you really want to get the attention of skaters on tour, just bring a dog around and we will all literally be there in .2 seconds.  This is not a joke. 

Anyhow, it was time to get down to business this week with evaluations and it was also our first six-pack in a while so we all had to get back into that routine again.  However, we did have a little break in the action to see a previous cast member, Ronja Eskola!  It’s crazy how it felt just like yesterday when we were all together again.  Looking back at old pictures and telling stories from when we just started with the show, and now three years later here we are.    

Reminiscing was nice, but the plane wasn’t going to wait for us.  Moving forward and further south, we were hoping for some warmer weather as we headed to Belgium. 

*(Moi – Hi in Finnish)