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I got maybe two hours sleep last night, so in combination with excessive alcohol consumption (with inadequate water and no vitamins before sleep) and jet-lag, I was feeling poorly this morning. My body today is taking a real beating as it tries to adjust to the change in daylight, temperature, diet, amount of walking, and stress of daily situations. Last night really brought all that home strongly. The trip to Helsinki is uneventful, however the train ride gave me some time to reflect on what has passed so far.

I remember last night that X&Y remarked how unusual it was for someone to travel by themselves, on their first overseas trip, to an inhospitable climate, during a low-tourist time of year. Writing this entry some weeks later, the only thing which has posed any trouble is the lack of fellow travellers; hostels and hotels can make for a lonely place when the days are cold and dark, and no one is around. The problem is exacerbated up here somewhat by the cool distant nature of many Finnish people, where your best opportunity to make friends is with fellow travellers.

My reply to them was simply that this is the time for me to travel, given the scholarship time frame, and I would make the best of it. I find it amusing that the many years of university have inadvertently prepared me well for this trip; when an assignment needs doing, you don't stop until it's done. It is the same up here, it doesn't matter how tired you are, the day keeps going until all the duties of survival are done (eating, shopping, showering, washing etc). There is no safety net up here, no friends, family, base of operations (i.e. stocked cupboard or dresser) you can return to. Thus with the days full with sightseeing, it makes for a challenging, but rewarding experience.

Inside Helsinki central train terminal