Work camp begins!

Today the participants of our work camp started arriving to Anjala. Here are some first thoughts from Roosa, Monika and Henna-Mari, who will be camp leaders and instructors for the following two weeks.

Monika: I arrived at the youth centre in the morning looking forward to the next two weeks I’ll be spending with the campers. First I met Roosa, who is the camp leader this year, she seems like a very nice person and I’m sure we’ll get along well. I can’t wait to meet the campers and get to know them! I’m sure we will all have a great time together and I’m hoping we’ll have a nice enough weather too.

Roosa: Hasta la vista, Turku! Fed up with my life in the city (although Turku might not be considered a city in all countries :-P), I packed my backpack yesterday and hopped on a train from Turku to Inkeroinen, the train stop near Anjala Youth Centre. I ate kidney beans straight from the can and still finished some projects on my way to the camp.

The journey from city to countryside lasted for four hours - plus half an hour that was wasted as I missed the Inkeroinen train stop and ended up at the next stop. I stepped out of the train and – peace! Just wild flowers and bushes, and the railway. Felt like in the Russian countryside, but well, we are quite close to the Eastern border here.

Food in Anjala Youth Centre is amazingly delicious. The cook revealed that they cooked vegan meals for the first time, but I didn’t notice that at all. At dinner I refilled my plate for a couple of times. After eating just canned beans for several days, this cafeteria is to me a food paradise.

In the evening I made some plans for the free time that we’ll spend with the international participants. All the camp participants will live in two dormitories located in beautiful wooden houses. The river Kymi is just next to us, and the air smells fresh and clean.

When I’m writing this text, the first participants have just arrived. I’m really looking forward to meeting them all – we’ll have such a good time together!

Henna-Mari: Ahoj! I arrived to Inkeroinen centre two hours ago, unpacked my luggage a while ago and settled in the dorm which is heated by the summer sun :) But no worries: we will let the wind do its job to cool the rooms! We already hang the “poster of expectations and feelings” at girl’s dorm with Monika, Cara and Yin-Yu. 

I’m reaaaally looking forward the next two weeks! I’m sure we’re gonna have a great, fun and wonderful time that we could memorize a stupid smile on our faces years after. As I love eating so much I cannot wait the first tastes of already praised food (-dinner actually starts now!). Got to go ;)