Ken and Kaarna: Freedom!

After weeks of hot summer, a cold and rainy June starts. It annoys the Nippunen family, because they need sunshine to function.

Ken is in agony.
- I have a deadline of three big assignments tomorrow and I haven’t even started them.

- Why did you leave them in last moment, you senile?!
- Because I don’t understand them. At all! I simply can’t do them!
- Ken, give up on this school. No need to torture yourself.

Ken explains the situation to his personal unemployment agency worker and wants to know what is the punishment if he drops out of the school.
- No punishment! The course was your own voluntary choice so you are allowed to quit it without consequences. Don’t worry. Enjoy the summer and we will meet in the fall again.

Ken sighs:
- So embarrassing. I’ve never been a quitter.
Kaarna comforts him in her own excellent way:
- Now you are and it’s great. You’re just a normal mortal soul, like the rest of us. There’s nothing good about perfectionism. Let it go! Be a happy loser!

One day Ken runs into the kitchen and seems to be very excited:
- Kaarna! Come out!
- Hell no. It’s winter out there.
- But I have a surprise for us!

- A SUP board!!!! Excellent!!!
- I thought we might need some cheering up and I remembered that you liked paddeling with Mari last summer.

- So cool! I hope the summer comes back right now!

Kaarna’s wish comes true and the weather changes to better!
Ken asks:
- Are you sure you don’t want to ask Mari to join us? We can take the tent for you two.
- And listen to her complain about the bugs and the sounds of nature and canned food and louzy coffee? Watch how she stays up too late and sleeps through the best moments in the morning? Wakes up grumpy in the hot tent? Not in a million years! I want to enjoy this trip 100%.

Poor Herbert. Its eyelashes are coming off, it has rust on his sides and the motor requires more and more expensive repairs every year. Ken strokes its hood and wonders how much longer he can afford keeping it.
- Ready to hit the road, old friend?

The first morning on the road is the best. That’s when you remember why you put your last penny to repair the van, that eventually will take you to bankrupt.

Kaarna shows Ken the easy way to paddle: sitting down on the board.

- Standing up requires so much ab control and balance that it takes the fun away from this, she explains.

Ken wants to try the board standing up, but he keeps falling down with a big splash.

Kaarna has fun watching.
- I told you! But thanks for the entertainment anyway, she laughs.

Ken agrees that Kaarna’s way is much more relaxing. Now a whole new world is open to them! All the little islands of the lake Saimaa!

Since the amount of mosquitos is unimaginable, Ken and Kaarna decide to head to sea shore. It must be windy enough over there. Naturally they drive the smallest roads and check the sights on the way.

Ken wants to pose with the Leader Frame with a view to an old water mill.

A mosquitofree morning by the seaside. Kaarna hates the smell of the seawater, but it’s still better than getting eaten alive by the bugs.

The water is cold and refreshing. When Kaarna comes back, she sees Ken talking to a dog walker.
- Always so damn social.

- That man was not a friendly person. ”This is not a camping area,” he said to me.
- As if we didn’t know that! This is a free parking area of a small harbour. Surely you told him the difference between camping and parking?
- No. I just smiled politely and thanked him. We have to move on.

Kaarna is not happy with how Ken handled the situation.
- Camping for a night or two is allowed everywhere according to the Everyman’s Right! Even here!
- There was a ”no camping sign” and you know quite well that the concept of camping is problematic in Finland.
- The sign is not legal.
- Kaarna, get over it now!

With the help of the good old Google Maps, they find even a better place!

But whoa, the wind blows really hard!

Not a chance to go SUP boarding today. Well, that doesn’t matter at all.

They are both extremely happy with this place and Ken sighs:

- Everything right now reminds me of Spain. The smell of the sea, the warm strong wind, the deep blue sky, the sandy beach...

The gentleman way of wild camping is to only spend a couple of nights at the same spot even when the spot happens to be a paradise on Earth.

So, a van dweller is constantly packing or unpacking the vehicle.

This morning the porridge is made on the shore of some small bay.

After the breakfast Kaarna goes paddeling thanks to the still sea.

She returns surprisingly soon in a very peculiar way.
- What on Earth are you doing? Ken asks.
- I dropped the goddamn paddle! It went straight to the bottom!

- Why didn’t you dive after it?!
- Have you looked at the water here? It’s green and thick like porridge! The visibility is zero!

Neither Ken or Kaarna is a fan of crowds and big cities, but today they can’t stop smiling although they are surrounded by a hundred thousand people! It’s the day of the Pride Parade in Helsinki!

Helsinki Pride Parade is not only abut party, glitter and funny clothes. It´s also a touching and important reminder that there is still so much to do. The bigatry and hatred towards the LGBTQIA+ people is still sadly strong even here in Finland.