Oulanka and Lights

This weekend I went on a field trip with my Humans and Environment class to Oulanka National Park. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive North East of Oulu very near the Russian border. We left at 8am on Friday and got back at 7 tonight. It was (as always) a lot of fun!

Above: Rapids
Right: Canyon

The class! Love these people

Finnish lakes are the most beautiful
lakes in the world!

Our activities for this trip consisted of eating yummy food, having a couple of very interesting lectures, hiking some trails, sauna, hanging out in the common room at night, and "crossing" the Russia/Finland "border". It's not technically the border, but it's very close. Russia is very strict with outsiders coming in so they have the roads blocked off. I guess in this picture, I'm more or less standing in no-man's land :P






Reindeer. Finland wouldn't be Finland without them. They are all along the sides of roads. You have to be careful while driving so you don't hit them. I learned on this trip that most all reindeer have an owner so don't just randomly shoot one. Sorry this picture isn't so good. It was taking in the moving bus :P I'll get a better one eventually!




The trip was really fun! But what put the icing on the cake was coming home and seeing the northern lights!!!! :D

SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!

They were very faint, but it doesn't matter! It was still an amazing experience and I can't wait to see them again!! :D :D :D

Hope you are doing well!
<3 Hannah