Spread over the land, are five tiny wooden huts, each one with its own function: the living room, bedroom, the toilet, garage and sauna. I love the view of these huts surrounded by only green environment, alongside one of the 180.000 lakes of Finland. Hundreds of berries grow at every single bush in the garden, calling to be plucked. The ‘livingroom-hut’ is approximately 25 m². I automatically look for the fridge, when I look  questionable into Viivi’s eyes, I remember; there is no electricity here, she prepared me. “Fortunately”, it is as cold as in the frigde outside, so I place our stuff there. From then on, we go back to the basics, back to nature. The toilet is simply a hole in the ground, that is covered by a cute wooden hut. We chop wood for the fire, to be able to make ourselves some food. In the meanwhile, we fill up a big pan of fresh water that we pull up from the well. Also, we dig up our potatoes, carrots and onions from the garden and wash them in the lake. This is as fresh as you can get. After lunch, we are going out by boat. We try to catch some fish for dinner.

At the time we are done, around 10 PM, the sauna is ready and heated up by our own wood. That is where the real Finnish tradition really starts. When I awkwardly undress myself, the Fins already started their sauna procedures. Fins are super shy, and sometimes do not even dare to look you in the eye. Paradoxically, they are completely at ease when they are together in the sauna, totally naked. It is the way to get together in Finland. Even business meetings are held in sauna’s. The cold Finnish afternoon suddenly turns into a warm and romantic night at candle light. And what to do when it is getting too hot inside? Then we simply jump in the icecold water of the lake, the thermometer indicates only 12 degrees Celcius. I am freezing, but it is so much fun. It is pitchdark outside, but the night makes it even more exciting and idyllic. Here, in the middle of nowhere, without any light pollution of the city, the stars are shining brighter than ever. I glow from happiness, and from the cold, looking at the millions of stars above us.