Preparations..

Today we switched to winter time. If nothing else, this is a clear sign of the seasons changing. We still have quite warm days due to the fact that it has been raining a lot here. We've had some 5-7 degrees, far more than we are used to during this time of year. This of course might change in just a blink of an eye, but for now we're happy with the autumn weather continuing. Of course changing the clocks means that it gets darker earlier here, something I don't love but hey, look at the bright side. Like this we get to have loads of cozy candle light evenings.

Something related to this, is the new trend here in Helsinki for shops. Lately we've had a lot of shopping evenings, when shops lower their prices between six and nine o'clock, the latest hours that is. Next to come are the "Mango shopaholic night" and Diesel's "Rock is back again" event. I think this is a great way to spend an evening and a great effort from the shops' point of view.

While reading my favorite Finnish magazine "Trendi", I suddenly noticed something that made me feel all warm inside. There was a one-page-long article about Milan, and what places the Finnish designer Teemu Muurimäki would take his guests in the city. I smiled, since I recognized all the places. I realized that I miss Milan. At that moment I came to think about a terrible fact- it's been a year since I've been in Milan!! Not in four years has there been one year that I haven't put my foot in that city. Hmm..I've been thinking about going to Florence in the spring. I think I must pass by Milan. Definately. I must. My second city is calling for me. I feel it in my toes. Must go.

It's funny how you realize how lucky you are with the person you're with when you quarrel. I mean, from time to time I show some signs of the unsecure me, and it's quite natural that we argue with my V. But it's funny, we can be as angry as bees and then we sit beside each other on the sofa and just pretend to watch TV. The only thing we need is one of us reaching out for the other one, and boom, we can't stay more than 3cm from each other again. Just the other day, I said to V that if we really didn't love each other, we would have broken up so many times already. We just know that the other one is the right one and there is always a point in the arguments we have when we realize that it would be so much more terrible to stay without the other one than to give in and compromize. I know we both take this relationship seriously and that makes me seriously happy.

Halloween is knocking on the door. Just yesterday I ran in to a costume store in downtown Helsinki and it was swamped. You could hardly get through the corridors in the store. Halloween in Finland is a somewhat new tradition and therefore people do not merely dress scary, but you can use your whole imagination to come up with an outfit. I immediately noticed that nobody else was thinking of anything any way near my idea. I can't wait. My school is organizing a party next Saturday so I have one week to design and complete my outfit. Oh what fun it's going to be!

Before that though I have a lot to do: school tomorrow, work on Tuesday, Michael Jackson's "This is it" documentary on Wednesday, school again on Thursday with my meeting to discuss my thesis-yeeek! Let's see if I'll survive, hehe...I'll let you know!

What's your opinion?

@elisabeth.rundlof