News & Views

At Work and At Leisure, Part V: Travelling

29 July 2020

In the fifth interview, Legal Assistant Jessica tells you about her passion – travelling. Jessica especially enjoys solo travelling, as it gives her the opportunity to meet new people, and it also challenges her to get out of her comfort zone. Do you feel inspired? Maybe it is time for you to start searching for your next travel destination once the borders open.

What do you like the most about travelling?

The best thing about travelling is getting to experience new countries, cities, and cultures and getting a broader glimpse of the world. I prefer solo travelling, as it gives me the opportunity to meet new people but also challenges me to get out of my comfort zone. For me, travelling is also about living in the moment and not planning ahead too much. When travelling, you make memories and experience so many new things at once, which, in my opinion, is the most valuable thing you can own.

What was your very first travelling experience?

My parents took me to Lapland to visit my grandparents when I was one year old. This was during the summer, so I had to stay inside most of the time because of the mosquitoes. Luckily, after that, we visited my grandparents every winter in my childhood, and I have the greatest memories of skiing, ice fishing, and enjoying the winter in Lapland.

What is the most interesting or memorable country you have visited?

I spent about two weeks in Namibia during a trip through Southern Africa. This trip included new activities every day and is by far the most active holiday I have ever experienced. I got to experience a canoe trip through Orange River, camp in the desert, climb the dunes, see safaris and many wild animals, and end the day with dinner by the fire every night. Some nights (when it was safe enough) we would even sleep under the stars in the desert. To get a look at Namibia from above, I tried skydiving over the desert of Swakopmund. Although this trip was quite tough and included many early mornings (I also discovered I am not a morning person) I am really happy I did it, and it is easily my most interesting travel story.

What does your hobby say about you?

In my opinion, it shows that I am quite curious and observant. Travelling has taught me to adapt to unexpected situations and to become a problem solver and more spontaneous. Solo travelling means that I am quite independent and comfortable in my own company. In general, I think travelling also makes you more brave and open-minded.

Do you have any travel-related goals for the future?

In the future, once the coronavirus pandemic has stabilised, I wish to do more backpacking trips for longer periods at a time. I am also interested in spending more time in Southeast Asia. Another goal is to do volunteer work abroad, preferably at a school teaching English to children, for example. However, since right now is not the time to travel, I am going to enjoy (a hopefully warm and sunny) summer here in Finland for now.

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